The Average Cost Of Hiring Professionals For Backyard Clean-Up

Raking dead leaves, trimming hedges, sorting debris: The truth is, cleaning a backyard can be quite involving. Plus, depending on the size and layout of the property, it can take a lot of time — sometimes days. Moreover, you may realize that when you're ready to start, it hits you that you don't have one or two tools, perhaps a hedge-clipper, a shovel, or a rake. Of course, you'll also have to figure out how you'll responsibly dispose of all the waste that will ensue. Therefore, even if you know how to clean your backyard, hiring professionals sometimes makes a lot of sense. And make no mistake: a clean backyard can be a game-changer, especially when selling property. An appealing backyard can increase the value of your property, meaning more cash in your pocket.

So, what's the average cost of hiring professionals to clean your backyard? Although this depends on several factors, you should expect to pay about $350, which is the average for a quarter-acre yard. We're using a quarter of an acre because that's the average for residential lawns in the United States. Still, as we've mentioned, there are several factors to consider.

As you'd expect, the bigger the acreage, the higher the clean-up cost you should expect to pay. While you're likely to pay between $500 to $1,100 for an acre, half an acre will set you back about $200–$700. Similarly, the clean-up cost for a quarter of an acre ranges between $200–$500. It's crucial to mention that these price variances depend on the amount of work to be done. For example, a neglected property, however small, can end up costing much more than a bigger property. Then there's geographic location, where several dynamics come into play, including the old economic concept of demand and supply: the demand for clean-up services versus the availability of workers. Hence, you're likely to pay more in Los Angeles (between $230 to $630) — than you'll pay in Pittsburgh (between $160 to $480). Also, a location's climate and terrain will determine both the amount and frequency of work to be done, thereby impacting costs.

Something else to consider is that there are more than 600,000 lawn care companies in the United States, and they don't charge the same amount for the same job. For example, while TruGreen's basic option is $53 per month, which comes to $636 per year, Lawnbright has a basic plan that starts at around $200 per year. Of course, you don't want to narrow it down to cost. Check out other factors, including customer service.