How Much Does a Lawn Crew Cost for Fall Leaf Cleanup?

Fall is a beautiful season, but as leaf blowing goes on and on, it feels like you'll never again have a clean yard. Leaf clean-up is important because even ground up with a lawn mower, dry leaves can become a breeding ground for insects or lawn fungus. Once moisture sets in, this layer of leaves can rot, causing a foul smell and alter soil conditions. Pine needles can also pose a problem, affecting soil fertility if left unattended. The cost of yard cleanup isn’t just monetary, even vacuuming leaves can be a fairly intensive process. So, if you’re debating between another DIY yard clean-up year or hiring a landscaping company for leaf removal, you’re not alone!

Average Cost of Leaf Cleanup

Professional landscapers generally base their leaf removal cost on lawn size (by acre or square foot), the amount of leaves, time of year, and the method used to remove them. The exact cost for professional leaf removal services may fluctuate seasonly and with geographic location.

Small yards (up to ¼ acre): $100 to $300 for a one-time service
Medium yards (¼ to ½ acre): $250 to $400.
Large yards (½ acre lawn or more): $400 to $600+, but costs for leaf removal increase with complexity of the property.

If a company charges by an hourly rate, it will typically range from $45 to $75 per hour. Larger properties with large a volume of leaves may take several hours—or even multiple days—to clean up. If you're interested in ongoing maintenance, some companies offer seasonal flat rate packages that range from $500 to $1,000, and include a range of services.

Fall leaves pile on a roof. — Keeping your roof clear is a big chore every fall, and one you shouldn't overlook. Credit: Ali Majdfar / Getty Images

Factors That Affect the Cost of Lawn Cleanup

Yard size: The property size is the starting point for the price range. Larger yards require more labor, time, and equipment, which increases the cost.
Removal method: Yard clean-up services will use familiar leaf blowers and leaf vacuums, but some will also offer to mulch the leaves and leave them to make nutrient-rich soil in your compost heap. Add it to your garden beds or during lawn maintenance to improve soil fertility. But they'll probably advise that if you are trying to increase lawn's water absorption, it's best to remove dead leaves. Common methods include using a leaf loader, vacuuming leaves up or the time intensive process of bagging leaves for removal.
Frequency of service: A one-time charge for leaf removal is usually more expensive than if they company is also hired for additional services like lawn aeration, spring cleanup, brush pile removal, and regular maintenance.
Type of trees and tree density: Yards with lots of trees, particularly deciduous trees like maples, tend to drop a lot of leaves. Larger trees and associated leaf volume will be reflected in the landscaping company's clean-up costs.
Landscape features: If the landscape notices complex features like flower beds, vegetable garden, hills, or water features they'll adjust to give you an accurate cost of leaf removal to account for the extra time.
Gutter cleaning: Many companies offer gutter cleaning or gutter guard maintenance as an add-on, where the typical cost ranges from $50 to $200 depending on the size of your home. This additional cost is usually billed by linear feet of gutters, but as an add-on it might come out as less.
Expertise: The range for yard cleanup pricing takes the job quality into account. Consider if you just need to clear your yard of leaves or if you'd also benefit from additional services like tree pruning, a winterizing lawn care package, and clearing garden rubbish.

Bright yellow leaves on a tree in front of a home with great curb appeal. — A little extra work in the fall goes a long way. (Plus, you'll get to enjoy the changing leaves while you're at it.) Credit: Samir Mohanty / Getty Images

Should You Hire a Crew or Handle Leaf Cleanup Yourself?

DIY leaf removal can be a fun family activity that also saves money. For an average lawn, it can a couple of weekends to move the volume of leaves into piles, then to get the leaves in bags, before hauling them to a city dump site or the curb if your town offers yard waste pickup. In either case, on top of your labor, you can expect a waste removal disposal fee either as a standard dump fee, or a minimum service charge that increases with more bags of leaves.

A person drives over dry leaves in his lawn with a lawn mower.

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But for larger yards, larger trees or when facing wet leaves, fallen tree limbs, and flower gardens to winterize, the clean-up process can become overwhelming. While leaf removal sticker shock may make you wary of these service providers, this annual service might balance out when you consider your time, labor, and the cost of yard waste disposal. They handle all disposal and efficient leaf removal methods (leaf loaders, industrial leaf vacuum). If the leaf removal company offers to turn the leaves into organic mulch, the cost of starts to balance out. Professional landscaping services often offer discounts when bundling leaf clean-up with other lawn services like tree pruning, gutter cleaning, stump grinding, and lawn aeration. If you have a landscaping contract for regular maintenance, clearing leaves should be part of the annual yard clean-up service.