Get Quotes from Top Lawn Care Companies in San Francisco, CA

How Long Have You Been in the Lawn Care Business in San Francisco?

How long a lawn care company has been in business is an important question to ask when searching for professional lawn care services in San Francisco. Unsatisfactory professional services and home improvement scams were two of the top ten major causes of consumer complaints filed with consumer protection agencies in the San Francisco area in 2021. By retaining the services of a lawn care company that has been in business for a considerable length of time, you significantly reduce your chances of receiving mediocre services or even becoming the victim of a home improvement scam.

In addition, lawn care companies with a considerable history of operation are more likely to be staffed by landscapers familiar with pertinent local and state landscaping regulations and watering restrictions. These landscapers are also usually experienced enough to select and effectively take care of the right species of native and drought-resistant plants and flowers for your lawn that can thrive under its specific topography and the city's complex climate. Some popular native plants and drought-resistant grasses that are suitable for lawns in the San Francisco area include:

• California wild rose
• Sticky monkey-flower
• Fescue grass
• California lilac
• Western redbud
• Coast sunflower
• California flannel bush
• Ryegrass
• Bermuda grass
• Coastal groundcover gum plant
• Bush mallow
• Coyote mint
• Wild mock orange
• California fuchsia
• California poppy
• Kentucky bluegrass
• Femleaf yarrow
• Blue Hibiscus
• Rock rose cress
• Radiant bearberry
• California aster
• Low blue blossom
• California goldenbush

To this end, you should always look out for lawn care companies that have been in business for at least a year or two and have also built and maintained a reputation for professional and optimal service delivery during this period.

Note that you should always verify your preferred lawn care company's reputation before signing any contracts with them, regardless of how long they may have been in business. Research the company online and utilize websites like the Better Business Bureau, Yelp, and Google Reviews to look up reviews and testimonials on them. You should also ask them for references from past clients who can vouch for their services and ensure that you contact these past clients to get their first-hand reviews on the lawn care company.

Do You Hold Any Professional Qualifications Relevant to Lawn Care?

Another important question to ask when searching for professional lawn care services in San Francisco is whether or not your intended landscapers hold professional qualifications and credentials in relevant lawn care and landscaping fields. Depending on the nature of the services that you require, these qualifications may be mandated by state law or voluntarily obtained by the landscapers to demonstrate their knowledge and experience in specified landscaping niches.

For instance, landscapers who provide any services outside standard lawn maintenance, like shrub trimming, weeding, and mowing, are mandated to obtain a license from the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) before bidding for or performing work worth $500 or more. Failure to obtain an appropriate license from this board before providing landscaping services above the aforementioned monetary limit is considered a misdemeanor offense and is punishable by up to six months in jail, $15,000 in fines, or a combination of both.

The CSLB typically issues licenses to interested parties that meet the following requirements:

• Are at least 18 years old
• Have attained at least four years of landscaping and lawn care work experience within a 10-year period from the date of the license application
• Properly complete and submit an Application for Original Contractor License form, along with a non-refundable application fee
• Submit acceptable documentation to validate their work experience
• Sit for and pass a CSLB-administered licensing examination
• Comply with the board's insurance and bond obligations

Likewise, landscapers whose services will involve the application of pesticides are also mandated to obtain a separate license and certification from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). This department's licensing and certification process typically entails:

• Passing a department-administered certification examination with a minimum score of 70 percent
• Registering with the San Francisco County Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures
• Paying all stipulated licensing and certification fees

You can contact the CSLB and the DPR at (800) 321-2752 and (916) 445-4038, respectively, to get more information or direct queries concerning state-mandated licensing and certification requirements for San Francisco landscapers and lawn care professionals.

Many professional landscapers and lawn care professionals in the city also often obtain voluntary certifications from recognized organizations and trade associations like:

• The California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA)
• The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
• The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP)
• The Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA)
• The Irrigation Association (IA)
• The Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS)

These certifications are typically obtained in niche areas like organic farming, landscape design, landscape irrigation, arboriculture, and horticulture, and landscapers who hold these qualifications generally tend to be more competent and experienced than their counterparts. This, in turn, greatly increases your chances of receiving optimal lawn care services.

Note that you should always verify your intended landscapers' professional qualifications and credentials before signing any contracts with them. State-mandated licenses and certifications can be verified online via the CSLB's Check a License and the DPR's List of Licensees platforms. You can equally verify any voluntarily obtained certifications your landscaper claims to hold by requesting proof of this certification and validating it with the appropriate certifying organization.

How Much Do You Charge Compared to Other Lawn Care Companies in the City?

An essential step to take when making hiring arrangements with lawn care companies in San Francisco is finding out how much you will be charged for your required services and how these charges will be calculated. Professional landscapers and lawn care companies in the city typically use one or a combination of three primary pricing models when calculating their charges, namely:

• Hourly Rates Pricing Method: this is a straightforward pricing model where the client pays for each hour the lawn care company spends working on their lawn. The lawn care company's hourly rates for the required services are typically discussed prior to the start of the work and can range from $30 - $80 per hour, depending on the precise types and complexity of services that will be provided
• Fixed/Flat Rates Pricing Method: with this pricing method, the client pays a flat rate for a collection of pre-agreed services or a single service in particular. These fixed rates normally range from $50 to $1,000 per service, depending on the nature and scope of the requested services
• Square Footage Rates Pricing Method: with this pricing method, the lawn care company calculates its charges based on the total square footage of the client's lawn that is worked on. These charges typically range from $4 to $15 per square foot

Note that certain factors will impact the actual cost of your requested lawn care services, regardless of the lawn care company's pricing method to calculate their charges. These factors are:

• The nature and scope of your required services
• The size of your lawn
• Your lawn's current state and topography
• Your location within the city
• The local reputation of the lawn care company that you select
• The types of tools and equipment needed for the job
• The frequency of the required services
• The labor intensity of the job

Considering this, it is always a good idea to get and compare price quotes for your required lawn care services from at least three different local lawn care companies before choosing a landscaper to work on your lawn. Some advantages of taking this action include:

• It allows you to obtain an accurate assessment of the current market prices in your area for the necessary lawn care and maintenance services
• It helps you identify landscapers with exorbitant fees and rates and protects you from dishonest lawn care companies

Lawn care contractors in San Francisco earn an average wage of $47,650 annually. The list below compares the average wages earned by these contractors per hour against the average hourly wages of lawn care contractors in other parts of California and also in other locations across the United States:

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

What Is Included in Your Lawn Care Program?

When searching for professional lawn care services in the San Francisco area, you may run into lawn care companies and landscapers that try to sell you cheap lawn care programs to entice you to sign up with them. However, these lawn care programs usually fall short of providing the necessary care and maintenance needed to keep your lawn healthy. You will likely end up paying for more services than were initially offered. Therefore, before entering into any contracts with landscapers in the city, you should always find out exactly what services they are equipped to provide and the range of services that will be included in your lawn care program.

Professional landscapers and lawn care companies in San Francisco generally provide a wide range of lawn care and maintenance services. These include, but are not limited to:

• Lawn mowing
• Shrub and tree planting
• Tree trimming
• Tree pruning
• Shrub and hedge trimming
• Lawn fertilization
• Lawn seeding
• Weed control
• Turf disease remediation
• Pest control
• Lawn aeration
• Flower services
• Leaf blowing and yard cleanup
• Hydroseeding
• Root care
• Soil treatment and topsoil care
• Mulching and composting
• Landscape design
• Retaining wall installation
• Drip irrigation system installation and maintenance
• Artificial turf installation

These services are usually offered through two types of lawn care packages, namely:

• Basic lawn care programs
• Full-service lawn care programs

Basic lawn care programs typically entail services that concentrate on the visual appeal and appearance of the lawn rather than on its overall health. Lawn mowing, leaf blowing, garden cleansing, and shrub and hedge pruning are a few examples of these services. On the other hand, full-service lawn care programs concentrate on the lawn's look and aesthetic appeal while also taking measures to enhance its general health. As a result, in addition to basic lawn care services, full-service lawn care programs typically include services like lawn aeration and fertilization, customized weed control, mulching, tree pruning, soil treatment and topsoil care, and turf disease remediation.

Always ask your lawn care provider what kind of package you will be receiving, as well as the full range of services that will be offered as part of this package and how frequently they will be performed. Also, make sure that you receive a written service contract that includes all of these details, as well as the cost of the lawn care program before any work on your lawn commences.

Listed below are price ranges for lawn care services that are typically included in lawn care packages offered by professional lawn care companies in the San Francisco area:

Do You Provide Organic Lawn Care Services?

Finding out whether a lawn care company provides organic lawn care services is an important question to ask if you have children or pets that regularly play on your lawn or if you have concerns about the effects of pesticide application on the environment. Lawn care companies that provide these services utilize organic, carbon-based materials like leaf mulch and compost, seaweed, potash, worm castings, bone char, and manure when implementing their lawn care programs instead of standard synthetic substances like pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. This, in turn, minimizes the environmental impact of your lawn care services and also reduces the exposure of your children and pets to potentially hazardous lawn care chemicals.

It should be noted that organic lawn care is usually more labor-intensive than conventional lawn care. Nevertheless, implementing an organic lawn care program for your lawn affords you several benefits, such as:

• It results in healthier lawns and revitalized ecosystems
• It utilizes biodegradable substances
• It improves root growth and grass quality
• It improves soil ecology
• It provides a safer environment for children and pets than conventional lawn care.
• It reduces soil and water pollution
• There is no danger of over-application
• It is more sustainable in the long run

Do You Offer a Warranty for Plants Installed?

When hiring lawn care companies in San Francisco, it is important to find out if the companies you are considering will offer you warranties for their services. Warranties are legally enforceable assurances that a product or service you pay for will perform as intended, and you should always look out for these warranties, especially if your requested lawn care services include the installation or planting of sod, seedlings, or flowers. Be skeptical of any lawn care company that seems hesitant or refuses to offer you a warranty for their services, and strongly consider striking them off your list of potential hires.

Note that the validity period and scope of coverage of any plant warranty that you are offered will be determined by the lawn care company that offers it. Nonetheless, many professional lawn care companies in the city typically offer plant warranties that are valid for at least one year and usually include guidelines that the lawn owner must adhere to while they are in effect, such as:

• The types of fertilizers to be used
• Plant watering schedules
• Acceptable mowing heights and techniques

These plant warranties also usually indicate situations or circumstances in which they will not offer any protection for installed plants. These generally include:

• Situations where the lawn owner fails to provide the plants with adequate care and upkeep, resulting in the plants not growing or flourishing as expected
• Situations where natural disasters, acts of vandalism, kids, pets, or other small animals, harm or destroy the installed plants

To this end, it is always a good idea to familiarize yourself with the specific terms and conditions of any plant warranties that you are offered to ensure that you do not take any actions that can void them.

Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Lawn Care Companies in the City?

Over 12,000 injuries to landscapers and lawn care professionals were reported across the United States in 2020 alone. Some of the work-related hazards that these landscapers and lawn care professionals frequently face include cuts, lacerations, hand injuries from sharp instruments and work equipment, and chemical exposure to pesticides and other potentially harmful substances. As such, when making arrangements with lawn care companies in San Francisco, it is imperative to confirm that every landscaper directly involved in providing your services is properly insured.

Per state requirements, San Francisco landscapers holding CSLB-issued licenses are expected to carry workers' compensation insurance for their employees and maintain $15,000 surety bonds for the term of the licenses' validity. Similar rules apply to DPR-licensed and certified landscapers, who are required to meet certain financial responsibility obligations, such as carrying liability insurance of at least $5,000 per person, or $10,000 per incident for bodily injury, and $5,000 for property damage.

By ensuring that only properly insured landscapers are allowed to work on your lawn, you shield yourself from any financial or legal liabilities should they suffer an injury while performing their duties. Utilizing the services of fully insured landscapers also shields you from out-of-pocket costs if these landscapers damage your property while performing your requested lawn care work.

To this end, always ask for proof of insurance and bonding from your intended landscapers and verify the provided proof before they begin any work on your property. You should also ensure that the landscapers carry general liability insurance that adequately covers any potential third-party injuries or property damage while providing lawn care services.

Additional information on the state-mandated insurance and bond requirements for San Francisco landscapers and lawn care companies can be gotten by contacting the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) at (800) 321-2752 and (916) 445-4038 respectively.