TruGreen vs. Lawn Doctor Guide (2022)

Jump to: Fast Facts | Reviews | Service Programs | Service Pricing | Our Recommendation | FAQ | Methodology 

No matter the size or type of grass, an excellent lawn care company can improve the quality of your outdoor space. You’ll want to choose the right provider to nourish your yard and foster a healthy, green lawn for years to come. However, it can be hard to tell which option is ideal for your unique property.

We spent hours researching the most important facets of each company to find the best lawn care services. From customer reviews to availability, we’ve outlined how these two stack up. To make the most informed choice, use this guide to TruGreen versus Lawn Doctor.

TruGreen vs. Lawn Doctor: Fast Facts

*Trugreen is available in all but Alaska and Hawaii. 

**Lawn Doctor is available in all but Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.

TruGreen vs. Lawn Doctor: Reviews

In researching customer reviews of both providers’ branches across the nation, we found that TruGreen customers often mentioned being pleased with the company’s reservicing guarantee and friendly technicians. Dissatisfied customers often cited difficulty canceling their policies and receiving persistent phone calls about their TruGreen service.

The Lawn Doctor’s positive reviews often cited thicker, greener grass after service and responsive local offices. The negative reviews of Lawn Doctor commonly mentioned no visible changes after service and dissatisfaction with the company’s satisfaction guarantee.

Trugreen Reviews

“My service technician really took the time to explain all the details of my upcoming services. The way he spoke of his job and how to take care of my lawn gave me the confidence to trust True Green. If this young man can speak so highly of his services how can I not give him a chance, and they have been doing an amazing job with getting my lawn the way I want and also keeping the pest away with the mosquito defense.” —Elaine C. via Google Reviews

“Truly impressed by the changes to our lawn since starting service. Weeds are quickly becoming history and the overall appearance has noticeably improved. We’ve found the cost to be comparable to purchasing fertilizer from the big box stores, but we don’t have to spend the time trying to spread and get the settings right and have the right equipment. Secondly, our Tru-Green tech is friendly, knowledgeable and is teaching us what we need to do to make sure we get the best results. So glad we made the decision to go [with] TruGreen!” —Laurel C. via Google Reviews

“Since new sod was put down in December, they could not do the treatment scheduled. Only dry fertilizer was spread. After treatment, I really didn’t see that much fertilizer on the ground, just some on the sidewalks. I’m trusting the treatment was up to par since I did pay for more than what I got.” —Glen K. via Google Reviews

Lawn Doctor Reviews

“I reviewed several companies offering these services and went with Lawn Doctor, and I am very glad that I did. Starting with the office staff, they always answer the phone! That in itself is a big plus these days. The technicians always leave a report about their visit detailing what they found, what they did, and what I am expected to do to get the most out of the service. The lawn looks better than it ever did while I was doing all the work myself.” —Jim F. via Google Reviews

“We called Lawn Doctor 3 years ago to help us with an absolute disaster of a lawn.  A consultant came out, and we worked out a strategy to best fit our needs. Shortly after implementation, we saw the results and were no longer ashamed of our lawn! We have had Lawn Doctor take care of our lawn ever since and can always rely on them to make sure our lawn is looking great.” —Alex D. via Google Reviews

“I have more weeds than when they started. They seeded twice, but I have little growth in my backyard. I watered with irrigation heavily for 2 months. [My lawn] filled in in the front but is so full of chickweed and dandelions that it’s hard to say how much new grass growth there is.” —Roger K. via Google Reviews

TruGreen vs. Lawn Doctor: Service Programs

In examining the service programs of TruGreen versus Lawn Doctor, it’s clear that the two companies present fairly similar stand-alone treatment options and ongoing lawn care programs. Perhaps the most significant difference is that TruGreen’s á la carte services come with a guarantee, while Lawn Doctor’s á la carte options do not. Note that the offerings listed here may vary slightly based on your region and the local office you use.

TruGreen Service Programs

TruGreen has a variety of service plans for lawn treatment and pest control services, as well as a large range of á la carte offerings. Plans and additional services from TruGreen include these:

• Soil amendment and analysis: Offered along with a TruGreen plan or on its own, this service treats your lawn’s pH to be ideal for grass growing.
• Tree and shrub care: For seasonal protection, disease and pest prevention, and overall health, this service keeps your foliage full.
• Grub control and prevention: This service allows you to prevent the unsightly damage grubs can cause and prevents an infestation.
• Mosquito control and defense: The company offers a program designed to eliminate and prevent mosquito infestations, using a potent spray that works in less than 24 hours in most cases. This service can also be combined with personalized tick control.
• Perimeter pest control: To protect against wasps, spiders, and other seasonal pests, TruGreen can spread a granular treatment around the outside edges of your home. Pests treated may vary by season.
• Lawn aeration: The process of spike or core aeration loosens tightly compacted soil, allowing roots room to grow and nutrients to penetrate the soil.
• TruLawn care annual plans: The provider offers multiple options. TruMaintenance includes lawn fertilization and preemergent and targeted weed control, and TruHealth adds grub control and prevention to those services. TruComplete tacks on overseeding and aeration, and TruSignature provides all these treatments along with top-of-the-line tree and shrub care. Each of these lawn care plans involves treatments spread out over multiple visits throughout the growing season.

Lawn Doctor Service Programs

The Lawn Doctor service programs offer homeowners stand-alone and recurring options for a healthy lawn, providing various professional lawn care options:

• Lawn fertilization: Lawn Doctor offers customized plans for lawn fertilization to nourish a wide array of grasses with choices for enriched fertilizer and slow-release fertilization.
• Seeding and aeration: The lawn care service provider offers power seeding for thicker grass as well as guidance on seed mixture. The company often recommends aeration in combination with this service.
• Tree and shrub care: To maintain healthy plants, Lawn Doctor performs disease treatments, insect treatments, and fertilization after a thorough inspection of your lawn’s trees and shrubs.
• Mosquito control: Lawn Doctor’s mosquito control program aims to prevent new mosquitoes, control any infestations, and maintain a yard free of these pests through regular applications during mosquito season. This lawn care provider also offers special-event sprays for one-time insect control.
• Tick control: Lawn Doctor tailors its tick treatments to each yard’s needs and the homeowner’s preferences. A professional will assist you in identifying potential areas of concern before treating them and providing ongoing maintenance applications.
• Annual programs: Options for annual plans include a program for fertilization and weed control, traditional mosquito control, natural mosquito control, and tick control. Combinations of these services are also available on an annual basis. Lawn Doctor’s annual plans are all provided over the course of services spread across the pest or lawn season.

TruGreen vs. Lawn Doctor: Service Pricing

Although the services offered are quite similar, we found that, across the country, TruGreen’s pricing was more competitive than Lawn Doctor. We obtained sample quotes for properties with a four-bedroom home and a half-acre lawn. When viewing these pricing averages below, remember that the size of your lawn and services you choose can affect your cost significantly. 

TruGreen Service Pricing

Based on our research on lawns around the United States, the average TruGreen customer will pay between $690 and $1,700 per year for a TruGreen plan, with TruMaintenance typically being the most cost-efficient option and TruSignature’s comprehensive coverage costing more. Aeration service averages between $141 and $300, and mosquito service may cost between $449 and $532 each year.

Lawn Doctor Service Pricing

Based on our research on yards across the nation, we found that Lawn Doctor customers will pay between $928 and $2,900 per year for a Lawn Doctor plan. The most cost-effective choice is a simple fertilizer and weed control package, while adding aeration and power seeding will increase the price significantly. Aeration services typically cost between $150 and $350, and mosquito control averages between $500 and $725 each year.

Our Recommendation

After comparing these lawn providers’ programs, pricing, availability, customer service, and reviews, our lawn service company recommendation is TruGreen. Thanks to its widespread availability, online quote and chat features, mobile app, and competitive pricing, this provider stands above the rest. 

For those hoping for a more do-it-yourself (DIY) approach to their lawn, Sunday offers user-friendly subscriptions. Its plans are ideal for hands-on lawn care, shipped straight to your home. Each product comes with clear instructions for use, and there are even pet products for a lawn that’s friendly for fluffy friends.

TruGreen and Lawn Doctor FAQ

How We Chose the Top Lawn Care Services

We researched and analyzed widely available lawn care services, spoke with customer service representatives, and analyzed customer experiences based on hundreds of consumer reviews and call listening sessions to find common pain points and lawn care service requests.

We also secret-shopped for quotes from six providers to simulate the customer experience with each process and compare pricing for similar services. Although lawn care offerings can vary based on seasonality and location, we reviewed and compared each provider’s service programs, frequency of service, customer support, pest and weed control options, contact options, industry reputation, ingredients, and state availability.