Biggest Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring A Lawn Service

Hiring someone mow your lawn seems like such a simple process.  Whether you ask the company mowing your neighbors lawn for a quote or you find one with a google search, it should all be the same process-just mow the lawn.  Right?

Wrong.

Not all lawn companies are the same.  There are many different types of companies.

1. The neighborhood kid looking to make a few extra bucks
2. Part Timers looking to supplement their income
3. Police Officers and Fire Fighters looking for part time side work
4. Fly-By-Nighters who will mow for a season or 2, then vanish (usually not licensed or insured)
5. Full time owner operators
6. Full time companies

When interviewing companies, compile a list of questions to ask each one so you can get a feel for them and their business.  Here are some great questions to ask to avoid some big mistakes in hiring the wrong business.

• Always ask if they are properly licensed.  If its lawn mowing, do they have the proper state license to operate?  Are they licensed for the trade they are selling? For example, in Maryland, any tree work requires a contractor to be a licensed tree expert.
• Always ask if they are insured.  If the contractor seems a bit ‘shaky’ or not sure how to answer it, but says he/she is insured, be sure to ask for proof.  The insurance is called General Liability.  This protects you, the homeowner, in the event something is damaged.  This could be a broken window, storm door, car window, gutters, siding, fences, etc.  If something was broken and the hired contractor is not insured, the homeowner is ultimately left to fix it out of pocket.  As a side note, homeowners insurance doesn’t cover accidents by uninsured contractors.
• Ask if the contractor is full time or part time.  This will be a big indicator to see how reliable they are.  Generally, full time operations are more reliable because they do this work for a living.  Part time operators do this to supplement their income, so their full time job is their first priority.
• Don’t compare price!  This is the most important tip and biggest mistake we see.  Select the company that is the best fit for you.  Just because one company may be $5 more per mowing, the piece of mind and saving future headaches is well worth it.  Keep in mind, a weekly mowing of only $5 more per cut is only about $20 a month.  That’s money well spent rather than wondering if your company will show up on time and provide the work they agreed to do.

We have been mowing lawns full time for over 10 years (as of 2021) and have seem our fair share of mistakes.  Over the course of this time, we have heard the many horror stories from customers who had a bad experience hiring another lawn service.  A few that stuck out the most is personal property being stolen when they weren’t home, broken windows and storm doors where the contractor wasn’t insured and left the homeowner with the damage.  The worst story we’ve heard was from a customer in Upper Marlboro.  This customer hired a local guy, who she saw mowing in the neighborhood, and decided to go with him.  A short time later, he accidentally hit her outside AC unit with a commercial walk behind mower.  The damage was so extensive it cracked the pipes going into the house and ruined the unit beyond repair.  When she confronted the contractor and asked for his insurance info, he got into his truck and left.  The total repair bill was just over $8,000.

We always encourage anyone to check the status of any company prior to hiring them.  To check the status of an active Maryland business license, click here.

The Mowing Pros currently service Annapolis, Adelphi, Beltsville, Berlin, Bethany Beach DE,Blandensburg, Brandywine, Bowie,  Burtonsville,Calverton, Camp Springs, Capitol Heights, Cheltenham,Cheverly, Chillum, Clinton, College Park, Columbia,Cottage City, Crofton, Croom, Crownsville, District Heights, Edgewater, Fenwick Island DE, Forestville, Fort Meade, Fort Washington, Fulton, Gambrills, Glen Burnie,Glenn Dale, Greenbelt, Hillcrest Heights, Hyattsville,Jessup, Kettering, Landover, Langley Park, Lanham,Laurel, Marlton, Marlow Heights, Millersville, Mt Ranier,Ocean Pines, Ocean City, Ocean View DE, Odenton, Oxon Hill, Pasadena, Riva, Riverdale, Savage, Severn, Severna Park, Springdale, Suitland, Takoma Park, Temple Hills, University Park, Upper Marlboro, Washington DC,West Ocean City, NE Washington DC, NW Washington DC,SW Washington DC