Quick Answer: TruGreen costs $65–$225 per application on average — or roughly $34–$101 per month if you spread a plan's annual cost evenly across the year, though TruGreen actually bills per visit, not monthly. Annual plans run $450–$2,000 for 7–9 visits depending on lawn size and plan tier. A basic fertilization and weed control plan for a 5,000 sq. ft. lawn starts around $400 per year; adding core aeration and overseeding runs another $270–$752 depending on lawn size, and comprehensive plans with tree care can exceed $1,200. Most homeowners pay $400–$900 annually.
Key Takeaways
- TruGreen visits cost roughly $65–$225 each (about $73 on a basic 5,000 sq. ft. plan); new customers usually get about 50% off the first application
- Annual plans span $450–$2,000, driven mostly by lawn size and how many services are bundled
- There's no long-term contract, but plans auto-renew — a frequent theme in reported customer complaints, so confirm cancellations in writing
- Add-ons like grub control (~$100), aeration and overseeding ($270–$752 depending on lawn size), and mosquito treatments (~$80) raise the total quickly
- DIY costs about one-third as much; local independent services charge similar per-visit rates with more room to negotiate scope
Introduction
TruGreen is the largest lawn care company in the U.S., and for many homeowners it's the first quote they get when they decide to stop wrestling with spreaders and sprayers. But TruGreen doesn't publish a flat price list — quotes are generated per property — so it's hard to know whether the number you're given is fair. This guide pulls together reported 2026 pricing from independent cost researchers, what each plan actually includes, the contract fine print, and an honest comparison against hiring a local operator or doing it yourself.
How Much Does TruGreen Cost in 2026?
Independent cost guides that collect real TruGreen quotes put the average at $65–$225 per application, with annual plans ranging from $450 to $2,000 for 7–9 visits[3]. Lawn size is the single biggest variable: a 5,000 sq. ft. yard might run about $400 per year on a basic plan, while a 20,000 sq. ft. property can cost $884 or more for the same service level[2].
Here's how reported annual pricing breaks down by plan tier for a typical 5,000 sq. ft. lawn[2]:
| Plan tier | What it covers | Reported annual cost (5,000 sq. ft.) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic (TruMaintenance) | Fertilization + weed control, 6 visits | ~$403 |
| Standard (TruHealth) | Adds insect control and soil amendments | ~$475 |
| Complete (TruComplete) | Adds core aeration and overseeding | ~$744 |
| Premium (TruSignature) | Adds tree and shrub care | ~$1,208 |
| Organic (TruNatural) | All-natural treatment program, 4–5 visits | ~$698 |
Two pricing notes. First, TruGreen has recently refreshed its plan lineup — its site now markets tiers named TruBasic, TruCore, TruPro, and TruNatural[1] — but the service mix (and the pricing logic) tracks closely with the older names most cost guides still reference. Second, quotes are negotiable in practice: prepay discounts and the standard 50% off your first application promotion are widely reported[2], so treat the first number on the phone as a starting point.
Add-On Services
Add-ons are where a $450 plan becomes a $900 one. Reported per-service pricing includes grub control around $100, mosquito defense around $80 per application, pest control at roughly $110 per treatment, and core aeration with overseeding from $270 for a 5,000 sq. ft. lawn up to $752 for a 20,000 sq. ft. property[2]. If grubs are your main concern, it's worth reading up on when to apply grub killer before paying for a bundled treatment you may only need once a season.
TruGreen Aeration and Overseeding Cost
Aeration and overseeding is the single most-asked-about TruGreen add-on, and it's priced separately from the core fertilization and weed control plans above. Reported pricing from real customer quotes puts it at about $270 for a 5,000 sq. ft. lawn, scaling up to roughly $752 for a 20,000 sq. ft. property[2] — like every TruGreen service, it's quoted by lawn size rather than sold at a flat rate[1].
You can buy it two ways. As a standalone add-on, it's billed on top of whatever base plan you're already running. Bundled instead into the TruComplete tier, aeration and overseeding gets folded into the Standard plan for about $744 per year on a 5,000 sq. ft. lawn[2] — usually cheaper than paying for base fertilization plus a separate aeration visit.
TruGreen doesn't publish a fixed aeration-and-overseeding price list; the number on your quote depends on lawn size, soil condition, and local branch pricing, so confirm it before you sign[1]. Fall is also peak demand for this service since it's the correct season to aerate and overseed cool-season lawns — see the best time to aerate for timing by grass type, or aeration and overseeding cost for how a DIY or local-pro version of the same job prices out.
TruGreen Cost Per Month
TruGreen doesn't bill month-to-month — it bills per visit, with annual plans covering roughly 7–9 scheduled applications[3]. Here's what each plan tier works out to per month if you spread the reported annual total evenly across 12 months:
| Plan tier | Reported annual cost (5,000 sq. ft.) | Average cost per month* |
|---|---|---|
| Basic (TruMaintenance) | ~$403 | ~$34 |
| Standard (TruHealth) | ~$475 | ~$40 |
| Complete (TruComplete) | ~$744 | ~$62 |
| Premium (TruSignature) | ~$1,208 | ~$101 |
| Organic (TruNatural) | ~$698 | ~$58 |
*Annual cost ÷ 12 — TruGreen itself bills per visit, not on a monthly schedule[2].
On a per-visit basis, a basic 5,000 sq. ft. plan runs about $73 per application on a 4-to-6-week schedule[2], which lines up with the $65–$225 per-application range reported across plan tiers and lawn sizes[3]. If you're comparing TruGreen to a competitor quoting a flat monthly rate, use the per-month column above rather than a single visit's sticker price — it reads higher in isolation even on the cheapest plan.
What Do TruGreen Plans Actually Include?
Every core plan is built on the same foundation: scheduled fertilization and targeted weed control, adjusted to your grass type and region[1]. Higher tiers layer on insect control, soil amendments like lime, aeration and overseeding, and — at the top tier — tree and shrub care with additional visits.
All plans carry TruGreen's Healthy Lawn Guarantee: if you're not satisfied with a treatment, a specialist returns between scheduled visits at no extra charge, or refunds your most recent application[4]. That guarantee is genuinely useful — but note it promises re-treatment, not results by a deadline. A struggling lawn can take a full season or more to turn around regardless of who treats it, which is the same reality DIYers face with fall fertilization and overseeding.
Contracts, Auto-Renewal, and Cancellation
TruGreen doesn't require a long-term contract, and cancellation is handled with a phone call[4]. The catch is that annual plans renew automatically. Auto-renewal disputes are among the most common themes in reported customer complaints: reviewers describe services resuming (and being billed) the following spring after they believed they had canceled[6].
To protect yourself: get the renewal terms in writing when you sign up, cancel by phone and request written confirmation, and check your card statements the following spring. None of this is unique to TruGreen — continuous-service billing is standard across national lawn care brands — but it's the most avoidable source of frustration in the reviews.
What Do Customers Say About TruGreen?
The picture is genuinely mixed, and worth characterizing carefully. TruGreen has been BBB-accredited since 2012 and holds an A+ rating — a measure of complaint responsiveness, not customer satisfaction[5]. Meanwhile, aggregated customer reviews on consumer platforms skew negative, with recurring reported themes of billing disputes, missed or unannounced appointments, difficulty reaching a human in customer service, and inconsistent results[6].
Independent reviewers note that service quality appears to vary significantly by local branch — some customers report years of excellent, consistent service while others in different markets report the opposite[4]. That variance makes sense for a franchise-scale operator with hundreds of locations, and it's the strongest argument for asking neighbors about their experience with your local branch before committing, rather than relying on national ratings in either direction.
TruGreen vs. Local Service vs. DIY
Here's how the three realistic options compare for a typical fertilization and weed control program:
| Option | Typical annual cost | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| TruGreen | $450–$900 (basic to complete) | Guarantee, national availability, app scheduling, bundled services | Auto-renewal friction, branch-dependent quality, upsells |
| Local independent | $400–$900 | Flexible scope, direct accountability, often same products | Availability varies, less formal guarantee |
| DIY | $150–$400 in products | Cheapest by far, full control of products and timing | Your time and labor, learning curve on timing and rates |
Professional fertilization runs $67–$405 per application for an average lawn depending on size and product, while a DIY bag of fertilizer costs $15–$40 and covers 2,000–5,000 sq. ft., plus a one-time $30–$100 for a decent broadcast spreader[7]. Over a season, DIY typically lands at a third or less of a professional program's price.
The honest trade-off is timing and knowledge, not just labor. Professionals apply the right product at the right point in the season by default — the part DIYers most often get wrong. If you go the DIY route, the gap closes fast once you nail the fundamentals: how often to fertilize, a coherent fall weed control strategy, and knowing the best time to aerate rather than paying $270+ for it as an add-on.
So Is TruGreen Worth It?
TruGreen is worth it if you want a hands-off lawn and you'd otherwise pay someone anyway. At about $73 per visit on a basic plan it's priced in line with local competitors, the guarantee has real value, and bundling fertilization, weed control, and pest treatments under one account is genuinely convenient.
It's a weaker deal if you enjoy yard work, have a small lawn, or are price-sensitive: DIY delivers most of the results for a third of the cost, and a well-reviewed local operator often matches TruGreen's price with more flexibility and a direct line to the person doing the work. And whichever way you go, skip TruGreen's top tiers unless you actually need tree and shrub care — that's where the annual cost doubles.
Conclusion
Budget $400–$900 per year for TruGreen on a typical suburban lawn, more for large properties or comprehensive plans, and expect roughly half off your first application. Get quotes from at least one local independent for comparison, ask neighbors about your local TruGreen branch specifically, and put any cancellation in writing. If the quote makes you flinch, a DIY program built around correct seasonal timing costs $150–$400 and gets you most of the way there — it just costs you the weekends instead.