Before you start shopping around this spring, you’re probably wondering “How much is it going to cost me for a fertilizer program?”
The first question does not have a simple answer. Many factors affect the cost of a fertilizer program.
What is the size of your lawn?
This is the very first step to pricing and is pretty easy! When a customer calls for prices, the first thing I do is go to Google Maps and measure their lawn. After outlining the grass areas and excluding the house, driveway, and any other features, the website automatically calculates the square footage for me. The average size lawn we treat here at MissionGreen is approximately 9,000 square feet and our average cost per application is right around $70.00.
How many treatments do you need or want?
Every company offers different fertilizer programs or packages, but they are usually very similar. Most programs in our area are between 5 and 6 fertilizers which normally includes 1-2 crabgrass preventatives and weed control. Once you choose the program you want, you can add other services like lime, grub prevention, aeration & overseeding, etc. What you add on partly depends on preference and partly on the condition of your lawn.
At MissionGreen Services we offer Free Crabgrass Booster Control and Free Surface Insect Control. The reason is, over the past few years we have noticed that with hotter summers, we see crabgrass and chinch bugs becoming more prevalent in lawns.
What is the current condition of your lawn?
If a customer calls and they’ve never hired a company before, or don’t know what other services they should add to their fertilizer program, I always ask “What is the current condition of your lawn, or do you have any issues with your lawn?”. For example; if they say they have a lot of weeds and bare spots, I will recommend the fall aeration & overseeding. If they had grubs last fall, I would recommend grub prevention. If they have a lot of issues and some moss, I would recommend a soil test to determine if they have pH issues or nutrient deficiencies in the soil. This will determine if, and how much lime they might need. At MissionGreen we inspect with every visit and then a follow-up email to let you know what we did, what we found, and any recommendations needed for the lawn.
What is the quality and type of materials used by the company you use?
Pricing can vary by company based on the types of materials used. There are different types of fertilizers, for example; synthetic, organic, or natural based, liquid vs granular, and fast acting vs slow release. There are also many different types of weed control and each one may be more effective than another. At MissionGreen we meet with our suppliers each winter to review product effectiveness and results and we are always looking to improve quality. We feature Phosphate-free fertilizers.
What payment option do you want?
If you prepay you will save 5-7% off your yearly total. If you choose monthly installments, you will make a smaller monthly payment compared to the payment you would make for the individual services as they are completed. Installments are a great way to budget a monthly cost and the convenience of knowing it comes out the same day each month.
As you can see, the answer to your question “How much is it going to cost me for a fertilizer program?” is: IT DEPENDS.
The starting price for our signature 6-step fertilizer and weed control program is $279.00 for the year. However, if you prepay, it will lower the price to $265.05. If you are referred by an existing customer of ours, you will each get a $25 referral credit and your new prepay total will be $240.05. Finally, if you choose not to prepay and you want to set up 9 monthly installments, you would divide the $279 by 9 months and your monthly payment will be $31 a month.
Click here to get your free quote from MissionGreen today!
Author: Nicole Gaulin, MissionGreen RI
