Lawn

TruGreen review 2024

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TruGreen is a full-service lawn care company with decades of experience turning patchy grass plots into lush, green lawns. It offers a range of lawn plans designed to revitalize and maintain a healthy lawn. In our February 2024 survey of 1,000 homeowners who’ve purchased lawn care services, 22% of respondents said they most recently purchased services from TruGreen — this is the highest percentage for any of the full-service lawn care companies included.

TruGreen is our top choice for convenient and professional lawn care; the company trains all of its lawn care technicians through its proprietary certification program to ensure they can effectively treat your lawn. However, if you’re on a limited budget or prefer to be more involved,  a subscription lawn care service, such as Sunday Lawn Care, may be a better fit.

We researched and rated TruGreen’s lawn care services, plans, pricing structure and service guarantees to help you assess your lawn care needs. Request a no-obligation quote below to get started.

TruGreen offers robust lawn care and pest control services through its custom plans.
Pros
  • Has up to five lawn care plans
  • Offers specialized treatments, such as tree and shrub care
  • Provides user-friendly online chat tool and mobile app
Cons
  • Charges high rates for its lawn care plans
  • Doesn’t offer some lawn care services, such as mowing
  • Provides a service guarantee for annual plan customers only

Our thoughts on TruGreen

We scored TruGreen against our comprehensive methodology and gave it 4.9 out of 5 stars. The company excelled in nearly every subcategory of our review standards, including service options, as well as customer service, communication and availability.

However, TruGreen dropped several points in the reputation subcategory because of poor customer ratings on several third-party review sites.

What we like

TruGreen takes a scientific approach to lawn treatment. One of its senior leaders, who oversees operations and lawn product testing, holds a doctorate in horticulture from Michigan State University. TruGreen hires agronomists to design region-specific lawn care treatments. Finally, TruGreen’s lawn care technicians must complete an annual TruExpert Certification Program to maintain their knowledge and lawn care expertise.

TruGreen provides many standard lawn care services, such as lawn fertilization and aeration. What stands out is its specialty lawn care treatments, including potassium and sulfur soil treatments and lawn disease remediation. Some lawn care providers we’ve reviewed don’t offer such treatments.

In addition, TruGreen offers several convenience features, such as its mobile app and an online quote tool. We found TruGreen’s quote tool easy to use for general pricing information — other full-service lawn care companies we’ve reviewed don’t provide pricing online.

What we don’t like

Although it has several user-friendly features, TruGreen requires you to cancel your lawn plan by calling the company directly. You can’t cancel using TruGreen’s mobile app or its online chat tool.

Our secret shopping showed that TruGreen charges high prices for certain service plans. Its TruNatural plan, in particular, is pricier than other plans it offers due to the use of organic ingredients.

TruGreen’s service guarantee only applies to those with a full lawn treatment plan. Other companies we’ve reviewed provide service guarantees for lawn care plans and single treatments.

Compare top lawn care brands

The table below compares key factors for top lawn care companies.

Pricing information shown is averaged from our February 2024 survey of 1,000 homeowners who purchased full-service or subscription lawn care services.

TruGreen lawn care plans and services

TruGreen offers service plans and single treatments designed to reinvigorate lawns regardless of their condition. Its plans come in tiers: basic, midtier and comprehensive. Below is an overview of each type of service TruGreen offers.

Lawn care services

TruGreen offers three standard plans, as well as service-specific plans. When you sign up for a lawn program, TruGreen will perform a lawn analysis as part of the initial visit and then tailor future service visits based on the results to meet your lawn’s needs.

We spoke to a TruGreen customer service representative, who stated that TruGreen will provide fewer or more treatments depending on your lawn’s condition. In addition, the lawn care plans and single services it offers, as well as service visit frequency, can vary based on your location.

Here’s an overview of each TruGreen lawn care plan:

  • TruBasic: The TruBasic plan includes weed treatment and nutrient applications. TruGreen will apply its weed and nutrient fertilization treatments seven times a year.
  • TruMaintenance: The TruMaintenance plan provides the same weed control and fertilization services as TruBasic, plus it adds an extra service visit.
  • TruComplete: The TruComplete plan is TruGreen’s most comprehensive plan, featuring bundled services such as nutrient application, weed control and preventative grub control treatments. The plan includes one treatment for aeration and overseeding; after that, you’ll have to pay a fee for additional treatments.
  • TruHealth: The TruHealth plan has the same treatments as the TruBasic plans — the main difference is the inclusion of preventive grub control treatments. TruGreen will treat your lawn nine times.
  • TruNatural: The TruNatural plan utilizes TruGreen’s organic nutrient blend throughout eight applications. Although TruGreen doesn’t list the ingredients for its TruNatural treatments, it specifies on its website that the plan doesn’t use traditional weed control.

Single services

TruGreen offers many of the services from its lawn care plans as single services, such as lawn aeration, overseeding, fertilization and weed control. Here is the list of specialized single treatments TruGreen offers:

  • Preventative Grub Control: TruGreen offers this treatment as a single service if you don’t need a lawn care plan. TruGreen will apply lawn grub treatment directly on your lawn to control and prevent an outbreak.
  • Tree and Shrub Care: This service focuses on caring for your home’s trees and shrubs. It includes root zone fertilization, disease control, fertilization and pest control treatments. These services are also available as a plan.

Additional services

TruGreen also provides specialized pest control services alongside its general lawn care plans. Here is an overview of each:

  • Fire Ant Control: TruGreen will treat your home for fire ants using two different methods in a single visit.
  • Mosquito Defense: TruGreen will provide eight mosquito control treatments during mosquito season. It will treat your home using mosquito repellent and include additional protection for ants and cockroaches.
  • Mosquito and Outdoor Nuisance Pest Control: TruGreen will use the same mosquito and insect treatments as in the Mosquito Defense plan, plus flea and tick treatments. TruGreen will service your home eight times.
  • Perimeter Pest Control: TruGreen will apply repellent around the perimeter of your home and yard, and apply targeted treatments to further reduce pest outbreaks. It will service your home four times.
  • Outdoor Nuisance Pest Control: TruGreen will service your home eight times to treat your home for fleas and ticks.

Quotes and pricing

TruGreen provides pricing for all of its lawn and specialty plans online. We pulled a quote using a 1,000-square-foot, single-family home with a 4,225-square-foot lawn in Fort Worth, Texas. The table below highlights the pricing of each plan and single service TruGreen offers, based on our quote.

Plan NameCost (per Visit)Cost (per Year)
TruBasic$93$558
TruMaintenance$86$688
TruComplete$84 + $215 aeration service$971
TruHealth$86$774
TruNatural$155$1,240
Preventative Grub Control$86
Tree and Shrub Care$87$609
Fire Ant Control$187
Mosquito Defense$100$800
Mosquito and Outdoor Nuisance Pest Control$151$1,208
Perimeter Pest Control$126$504
Outdoor Nuisance Pest Control$90$720

We also pulled the average cost of TruGreen’s single treatment and annual lawn care plans from our February 2024 lawn care survey. The overall cost differs due to several factors, such as the respondent’s lawn size, condition, geographical location and chosen lawn care services. The table below highlights the cost data from our survey results.

Service TypeAverage Cost
Annual lawn care plan$746
Single service$183

Customer thoughts

Our research shows that TruGreen has accreditation and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). However, its customer rating is 1.1 out of 5 stars. It’s important to note that BBB mainly accepts complaints from disgruntled customers, which may explain TruGreen’s poor rating. Many of the poor customer reviews center on ineffective lawn treatments.

In our survey, we asked respondents who hired TruGreen what they thought about its service quality and customer service; 78% of respondents rated TruGreen’s service quality at least 8 out of 10, and 73% rated TruGreen’s customer service at least 8 out of 10.

We dug deeper into TruGreen’s customer ratings and discovered that its local branches have more favorable reviews. TruGreen’s Grand Prairie, Texas, location has a solid rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, with multiple customers highlighting the professionalism of TruGreen’s technicians. Dale M. wrote that his assigned technician was friendly and gave him an overview of the treatment for his lawn.

What should you expect from TruGreen’s lawn care service?

TruGreen’s service frequency can differ depending on the lawn care services you select and the size and condition of your lawn. We spoke with a TruGreen representative to understand its service process. Below is an overview of what to expect once you sign up for a TruGreen lawn plan or single service.

Before service

TruGreen sends a lawn specialist to perform its TruGreen Lawn Assessment. Water your lawn the day before to prepare for the initial visit and any follow-ups. In addition, provide easy access to your lawn by keeping gates unlocked and any pets indoors.

The lawn specialist will thoroughly inspect your home’s perimeter and yard to assess the condition of your lawn. From there, the lawn specialist will give you an overview of the scheduled treatment before starting.

During service

After explaining the scheduled treatment, the TruGreen lawn specialist will apply treatments to your lawn using TruGreen’s professional equipment, which is designed to treat up to 1,000 square feet within roughly one minute. Once the lawn specialist completes the scheduled service, they will leave you a service summary highlighting the specific procedures implemented.

After service

After TruGreen services your lawn, your pets and family can safely access your treated lawn once it dries completely — generally in two to four hours. In addition, you’re responsible for lawn maintenance, such as mowing and watering, in between service visits. TruGreen recommends that you mow your lawn in accordance with its growth, and water it in the morning for best results.

Service guarantee

TruGreen only provides its healthy lawn guarantee to those who have an annual lawn care plan. The company won’t pair its service guarantee with single-service treatments. Therefore, we strongly recommend purchasing a lawn care plan over a single service.

TruGreen’s service guarantee stipulates that if you aren’t satisfied, it will reservice your lawn free of charge in between scheduled treatments.

Does TruGreen have a cancellation policy?

TruGreen does provide a cancellation policy for its lawn care plans. However, we found little information on specifics. TruGreen states on its website that you must call a dedicated phone number for a customer service representative to verify your account. Additionally, TruGreen doesn’t have a cancellation function on its mobile app or online customer portal.

Final take: TruGreen’s decades of lawn expertise and user-friendly features make it the best lawn care company

TruGreen has an extensive list of lawn care services that can bring back the verdant color and vitality of your lawn. It offers specialty services and pest control treatments to provide full yard protection. In addition, TruGreen provides scheduling and billing convenience to customers through its mobile app and online portal.

However, TruGreen doesn’t provide a service guarantee for single-service treatments, and its plan prices are higher than other providers’ prices. Before buying a TruGreen lawn care plan, we suggest requesting quotes from two additional lawn care companies to compare costs and services.

Our rating methodology for lawn care companies

We researched full-service and subscription lawn care companies to help you choose the right provider for your lawn and budget. We compared full-service companies based on their service options, reputation, customer service availability and extra perks. Companies that offer specialty treatments, flexible scheduling and convenience perks scored more points. We rated subscription companies based on their plan options, cost and customer service.

We rated both types of companies using our comprehensive methodology. We score providers out of 100 points. Then, we divide the final score by 20 to obtain the 5-star rating we feature in our reviews.

BBB and Google Reviews ratings are accurate as of March 2024.

Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.

Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

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