I don’t see many lawn care companies publish their actual prices. The standard approach is “call for a quote” — which is understandable, because prices vary by property, and a blanket price list doesn’t account for the size, condition, and specific needs of individual properties. That’s a legitimate reason.
But it’s also a reason that makes it genuinely difficult for Sudbury homeowners to budget for lawn care. Without some reference point for what a full year of services actually costs, the tendency is to either underspend — skipping things that matter — or to be surprised by costs that weren’t anticipated.
So here’s my attempt to give you that reference point. Real numbers for what a full year of lawn care services costs on a typical Sudbury residential property in 2026, broken down by service and season. Not a firm quote — I can’t give that without seeing your specific property — but a realistic range that gives you something to plan against.
Why I’m Publishing This — and Why Most Companies Don’t
Most companies avoid publishing prices because it creates comparison shopping pressure — once a number is out there, customers use it to benchmark against competitors. I understand that concern and I’m not pretending it doesn’t apply to me.
What I’ve found, though, is that the customers who call me after reading actual pricing information are better conversations. They know roughly what they’re getting into, they’ve thought about what they need and what they can afford, and they’re not starting from scratch on budget expectations. The conversation is more specific and more honest from the first call.
I’ve described how I approach new customer calls in the 60-second call piece — what I’m listening for and how the conversation goes when expectations are aligned versus when they’re not. Publishing pricing information upfront is part of building that alignment before the first call rather than during it.
I’m also writing this for the homeowners who are trying to figure out whether they can afford professional lawn care at all, or whether they need to choose between services. That decision is better made with real numbers than without them. I’ve written specifically about how to prioritize when budget is a genuine constraint in the fixed income lawn care piece — this article gives the full-cost context that makes that prioritization meaningful.
The Full Year Service Breakdown — What Each Season Costs
I’m going to break this down by season and by service, using a typical Sudbury residential property as the reference point — something in the 3,000 to 5,000 square foot lawn area range, which covers most suburban lots in Garson, Val Caron, Hanmer, and similar areas. Properties significantly larger or smaller will see proportionally different numbers.
All prices are approximate 2026 ranges. These reflect what I charge and what I understand comparable local services to cost — not a low-ball number and not a premium number, but honest mid-range pricing for quality professional service in Greater Sudbury.
Spring Cleanup — $150 to $300
Spring cleanup typically includes firm raking to break up matted grass and thatch, removal of winter debris and leaves that survived fall cleanup or blew in over winter, bed cleanup of dead annual material, edge redefinition, and debris removal from the property. On a property that had a proper fall cleanup the previous year, spring cleanup is lighter — toward the low end. On a property where fall prep was skipped or partial, or where winter was harder than usual, it’s more intensive — toward the high end or beyond.
Timing: late May, once soil and surface conditions have stabilized from snowmelt.
Core Aeration — $120 to $200
Annual core aeration on a typical suburban Sudbury lot — the single most important service I offer for established lawns in this city. The range reflects property size and shape complexity; simpler open lawns are toward the low end, properties with more obstacles and irregular shapes toward the high end.
Timing: last week of May through second week of June. This window is specific and non-negotiable for maximum benefit, as I’ve described in the aeration timing article. Aeration outside this window costs the same but delivers meaningfully less benefit.
Overseeding (After Aeration) — $80 to $150
Overseeding immediately after aeration — dropping quality Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass seed into the aeration holes for maximum germination rates. The range reflects how much of the lawn area needs overseeding; a lawn with widespread thin sections costs more than one where only a few spots need attention.
Timing: same day or within 24 hours of aeration, which is why it’s typically booked together with aeration rather than separately.
Fertilization (2 to 3 Applications) — $80 to $150 per application
A properly timed fertilization program for a Sudbury lawn involves two to three applications per season: a spring application after aeration when the soil channels are open, optionally a midsummer light application in some situations, and a fall winterizer application in late September that builds root reserves for winter. Some homeowners handle fertilization themselves — it’s one of the more manageable DIY services — but professional application ensures timing, product selection, and application rate are right for the specific property and season.
At two applications: $160 to $300 for the season. At three: $240 to $450.
Mowing (Per Visit or Season) — $40 to $80 per mow, or $900 to $2,000 per season
This is the most variable service in both price and structure. Per-mow pricing reflects the property size and mowing complexity. Season packages — where a company commits to a specific visit schedule for a flat seasonal rate — typically offer slight savings over per-mow pricing in exchange for the scheduling commitment.
For a typical Sudbury suburban lot, the mowing season runs approximately 20 to 25 visits from late May through late October. At $40 to $80 per visit, that’s $800 to $2,000 for the season. Season packages in the $900 to $1,800 range are common for this property size.
Mowing is the service most homeowners are most likely to handle themselves, and on manageable properties it’s entirely reasonable to do so. The things I’ve noted in the mower comparison article — mowing height, deck setting, frequency — matter as much when you’re doing it yourself as when a professional does it.
Hedge Trimming (1 to 2 Times Per Season) — $75 to $200 per session
Hedge trimming pricing varies significantly based on the number of hedges, their size, and whether any require equipment beyond standard handheld or pole trimmers. A single, well-maintained hedge is toward the low end. Multiple hedges in various states of growth, or hedges requiring ladder work, are toward the high end or beyond.
Timing: mid-July for the main trim, and optionally again in late August before the fall growth slowdown. The final trim of the season should not happen after mid-September in Sudbury, as late trimming stimulates growth that doesn’t harden off before frost.
Fall Cleanup — $175 to $350
Fall cleanup involves leaf removal (multiple passes if needed as trees drop at different rates through October), final mow at the right height, bed clearing, edge cleanup, and debris removal. It’s typically the most physically intensive cleanup of the year for properties with mature trees, and the most consequential for what the lawn looks like the following May.
I’ve written specifically about what happens when fall cleanup is skipped — the cost of skipping it in the following spring’s recovery is usually higher than the cost of doing it properly. The fall cleanup is the service I’d prioritize second only to aeration if budget forces choices.
Timing: two passes recommended — mid-October for the early-dropping leaves, late October to early November for the rest before the first hard freeze.
What Affects the Price — The Variables That Change Everything
The ranges above reflect a typical mid-size Sudbury suburban property in reasonable condition. Here are the variables that push costs outside those ranges.
Property Size
Everything scales with lawn area. A small townhouse lot with 1,500 square feet of lawn area pays less than half of a property with 6,000 square feet for most services. Rural properties along the 144 corridor or in the Walden area with larger lots — often 10,000 to 20,000+ square feet of maintained area — see proportionally higher costs, particularly for mowing and cleanup.
Property Condition and History
A lawn that’s been properly maintained for several years requires less intensive intervention than one that’s been neglected or partially maintained. The first year working with a property that hasn’t been aerated in three years, has significant thatch buildup, and needs more aggressive seeding will cost more than the same property in year three of a consistent program. The upfront cost of getting a neglected property to a good baseline is higher than maintaining one that’s already there.
Specific Problem Areas
Grub damage, hardpan, drainage issues, thin soil sections requiring topsoil — any of these add cost in the year they’re addressed. Nematode treatment for a confirmed grub infestation adds $80 to $200 depending on treatment area. Topsoil delivery and spreading adds $150 to $400+ depending on volume. French drain or grading work to address drainage is a separate project with its own pricing that I’d quote on a case-by-case basis.
Service Frequency and Bundling
Bundling multiple services — booking aeration and overseeding together, combining spring cleanup with aeration — typically saves money compared to booking each service separately on different days. Companies usually discount bundled services because of reduced mobilization costs. If you’re planning to use multiple services in the same season, asking about bundle pricing is worth doing.
The Full Year Total — What to Expect
Adding it up for a typical Sudbury suburban lot with professional mowing, both seasonal cleanups, annual aeration and overseeding, and two fertilization applications:
DIY mowing + professional core services:
- Spring cleanup: $150 to $300
- Core aeration: $120 to $200
- Overseeding: $80 to $150
- Fertilization x2: $160 to $300
- Hedge trimming x2: $150 to $400
- Fall cleanup: $175 to $350
- Total: $835 to $1,700 per year
Full professional service including mowing:
- All of the above: $835 to $1,700
- Professional mowing (season): $900 to $2,000
- Total: $1,735 to $3,700 per year
These are annual maintenance numbers for a property in reasonable ongoing condition. First-year costs for a property coming from a neglected state may be 30 to 50 percent higher as baseline work is done. Properties with no hedge trimming or smaller hedge situations will be toward the lower end of each range.
How to Build a Budget That Makes Sense for Your Property
The full-service number may not fit every budget, and that’s fine. Here’s how I’d approach prioritization if you’re working within a constraint.
Non-negotiable (do these even if nothing else):
- Annual core aeration in the right June window
- Fall cleanup before the ground freezes
These two services, done consistently, will maintain a Sudbury lawn better than any combination of other services done without them. They address the underlying soil conditions and winter preparation that everything else depends on.
High priority if budget allows:
- Overseeding immediately after aeration (modest cost, high return when paired with aeration)
- Fall fertilizer application (the highest-value single fertilizer application of the year)
Handle yourself if possible:
- Mowing — the most manageable DIY task if you have equipment and time
- Light spring raking — if the fall cleanup happened properly, spring raking is usually manageable
Hire out when physical capacity is the constraint:
- Hedge trimming — safety and equipment considerations make this worth hiring regardless of budget
- Heavy cleanup work on neglected sections
The one visit vs ongoing contract piece goes deeper on how to structure services based on what the property actually needs rather than defaulting to a full-service package. The budget conversation and the service structure conversation are related — knowing the costs helps you decide which services to prioritize and which to handle yourself.
If you’ve been wondering whether a mid-season company switch saves money — the real cost of switching companies piece covers why that calculation is usually more complicated than the surface numbers suggest.
For rental property situations where the landlord-tenant cost split is part of the question, the renters and landlords piece addresses how that conversation typically goes and what structures actually work.
And for anyone who’s been asking the question nobody asks — what did this lawn actually need last year that it didn’t get — this cost breakdown gives you the vocabulary to answer it in budget terms. Last year’s gaps become this year’s priorities, and knowing what each priority costs helps you make the allocation decision deliberately rather than by default.
If you want a specific quote for your property based on the actual service combination that makes sense for your situation, call me. The quote is free and it’ll be specific — not a range, but an actual number attached to actual work that matches what your property needs.
Call or text: 705-507-6787
Or fill out the free quote form on the site.
We cover Garson, Val Caron, Hanmer, Lively, Chelmsford, Azilda, Capreol, and surrounding areas.
— Ryan Lingenfelter
Cutting Edge Lawn & Landscaping
Garson, Ontario
705-507-6787
