Get Quotes from Top Lawn Care Companies in Phoenix, AZ

How Long Have You Been in the Lawn Care Business in Phoenix?

When choosing a professional lawn care company in Phoenix, it is important to find out how long they have been in business. Some of the most common complaints homeowners in the area have about lawn care service providers are the failure to deliver agreed-upon services and the poor quality of their work. When dealing with an inexperienced and unknown lawn care company, you are more prone to getting disappointed and getting ripped off.

As such, you should always consider a lawn care company with a long-standing reputation in Phoenix when looking to hire one. In most cases, these companies employ experienced and skilled lawn contractors knowledgeable about the city's landscaping regulations. These individuals can also give you the best advice on caring for your plants and grasses. Common examples of plants and grasses that you can find in Phoenix include:

• Cactus
• Succulent
• Desert willow
• Desert ironwood
• Bull grass
• Deer grass
• Blue grama
• Hop bush
• Sugar sumac
• Triangle bursage
• Pink fairy duster
• Rush milkweed
• Desert marigold
• Firecracker penstemon
• Mexican gold poppy
• Arizona poppy

Regardless of how long the lawn care company has been in business, it is still essential to do your due diligence before you hire them. To this end, before you hire a lawn care company, you should ask for references from past clients. You can also check out the company's online reviews and ratings by visiting the websites of various online review agencies such as Better Business Bureau, Yelp, and Google Review.

Do You Hold Any Professional Qualifications Relevant to Lawn Care?

In addition to confirming the reputation of your preferred lawn care company, you should also consider the professional qualifications of the lawn contractors. These qualifications also confirm the experience and skills possessed by the lawn care contractor. Typically, lawn care contractors may be required to obtain certain state-mandated licenses before carrying out services on your lawn.

If the lawn care contractor provides landscaping services worth over $1,000 in Phoenix, they must be duly licensed by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC). The Arizona Registrar of Contractors offers interested individuals three types of landscaping licenses. To be eligible for any of these licenses, the applicant must Identify a qualifying party with the experience and skills provided under A.R.S. § 32-1122(E). The qualifying party must meet the following relevant license requirements:

• Pass the Arizona Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE)
• Possess a minimum of four years of experience.
• Complete a trade exam specific to the contractor license type through PSI unless the qualifying party is eligible for a waiver.
• Complete a criminal background check through an online Licensing Background Check page provided by ROC.

In addition, the applicant must form a legal business entity like partnerships or limited liability companies recognized by the Arizona Corporation Commission (AZCC). Applicants can use the AZCC's online resources to guide them on how to start a business. In addition, the applicant must purchase a contractor's bond and provide proof of purchase to ROC. Once all the license requirements are checked by both the applicant and the qualifying party, the applicants can complete the license application via the Online Customer Portal. Alternatively, the applicants can fill out and submit a License Application Form accompanied by the applicable fee for the relevant license type via mail to:

You can contact the Arizona Registrar of Contractors at (602) 542-1525 for more information regarding the landscaping licensing process. You can use the AZ ROC Contractor Search to verify if your intended landscape contractors license is valid.

Where the lawn care contractor will be applying pesticides to your lawn, they must complete a separate licensing process handled by the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) through its Arizona Pest Management Division (PMD). The lawn contractor may either be licensed as a certified or qualified applicator. To apply, the contractor must:

• Complete an application form, pay an application fee and upload other necessary documents, such as a statement of lawful presence, via AZDA's online licensing and payment system.
• Pass a core and at least one category-specific PMD exam with 75% or higher in each

For more information regarding the licensing process for lawn care contractors applying pesticides, contact the Arizona Pest Management Division at (602) 542-3578. You can use the PMD's pest management professionals search platform to find a suitable lawn care contractor near you. Likewise, you can also find a licensed lawn care company via the PMD's pest management companies search platform.

After getting the required licenses to operate, many lawn care professionals working in Phoenix also acquire voluntary certifications, such as those related to landscape irrigation, organic farming, and arboriculture. These are usually obtained through well-known trade associations and organizations such as:

• The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
• The Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS)
• The Irrigation Association (IA)
• The Arizona Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA)
• The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP)

These certifications assure you that the lawn care professional can perform the job competently. However, when a lawn care professional claims to possess any of these certifications, you should always verify such a claim by asking for proof and contacting the relevant issuing organization for authentication.

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

Before you complete the hiring process for your preferred lawn care company in Phoenix, it is important that you know how much you will be charged. The rates that lawn care companies charge are typically based on various pricing models:

• Hourly Rates: This pricing model is typically used by lawn care companies to charge their customers for their time working on their lawns. This usually ranges from $25 - $60 per hour or more. The rates they charge are usually agreed upon before the work begins, and they can vary depending on the service's complexity.
• Square Footage Rates: This pricing model considers the square footage of the client's lawn that the company will be working on. Companies typically charge between $4 and $10 for every square foot.
• Flat Rates: The fixed fee model is used by lawn care companies to charge a flat fee for a specific service or a range of agreed-on services. This rate can vary depending on the scope and nature of the service they provide and ranges from $50 - $1,000 per service.

The exact amount that you will be required to pay for the services of a professional lawn care company will vary depending on various factors such as:

• The nature and scope of services you require
• The size of your lawn
• Your locality within the city
• The lawn contractor's local reputation
• The frequency of the required services
• The presence of fences, rocks, trees, steep hills, and other obstacles
• The types of materials and equipment required for the job
• The labor intensity required to provide satisfactory services

Nonetheless, before you hire a professional lawn care company in Phoenix, it is important that you get and compare rates of multiple lawn care companies near you. Doing so will help you get a fair idea of the current market prices for your required service. It will also help you spot outrageous rates and protect you from dishonest lawn care companies.

Lawn care contractors in Phoenix earn an average wage of $34,470 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 Arizona and also in other locations across the United States:

What Is Included in Your Lawn Care Program?

Before you start working with a professional lawn care company, you should thoroughly research their offerings and scope of services. In the Phoenix area, there are a variety of services that lawn care companies can provide, including:

• Flower services
• Garden cleanup and debris removal
• Irrigation system installation
• Irrigation system maintenance and repair
• Landscape design
• Leaf blowing
• Lawn mowing
• Lawn aeration
• Lawn seeding
• Lawn fertilization
• Mulching
• Pest control
• Retaining wall installation
• Shrub and tree planting
• Shrub and hedge trimming
• Tree trimming
• Tree pruning
• Weed control

Lawn care programs in Phoenix are typically divided into two main categories:

• The Basic Lawn Care Service Package: This type of program is usually focused on improving the appearance of your lawn without much attention to its overall health. Some of the services that this package includes include tree trimming, lawn mowing, shrub, and hedge trimming, and garden cleanup.
• The Full-Service Lawn Maintenance Package: This type of program is usually focused on improving the appearance of your lawn without neglecting its overall health. Usually, full-service lawn care programs include basic services and other services such as tree pruning, fertilization, and weed control.

Unfortunately, some dishonest lawn care companies will try to lure you by offering low-cost service packages that are not ideal for your long-term goals. To avoid getting into misunderstandings, it is essential that you thoroughly research the services offered by the company and confirm that the scope and nature of their work can deliver your desired lawn care program results. As such, make sure that the terms and conditions of the contract include all of the necessary details about the services that the lawn care company provides before signing a contract with them.

Below are some of the cost estimates that are typically included in the price of a lawn care program in Phoenix:

Do You Provide Organic Lawn Care Services?

​​If you have small pets or children who often play on your lawn, consider hiring a company that provides organic lawn care services. This service involves using natural resources and methods to maintain a lawn without using harmful substances like pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, or other synthetic chemicals. The landscaper will use natural resources such as seaweed, manure, and compost to keep the lawn healthy. These materials help maintain the healthy and vibrant appearance of your lawn.

In addition to reducing the number of chemicals that are released into the atmosphere, organic lawn care can also help limit the exposure of your kids and pets to potentially harmful substances and chemicals. Although these services are typically more expensive than conventional lawn care, they still provide property and homeowners several benefits, such as:

• Better root growth
• Healthier lawns
• Improved grass quality
• No risk of over-application
• Minimized soil and water pollution
• Minimized soil vulnerability to diseases and pests
• Revitalized lawn ecosystem
• Safer outdoor spaces for children and pets

Do You Offer a Warranty for Plants Installed?

When choosing a good lawn care company in Phoenix, you should consider whether or not the company will provide a warranty for its services. This is very important if the lawn care services include planting seeds, plants, or sod, as this guarantees that they will grow and flourish as intended. You should consider it a red flag if a lawn care company does not or hesitates to provide a warranty for the services that they will provide.

Plant warranties are usually written by a professional lawn care company or a landscaper and usually contain terms and conditions. In most cases, the plant warranty offered by a professional lawn care company in Phoenix is valid for up to a year. Property or homeowners must follow certain conditions for the warranty to apply during this one year:

• Strict watering schedules for all installed plants, flowers, and seeds
• Types of fertilizers to be used
• Mowing schedules, techniques, and acceptable mowing heights

Note that plant warranties do not cover issues that may arise due to the following:

• Damage that occurs to plants and flowers due to vandalism or natural disasters.
• The owner fails to provide adequate maintenance and care for the installed plants and flowers.
• Damages caused by children, pets, or other animals

To avoid voiding your warranties, you should thoroughly understand the terms and conditions of the plant warranty that your preferred lawn care company provides.

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

When hiring a company to provide lawn care services in Phoenix, it is essential to ensure that the lawn care contractors or landscapers they will be assigned to carry out such services are insured. Landscapers are prone to occupational hazards such as chemical exposure, amputations, cuts, and abrasions. Hiring an insured lawn care professional will protect you from potential legal and financial liability if they get injured. Also, working with a properly insured company will ensure you do not incur additional costs due to any damage these professionals can cause to your property.

Lawn care contractors are not obligated to carry general liability insurance or bonds in Phoenix. However, landscapers must purchase a contractor's bond, which may be a surety or cash bond. Likewise, lawn care contractors licensed as certified or qualified pesticide applicators by the AZDA's Pest Management Division must provide proof of financial security.

As such, before starting any work on your property, ensure that the lawn care company has the necessary insurance and bonding documents. You should also ensure that your preferred professional landscaper has the necessary insurance policy to cover the damages and bodily injuries they might cause while working on your property.

You can get more information about the various financial obligations and requirements that a professional landscaper in Phoenix has to meet by contacting the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) at (602) 542-1525. Likewise, you can contact the Arizona Pest Management Division at (602) 542-3578 to find out about the financial responsibility of professional pesticide applicators in Phoenix.