What Full-Service Yard Care Includes
If you're looking at lawn care services for the first time, the price quotes can be confusing. One company offers $40 mowing visits. Another offers $200/month full-service plans. Are they doing the same thing? Almost never.
A full lawn care services Portland package is not just cut grass services, it's a year-round program covering everything a healthy lawn needs to stay green through dry summers and avoid moss takeover in wet winters. Most of the practices below come from Oregon State University Extension Service guidance on Pacific Northwest lawn care, which is the gold-standard research-backed source for our region. Here's what a full-service plan actually looks like, service by service.
1. Mowing and Edging
The foundation of any lawn care plan. Full-service mowing in Portland typically includes:
- Mowing at the correct height for the season (taller in summer, shorter for fall cleanup)
- Edging along sidewalks, driveways and bed lines
- Trimming around obstacles, trees and fences
- Blowing off hard surfaces so the property looks finished
How often to cut lawn in Portland depends on the season. Per OSU Extension's lawn care guidance, you should keep grass at about 3 inches and mow frequently in spring; weekly from April through September, every other week through October, and as needed through winter (often just once or twice from December through February).
2. Fertilization Programs
A real lawn care services plan includes 4–6 fertilizer applications per year, timed to the seasons:
- Early spring: slow-release nitrogen to wake the lawn up
- Late spring: pre-emergent crabgrass control
- Summer: balanced feeding to push through dry stretches
- Fall: high-potassium winterizer to build root strength
- Late fall: a final cleanup feeding before dormancy
3. Weed Control
Weed treatment in Portland targets the specific weeds we get most: dandelion, clover, English daisy and chickweed. OSU Extension's Solve Pest Problems database, a partnership between OSU and Oregon stakeholders, is a great free resource for identifying lawn weeds and choosing safe, effective treatments. A solid lawn care company applies broadleaf herbicide selectively (only where weeds appear, not lawn-wide) and pulls or spot-treats anything the herbicide misses.
4. Moss Treatment
Moss is the Portland lawn problem. Wet, shaded yards develop heavy moss every winter, and ignoring it lets the moss outcompete the grass entirely. Full-service portland lawn care includes:
- Late-winter or early-spring moss treatment (iron sulfate or commercial moss killer)
- Power raking to remove the dead moss
- Overseeding to fill the bare spots the moss leaves behind
5. Aeration and Overseeding
Core aeration once a year (usually in early fall) opens up compacted clay soil, lets water and air reach the roots, and prepares the lawn to receive new seed. Overseeding right after aeration is one of the highest-impact services on the list of lawn care services, it fills bare spots, thickens the lawn, and pushes back against weeds.
6. Dethatching
Over time, dead grass builds up between the soil and the green blades. That thatch layer blocks water and fertilizer. Most Portland lawns need dethatching every 2–3 years, scheduled in early spring or early fall.
7. Lawn Cleanup (Spring and Fall)
Two big seasonal services:
- Spring cleanup: Removing winter debris, dethatching if needed, edging, fresh bed mulch, getting the property looking sharp after the wet months.
- Fall cleanup: Multiple leaf removal passes through October and November, gutter cleaning if included, final mowing of the season.
8. Irrigation System Service
If your yard has sprinklers, the lawn care company usually offers:
- Spring start-up and zone checks
- Mid-season adjustments and repairs
- Fall blowout to prevent freezing damage
Skipping a sprinkler blowout in Portland is the single most expensive mistake homeowners make, a single frozen valve can cost more to repair than years of blowout service.
9. Pest and Disease Treatment
Crane fly larvae are the Portland lawn pest worth watching for, they're well documented by OSU Extension's pest resources. Brown patches in spring often trace back to them. A full lawn care plan includes monitoring and selective treatment when populations are high, not blanket spraying.
10. Shrub and Hedge Maintenance
Many lawn care services Portland companies offer hedge trimming, shrub shaping and seasonal pruning as part of bundled plans. Worth asking about, having one company handle the lawn and the shrubs simplifies scheduling and usually saves money versus splitting between two contractors.
11. Bed Maintenance and Mulching
Annual bark or mulch refresh in landscape beds, weed pulling between beds and edge cleanup are commonly included or available as add-ons.
How to Vet a Lawn Care Company in Oregon
In Oregon, anyone offering lawn care services as a business should be licensed by the Oregon Landscape Contractors Board (LCB). Anyone applying restricted-use pesticides must hold a pesticide applicator license from the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Both are free to verify online. If a company can't produce either, that's a red flag.
What to Look For in a Lawn Care Quote
When you're comparing portland lawn care companies, ask whether the price covers a real seasonal program (mowing + fertilization + moss + aeration + cleanups) or just cut grass services. A pure mowing-only plan starts around $40–$60 per visit. A complete program for a typical Portland yard usually runs $1,800–$3,500 per year, and the lawn looks dramatically different.
FAQ's
1. How much do full lawn care services cost in Portland, OR?
A complete seasonal program for a typical Portland yard (mowing, fertilization, moss treatment, aeration, overseeding, cleanups) usually runs $1,800–$3,500 per year. Mowing-only plans start around $40–$60 per visit; a la carte services (aeration, dethatching) typically run $200–$500 each.
2. How often should I have my lawn aerated in Portland?
Most Portland lawns benefit from core aeration once per year, ideally in early fall (September/October). Heavy-clay soils or high-traffic lawns may benefit from twice-yearly aeration (spring and fall). OSU Extension recommends timing aeration when grass is actively growing and the soil is moist but not soggy.
3. Do I need a separate company for irrigation service?
Not usually. Most full-service lawn care companies in Portland offer spring start-up, mid-season service and fall blowout as part of their packages or as add-ons. Bundling is usually cheaper than hiring separately, and one company means one number to call for problems.
4. What's the difference between cut grass services and full lawn care?
Cut grass services are mowing-only, they cut the lawn and leave. Full lawn care services include mowing PLUS fertilization, weed control, moss treatment, aeration, overseeding, dethatching and seasonal cleanups. The first keeps your lawn cut; the second keeps your lawn alive and healthy.
Building the Right Plan for Your Yard
Golden Eagle Hardscapes offers complete lawn maintenance plans for clients across the greater Portland metro, Gresham, Troutdale, Boring, Damascus, Happy Valley, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Clackamas and East Portland. If you'd like a quote based on your actual yard, a free walk-through gives you a clear list of what's needed and what each service will cost.