Lawn Care Costs in CHS, SC (Charleston, Summerville: houses, neighborhood, live in)

[Will50000]

What should I be paying for lawn care in Charleston? What services should I be getting for that?

The average cost for a lawn care visit in the Charleston area excluding Mt. Pleasant and Downtown Charleston is $45 a visit and includes mowing of turf, string trimming around home and beds and edging and blowing of driveways and sidewalks. To get under $45 finding the neighborhood kid or an uninsured, sometimes sketchy operation. Downtown and Mt. Pleasant average $20 - $30 higher per visit.

What's missing that I may need? Shrub/ornamental pruning, leaf clean-up, lawn fertilization and weed control.

Shrubs: Depending on the shrub costs range from $10 (small boxwood) to $70 (large Ligustrum) for each and is usually needed twice a year minimum.
Leaf Clean-Up: 1/4 acre covered by leaves can be as much as $110 for full removal or less if mulching into turf method for fertilization is used. Make sure the professional has top grade mulching equipment.
Fertilization/Weed Control: $75 a visit for 8 visits a year is typical in Charleston per 1/4 acre. This should include a soil sample and a treatment plan tailored to your turf and plantings.

Method: 4 quotes were received for lawn care on a 1/4 acre of turf, 2 plant beds and 2 trees. 2 Quotes received from fertilization/weed control only companies.

As owner of a full service lawn care company, Cuts Grass llc, I requested quotes for the above to see how my pricing compared to the market rates and wanted to share. Survey performed 2/2018.

[gliderguy]

I found cutting the lawn in Summerville to be very expensive when compared to NJ. I have a .25 acres, first couple of quotes were $55 cash! I had a .33 acres in NJ and paid $28 and they billed be monthly. I finally found a guy for $35, he was super reliable last year, I'm hoping he is coming back for this season.

[Ziggy100]

Considering most yards can be cut in under an hour, it sounds like lawn care guys were getting paid per hour more than the average Charleston homeowner who is paying them is getting.

[gliderguy]

I don't get it, I have a single story so the footprint is much bigger than 2 story homes, so less lawn to cut. No fence, no hills. And they act like $55 is a bargain. It takes them about 40 minutes.

[gailjnh]

I live in Summerville and have had the same person since I moved in May 2016. He charges me $30 for the mowing, edging, weed wacking and blowing grass clippings. When I have him trim the bushes, he charges me $20 total for all of them (3 small and 2 large ones). I've been very pleased with him.

He does several houses in the neighborhood and I know the one across the street he charges $35 because he can't get his big mower thru the gate to the back yard and the man's lawn is larger than mine.

As for the fertilizing, I don't bother since I don't own the property, but he does do a pre-emergent weed treatment 4 times a year for $50 each.

I'm sure Charleston is higher priced but those prices still seem a bit steep to me.