What lawn care and maintenance includes

Lawn service covers two kinds of work, and it helps to know which you're paying for:

  • Routine maintenance: mowing, edging along driveways and beds, trimming, and blowing clippings off hard surfaces. In Tampa Bay this is usually weekly or every other week during the growing season and less often in winter.
  • Lawn health treatments: fertilizing, weed control, insect control and disease treatment, on a separate seasonal schedule. Many homeowners hire one company to mow and a different one for treatments.

Mowing height by grass type

Mowing at the right height is the cheapest thing you can do for a lawn. Cutting too low stresses the grass, exposes the soil and lets weeds in. University of Florida guidance for common Tampa Bay grasses:

  • St. Augustinegrass (the most common lawn here): 3.5–4 inches for most varieties; dwarf varieties lower
  • Bahiagrass: 3–4 inches
  • Zoysiagrass: about 1–2.5 inches, depending on the variety
  • Bermudagrass: about 0.5–1.5 inches, which needs a reel mower and frequent cutting

Follow the one-third rule: never remove more than a third of the blade in one mowing. In peak summer that means weekly cuts for most lawns. Keep mower blades sharp, because dull blades tear the grass, leaving brown tips that are more likely to get diseased.

Tampa Bay considerations

  • Summer fertilizer bans. Several Tampa Bay local governments, including Pinellas County and the City of Tampa, prohibit applying nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer from June 1 through September 30 to protect local waterways. Rules differ by city and county, so check yours. Products with iron are a common way to keep lawns green during the ban.
  • Watering rules. The Southwest Florida Water Management District limits lawn watering to set days and times, generally no more than twice a week, and local utilities can be stricter during droughts. Your watering days usually depend on your address. Florida law also requires a working rain sensor or shutoff device on automatic sprinkler systems.
  • Chinch bugs. These insects are the most damaging pest of St. Augustinegrass. They cause yellowing, dying patches in hot, sunny, dry areas, often along driveways and sidewalks. They should be confirmed before treating, because drought stress and fungus can look similar.
  • Fungus follows the weather. Large patch tends to show up as circles of thinning grass in the cooler, wetter months, and gray leaf spot affects St. Augustinegrass in hot, humid weather. Overwatering and fertilizing at the wrong time make both worse.
  • Weeds tell you something. Dollarweed usually means the lawn is getting too much water. Sedges and crabgrass take over thin turf. A dense, correctly mowed lawn is the best long-term weed control.

What it costs

These ranges come from TampaBayCo's landscaping cost guide:

  • Scheduled maintenance (weekly, biweekly or monthly, standard yard): $25–$75 per visit
  • One-time cleanup (heavy trimming, edging, leaf or storm cleanup): $150–$300
  • Mulch refresh for beds: $150–$500
  • Sod for bare or dead areas: about $0.40–$1.00 per square foot installed

Fertilizer and pest programs are usually priced separately as a set number of treatments a year, and the price depends on lawn size. When comparing quotes, line up how many visits each includes and what happens at each one.

For a season-by-season look at mowing, feeding and watering, see TampaBayCo's lawn care and maintenance guide and yearly landscaping checklist.

How to choose a pro

  • Check the right certifications. Florida requires anyone applying fertilizer commercially to hold a Limited Commercial Fertilizer Applicator certificate from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), and pesticide application requires an FDACS license. Ask to see them if the company treats your lawn.
  • Get the mowing height in writing. A crew that scalps St. Augustine to make it look neat is damaging it.
  • Ask what each visit includes. Mowing, edging, string trimming and blowing are standard. Confirm whether bed weeding, hedge trimming and clipping removal are extra.
  • Ask how they diagnose problems. A good company identifies the pest, disease or watering issue before spraying anything, and tells you which products it uses.
  • Ask about the fertilizer schedule. It should fit your city's or county's fertilizer rules, including any summer ban.
  • Confirm insurance. Ask for proof of liability insurance and workers' comp.

How TampaBayCo works

Tell us about your lawn and the service you're after in the short form above. We send your request to a local lawn care company, who contacts you to look at the yard and quote a schedule. The match is free, and you're under no obligation to hire anyone. Your details only go to the provider matched to your request.