LawnStarter Review: Services, Price, Reviews, Competitors

A review of LawnStarter by LawnStarter? Can that be fair and honest? Sure. It’s like looking in a mirror and describing exactly what you see, flaws and all. In this LawnStarter review, we looked at the company’s services, prices, customer reviews, and competitors. 

One big difference between LawnStarter and Lawn Love and GreenPal, the Big 3 of the lawn care marketplace space?

LawnStarter offers a lot more than lawn care now. LawnStarter connects you with pros who can handle all sorts of outdoor jobs – including pest control, tree care, landscaping, fencing, roofing, and pool services. No other lawn care service can say that.

In this Review: 

• What is LawnStarter?
• How LawnStarter Works
• LawnStarter Services
• LawnStarter Price
• LawnStarter vs. Competitors
• LawnStarter Pros and Cons
• LawnStarter Customer Reviews
• LawnStarter Quality Assurances
• FAQ About LawnStarter
• LawnStarter Verdict: We’re No. 1

What is LawnStarter?

LawnStarter was launched in 2013 by three entrepreneurs who were inspired to help a friend with his small lawn care company. 

The three also recognized that there is no national lawn care company in what is a $105 billion annual lawn care and landscaping market.

The company emerged at a time when brands like Uber, GrubHub, DoorDash and others were sprouting up to feed consumers’ appetite for on-demand services, and LawnStarter filled a similar niche in the lawn care sector. 

Lawn Love and GreenPal have similar origin stories, launching to meet an untapped (or unmowed?) demand. Lawn Love and GreenPal remain focused more on lawn care, though GreenPal now offers snow removal too.

You may also want to read our Lawn Love review and GreenPal review.

Over the years, LawnStarter grew to include a roster of thousands of yard care specialists across the U.S. Today, LawnStarter continues to specialize in expert lawn service but also offers tree care, landscaping, pressure washing, fence installation and repair, gutter cleaning, pool maintenance, and more. 

How LawnStarter Works

Ordering lawn care and other outdoor services is simple.

Step 1: On LawnStarter or the mobile app, key in your address, name, phone number and email, then click “Get Your Quote.” Next you select the services you’re seeking. 

Step 2: From the menu of lawn care and other outdoor services, choose one or more that you want. For lawn care, select the service frequency (weekly, biweekly, or monthly).

Below the menu (see above), you can note special instructions or specify the work to be done.

Make sure your contact information at the bottom of the page is correct, then hit the “Get Free Quotes” button. 

Step 3: LawnStarter instantly pairs you with one of its lawn care pros in your area.

For other outdoor services, LawnStarter connects you to local pros (landscaping, roofing, or fencing, for example) who can do the work.

Step 4: Plug in your payment information. LawnStarter accepts only credit cards or debit or cards. 

LawnStarter Services

LawnStarter offers services in a variety of specialties, including mowing, gutter cleaning, leaf removal, landscaping, tree care, and many other areas – 20 in all. 

LawnStarter Lawn Care Prices

LawnStarter uses local real estate records to calculate the size of your property and then generates a price quote. New customers often are offered a $19 first-time mowing special. After that, mowing prices generally start at $29 per week. 

A good price range for lawn care for an average, quarter-acre yard is $29 to $65. That includes edging and blowing grass clippings off patios and walkways. 

Worth Noting: Generally, LawnStarter’s lawn care pros don’t bag clippings. They may if you request it, but expect to pay slightly more.

Long Grass Fee: LawnStarter tacks on a Long Grass Fee for grass that is between 6 and 12 inches high. The Long Grass Fee can be 50% to 100% on top of the basic mowing price. 

Prices for Other Outdoor Services

LawnStarter offers 20-plus outdoor services in all. It’s nearly impossible here to quote an average price for each service because the prices vary somewhat depending upon the size of your home or property, the type of work you need done, the region in which you live, and other factors.

LawnStarter vs. Competitors

LawnStarter offers more services than competitors Lawn Love and GreenPal – 20 in all. Lawn mowing may cost a little more with LawnStarter, but it is generally rated higher than the competition. 

Reviewers gave LawnStarter 4.6 out of 5 stars on average across three major consumer websites, while Lawn Love earned 4.5 stars and GreenPal 4.28 stars out of 5.

Here is a comparison of LawnStarter and its two main competitors:

LawnStarter Pros and Cons

You can tell a lot about a company’s service by reading reviews online and scouring feedback from customers. Based on thousands of reviews, here are the things customers consistently love about LawnStarter, along with the things they would like to see tweaked:

Pros

• Large array of services available: LawnStarter connects customers with experts in more than 20 specialties

• Network of yard care pros is extensive: The company maintains a large roster of local small-business owners in most metropolitan areas nationwide.

• Website and mobile app are both user friendly: Obtaining a quote and booking service is a simple process, and quick.

• Yard care professionals are heavily screened: LawnStarter verifies that its contractors are bonded and insured as required by state and local regulations.

• 7-day customer support: Customer service personnel are available daily to respond to complaints, and they scour consumer websites in order to effectively respond to issues. 

• Responds to customer concerns rapidly: Customers have the ability to review service and receive quick resolutions to problems.

• Satisfaction guarantee: We pledge that you don’t pay if we can’t fix your concern to your satisfaction.

• Strong positive reviews from verified customers: Three reputable consumer websites give LawnStarter high marks.
  
• Offers fertilization and other lawn treatments across the U.S.: LawnStarter is much more than a lawn mowing company. 

Cons

• Not available in all markets: However, LawnStarter is available in most metro areas nationwide, and is expanding rapidly into many others.

• Price increased in 2022 for many LawnStarter customers. Like everything else in this crazy economy, the cost of doing business – fuel, supplies, labor – has gone up, and contractors have had to pass along increases to their customers.
  
• 3-mow minimum: You must commit to at least three mows before you can cancel your service. Not everyone loves this, but it’s necessary to assure the lowest price from our pros.

LawnStarter Customer Reviews

Reviews are an effective tool for both assessing customers’ overall satisfaction with a company and gleaning specific details about why. 

Three of the best platforms for reviews are Trustpilot, ShopperApproved, and Sitejabber because all three accept reviews only from verified customers and do not permit companies to buy positive reviews to skew their ratings.

LawnStarter earned consistently high marks from consumers on all three sites. Here is a summary of what you will find on each:

• 4.7 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot (2,365 total reviews), and 81% of all reviewers awarded the company 5 stars.

• 4.8 out of 5 stars on ShopperApproved (1,145 reviews), with more than 86% of reviewers awarding the company 5 stars.

• 4.5 out of 5 stars on Sitejabber (1,205 reviews). Sitejabber ranked LawnStarter first among lawn care websites.

Here is a smattering of reviews selected randomly from those websites:

LawnStarter Quality Assurances

The three key concerns for customers who want to hire a professional are price, quality and dependability. Price is important, but it becomes less so if the quality is poor and you can’t depend on the contractor to keep his or her appointments.

LawnStarter has built in the following safeguards to protect the customer and ensure a high level of service: 

Rigorous Vetting of Contractors: LawnStarter conducts a background check of companies before admitting them to our network. Just 20% of the firms that apply to join the LawnStarter pool of professionals pass the screening process.

Contractors Must Be Bonded and Insured: Even lawn care professionals have been known to damage objects with their mowers. For these reasons, every contractor must be bonded and insured. LawnStarter verifies that they carry proper coverage in case of a mishap.

Payment is Delayed: As mentioned above, the customer’s payment to the contractor is delayed three days after the scheduled service to give you time to assess the work.

LawnStarter Guarantee: We maintain a customer support line seven days a week to address your concerns. We work diligently to resolve complaints and also guarantee the work: “If you are not happy, we won’t charge you. It’s as simple as that.” That’s the LawnStarter pledge.

FAQ About LawnStarter

Do Customers Need to Sign a Contract?

No, LawnStarter doesn’t require customers to sign a contract, but we ask customers to agree to at least three cuts.

How Are Mowing Prices Determined?

LawnStarter utilizes local real estate records to calculate the size of your property and then generates a price quote.

You may get charged a little bit above the basic service fee if you make a special request that requires labor, time, or other resources of the contractor. A fee may also be added if your grass is longer than 6 inches.

Will LawnStarter Charge to Fix a Problem?

No. LawnStarter states: “If you are not happy, we won’t charge you. It’s as simple as that.”

Can I Revise the Date or Time of My Scheduled Service?

Yes. LawnStarter gives its customers the choice to change the details of their requested service, but asks for 48 hours notice.

LawnStarter Verdict: We’re No. 1

LawnStarter is the biggest lawn care and outdoor services marketplace. That’s a fact. No other lawn care company even comes close.

But don’t just take our word for it: Our users report that LawnStarter passes all the major tests for ease of use, dependability, and customer service. The overwhelming majority of consumers who use LawnStarter also give us very high grades for the quality of work. 

When we look in the mirror at LawnStarter, what do we see? Especially when compared to our competitors? 

LawnStarter isn’t that much different from Lawn Love and GreenPal, except we offer more outdoor services and can connect you with far more pros.

Flaws and blemishes? We’re not everywhere yet, but LawnStarter is growing fast. A price increase in 2022 cost us some customers (though the higher price increased payouts to pros to help with what would later be record gas prices).

Yard care is a complex thing. LawnStarter (and our competitors) make lawn care easy. The difference? LawnStarter connects you to an array of outdoor services providers in your neighborhood.

With LawnStarter, Lawn Love, and GreenPal, the benefit of paying a pro to care for your yard is you have more time to do those things that matter more – like spending time with your family. 

The LawnStarter difference? You have the confidence that the work will be done right – and if there ever is a problem, it will be fixed fast.

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