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10 best lawn care companies in Chicago, Illinois
Michelle NatiHome improvement writer
Michelle Nati is a contributing writer for USA TODAY Homefront. She has written about home impr...
Updated Jun 22, 2024
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We've ranked the top 10 lawn care companies that operate within 50 miles of Chicago. We base our ranking off average customer ratings weighted against the number of reviews. For more information, check out our full methodology.
A beautiful lawn adds value to your home. Well-kept landscaping makes a great first impression on visitors and potential buyers, and it signifies overall property care. Hire one of the best lawn care companies in Chicago to keep your yard looking pristine year-round.
Lawn care demands ongoing care throughout the year, and certain maintenance must be repeated all year long to ensure your grass and shrubs stay healthy. This can be especially tricky in Chicago, where extreme seasonal shifts pose a risk to your lawn’s health.
Find the best local lawn care company for you in Chicago
Look for lawn care companies in Chicago with at least 3.5 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews and a good rating on Better Business Bureau (BBB). Use the filters below to help you find the right company for your needs.
TruGreen Lawn Care
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A.R Lawn Service LLC
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- Helps educate customers
Greener Living Lawn Care Service
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- Helps educate customers
Maj Lawncare Incorporated
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- Helps educate customers
Fresh Cutz Lawn Care LLC
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- Helps educate customers
Ethan's Pro Turf Enforcement
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- Helps educate customers
Revive Your Lawn & Trimlight Chicago
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- Helps educate customers
Cesar's Lawn Maintenance & Services
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- Helps educate customers
Weed Man Lawn Care
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- Helps educate customers
Yuritzy Landscaping Inc
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- Good customer service
- Free quotes
- Transparent pricing
More providers
Below are additional lawn care companies that didn’t make our top picks based on their distance, ratings or service offerings.
JG Landscaping Services & Snow Removal Inc
Dig Right In Landscaping Inc
Patch Landscaping & Snow Removal
Mingo and Sons Lawn and Landscape LLC
What services does my lawn need in Chicago?
Your lawn needs specific care season by season. Some services are annual, while others are seasonal. Here are typical lawn care services for maintaining lush, healthy grass all year:
- All year: Mowing, watering and fertilizing need to be performed a few times a year to keep your lawn lush and healthy. How often these need to be done depends on whether your lawn goes dormant in the winter.
- Spring: Spring's arrival means removing fallen twigs and leaves around the yard. Aerating soil is key for the air, water and nutrient flow vital to lush grass. You'll also want to distribute fertilizer to spur new growth, and overseed patches that are bare during this time.
- Summer: Hot Chicago summers demand attentive watering throughout the hot months to help keep lawns healthy. Repeated mowing encourages drought-resistant grass, while maintaining regular pest control treatments helps ensure that yard pests won't bother you or your family. Additionally, summer fertilizer applications can help replace nutrients used up in the spring growth spurt.
- Fall: Seeding patchy areas will stimulate growth come springtime. Raking away leaves is necessary at this time because too many can smother the lawn and lead to mold. Aerating the soil and adding winterizing fertilizer also allows grass to better handle the upcoming cold season.
- Winter: To protect against the cold in Chicago, wrap trees and use mulch to insulate roots. All winter long, you should prune dead limbs and coat plants with dormant oil to discourage pests.
Facts about Chicago
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How do you choose the best lawn care company in Chicago?
To hire the ideal lawn care provider in Chicago, check customer feedback online and seek referrals from people in your area. When vetting a company, weigh its credentials, offerings, rates and skills by considering the following.
Make sure the company is licensed and insured
What licenses a lawn care company needs varies between states. Lawn and garden professionals in Illinois aren't obligated to carry a special certification to perform regular maintenance. The state doesn't impose licensing rules for any sort of lawn and garden task aside from the use of pesticides.
For lawn care services that use pesticides, lawn care professionals must have a Commercial Applicator's License from the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Businesses that work with pesticides and herbicides also must be licensed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Ask about a company’s licensing and verify they follow state and local regulations.
Find out what services they offer
Lawn care companies often have unique areas of expertise. When examining local providers, inquire about the range of services offered. Certain companies primarily offer routine upkeep like mowing, while others specialize in services like landscape design. The materials used can also vary — some utilize chemical products, while others promote eco-conscious options.
Ask about service packages
Lawn care companies offer a variety of different service packages. Getting recurring maintenance, or signing a contract with one company for a full season or year, is often less expensive than purchasing one-off services. Think about your lawn's specific needs and which companies have appropriate packages. Keep an eye out for promotions some providers advertise.
Look into green options
If you don't want chemicals used on your lawn, many landscaping companies offer organic alternatives instead. When comparing service providers, ask about green options.
Questions to ask your lawn care provider
When vetting local lawn care options, ask prospective providers the following questions.
What services do you recommend for my lawn?
Yards are rarely the same in their size and needs. A seasoned pro can guide you in selecting the right services for your yard and creating a custom care plan.
How often do you recommend services?
The frequency of general lawn care services like mowing is once per month in warm seasons. However, winterizing a lawn and fertilizing are periodic services that are performed one to four times per year. The local climate and advice from your lawn professional should guide how often fertilizers or treatments are applied.
How long do services typically take?
How long lawn care activities take varies based on the treatment, your lawn's condition and the total area of your lawn. A mosquito spraying session on a small yard, for example, may only last a couple of minutes. However, manually seeding acres of overgrown grass can take several hours, or even days, depending on the size of the lot.
When will I start seeing a benefit from services?
How long it takes to see results depends on which lawn care services you ask for. Instant improvements happen after services like manual weed removal and snow removal. Services like fertilizing, aerating and seeding slowly improve your lawn's health over several days or weeks.
Do I need to be home when services are being provided?
You do not need to be home for lawn services, though some companies request you be present at the first visit to review the service plan. After that, the professional can email you a text or email with photos showing tasks were finished.
Is it safe for my children and pets to be on the lawn after services?
Most lawn services are generally safe. However, if chemicals are introduced, children and pets must stay away from the lawn during treatment and for at least a few hours afterward. The exact number of hours they should keep away depends on the treatments applied and what your lawn care provider recommends.
Best lawn care for you
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Our methodology for selecting lawn care companies
The Homefront Local team employs a proprietary scoring algorithm that evaluates companies based on key factors you value, such as average customer review ratings and trustworthiness indicators. Our method for determining trust involves a comparative analysis of the number of reviews a company receives compared to its local competitors. This leads to companies that have earned more trust from your local community being awarded a higher score.
We review national lawn care companies against our full lawn care methodology. We score lawn care companies based on service options, reputation and reviews, customer service and communication, and price.
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