What Lawn Care Actually Costs
Most one off lawn treatments are priced by area, and across 13 US regions they land in the low tens of dollars per 1,000 square feet: core aeration runs $12 to $17, which works out to $60 to $85 on a 5,000 square foot lawn. Regular mowing is priced differently, per visit rather than by area, at $40 to $55. Here is the full breakdown by service, with the calculator that works out your own number next to each one.
Lawn care costs by service
Swipe sideways to see the whole-lawn column.
| Service | Typical range | A 5,000 sq ft lawn |
|---|---|---|
| Core aeration | $12 to $17 per 1,000 sq ft | $60 to $85 |
| Overseeding | $21 to $27 per 1,000 sq ft | $105 to $135 |
| Weed control application | $9 to $13 per 1,000 sq ft | $45 to $65 |
| Fertilizer, basic to organic | $7 to $24 per 1,000 sq ft | $35 to $120 |
| Dethatching or power raking | $10 to $14 per 1,000 sq ft | $50 to $70 |
| Lime application | $7 to $11 per 1,000 sq ft | $35 to $55 |
| Grass seed, cool to warm season | $10 to $27 per 1,000 sq ft | $50 to $135 |
| Professional mowing | $40 to $55 per visit | Not priced by area |
| Crew labor rate | $45 to $62 per hour | Not priced by area |
Ranges are the low and high across 13 US regions in our cost dataset, the same figures our calculators run on. The lawn column is straight multiplication: real quotes carry a minimum charge and a trip fee, so treat it as a floor rather than a price. Materials you buy yourself are separate from labor.
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How much does lawn aeration cost?
A professional core aeration pass. Renting a core aerator instead trades the labor for a day rate plus your afternoon.
How much does overseeding cost?
Includes the seed, which is why it runs above aeration. Seed price swings with the species you are sowing.
How much does lawn weed control cost?
One pre-emergent or post-emergent application. A full season is usually several passes, not one.
How much does lawn fertilizer cost?
The low end is a basic NPK product and the high end is organic. The rate you need comes off the bag label, not from us.
How much does dethatching cost?
Only worth doing when the thatch layer is genuinely too deep. Most lawns do not need it annually.
How much does a lime application cost?
Only apply lime after a soil test says your pH is low. Liming a lawn that does not need it makes things worse.
How much does grass seed cost?
Seed for the species that suits your region sits at the low end. Premium blends sit at the top.
How much does lawn mowing cost per visit?
Priced per visit for an average lawn rather than by area, so a much larger yard will quote above this.
What do lawn care companies charge per hour?
The hourly rate underneath every quoted service, which is why the same job costs different amounts in different regions.
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Where these numbers come from
- Every range is computed from the regional cost dataset our calculators run on, covering 13 US regions. Nothing on this page is typed in by hand, so the page and the calculators cannot drift apart.
- Units are mixed on purpose because the services are. Treatments are priced by area, mowing is priced per visit, and crew labor is priced by the hour. The unit is stated next to every figure for that reason.
- We do not publish application rates or spreader settings here. Those belong to the specific product you bought and are printed on its label, which is the binding instruction for that bag.