Find Houston-area lawn care companies — and see which ones we've confirmed with the business.

Hiring a lawn care company in Houston

Lawn care is unlicensed in Texas — with one important exception. Anyone applying fertiliser or weed and pest control commercially needs a pesticide applicator licence from the Texas Department of Agriculture. Mowing does not require it; spraying does. If a company is quoting you a treatment programme, that licence is a fair thing to ask for.

The Houston growing season is not like anywhere else

The practical consequence: there is no real off-season here. St. Augustine keeps growing into November and starts again in March, so a weekly cut runs most of the year and a "seasonal" contract elsewhere is close to year-round here.

Three problems come up constantly on Houston lawns and they are worth naming when you get quotes:

• Chinch bugs and take-all root rot. Both hit St. Augustine, both look like drought stress, and they need completely different responses. A company that diagnoses before it sprays is worth more than a cheap quote.
• Shade. Mature live oaks are wonderful and St. Augustine is the only common turf here with real shade tolerance. If a company suggests re-sodding a heavily shaded yard with anything else, ask what it will look like in year two.
• Drainage. This is the big one, and it is why so many Houston lawn companies also install drains. Clay soil plus flat lots means water sits. If your back yard holds water for two days after a storm, the mowing company that already knows your lot is a cheaper first call than a specialist.

On quotes

Ask whether the price is per cut or per month, and what happens in a week when it rains for four days. Ask whether edging, blowing and bed maintenance are included — "mow, edge, blow" is the standard package and beds are usually extra. And ask who hauls the clippings.