Finding a good deal is all about competition. Prices go down when multiple companies sell the same thing. Whether it’s 
How to negotiate lawn care services
This week I had my lawn aerated and re-seeded. For most people this can be very expensive ($250-500). But I negotiated a great deal last spring ($42), so I thought this would be a good time to look at haggling for lawn care services!
Lawn care companies all provide a similar suite of services and are ruthlessly competitive with each other. You’ll be shocked at how easy it is to negotiate because they all want to undercut their competitors.
You may have read how to buy a car by creating a competitive bidding situation. But did you know the same negotiating technique can be used in a variety of other situations?
- Haggling for lawn care treatments
- Picking a moving company
- Selecting contractors for home improvements
- Getting the best interest rate for a mortgage (or re-finance)
We’ll explore each of these topics in future posts.
Lawn care companies don’t typically cut your lawn, but instead provide regular applications of fertilizer, weed control, insect repellent, etc. Usually between 5-10 treatments per year. It’s very easy to notice the difference between a thick, green, healthy lawn that’s been treated and one that’s only been mowed.
You could certainly go to Home Depot and buy these types of treatments and apply them yourself. However, in recent years I’ve found it’s actually cheaper to have a lawn service come and do the work for you if you negotiate properly.
How to negotiate lawn treatments
In the example below, you’ll get quotes for lawn care services from 4 companies. You’ll then make them compete against each other to systematically reduce your price.
In the example above, we beat our most expensive quote by 50%. These are actual numbers from my negotiations last spring. And the winning company threw in an aeration and reseeding treatment for the price of a normal service (an extra $225 value).
Unlike buying a car this process usually needs to be more phone oriented. Sometimes they will schedule a visit to provide an estimate, and sometimes they’ll just consult Google Maps to see the size of your property. When you call a lawn care provider, simply tell them,
“I’m in the market for a lawn care service and I’m getting quotes from the top companies in the area. Can you give me a quote?”
After you get quotes and you begin negotiating you can say something like,
“Hi Linda, I’ve called a few other lawn services and I’ve gotten a quote for 8 treatments at $50 per visit. I’d like to make a decision in the next day or so, and price is the number one factor for me. Do you think you could offer me a better price?
Just make sure you compare apples to apples when negotiating. You’ll want to consider the same types of lawn treatments and number of applications per year (most companies provide per visit pricing tied to an annual agreement).
Also, keep in mind that while most lawn care services are the same, one additional consideration is the environment. Some offer organic programs that limit use of chemical pesticides. I also like to ask each provider which houses they have serviced in my neighborhood. Then I walk around and make sure those lawns look as good as advertised.
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Why is it free? Because buying a car is something almost everyone has to do and I strongly believe the process is designed to confuse and take advantage of consumers. I'd like to level the playing field and give everyone a chance at a fair deal.
Very ironic- 10 minutes ago I sent a note to our lawn care company saying “Do NOT come back next year”. We have so much crabgrass and dead spots that I feel so ripped off. They weren’t cheaper than the others, but there were supposedly more ‘natural’ and we were stupid and fell for it. There are still tons of chemicals, none of which are found in nature that I know of. And, it works about as well as if I threw a bunch of Rice Krispies on the lawn. Actually Rice Krispies would probably work better.
I want to go back to my old company for next year, but I am going to act like they have to ‘woo’ me.
@Everday I like the rice krispies technique, i’ll have to try it! It will probably add to my problem with deer, rabbits, and foxes though.
Definitely get them to woo you. This is one of the easy industries to negotiate and even if you’re a potential return customer, they still have to beat all their competitors.
$42? OK, I feel like crap now! I paid substantially more than that, and FORGOT to negotiate- I think I’m too overwhelmed. Nice reminder
Nice flow chart! Impressive that you brought the price down that much. Good to remember although someone may be providing a good service they may still be charging you too much for that service.