Using years of industry experience and personal consulting with many homeowners, I’ve determined that TruGreen and Lawn Doctor are two of the best lawn care companies in the industry.
However, reviewing TruGreen Vs. Lawn Doctor is challenging because they exhibit top-notch customer service and expert-level attention to detail. But it’s important to understand that minor differences could make you choose one. Read on to discover which company I recommend you pick when it comes down to selecting one over the other.
My Take: TruGreen Vs. Lawn Doctor
I wanted to compare TruGreen Vs. Lawn Doctor to really understand which company provides better results and services. After taking a look at their services, packages, pricing, availability, and customer service — I’ve determined that TruGreen is the better choice for homeowners.
Both companies offer a satisfaction guarantee, various annual plan options, and lawn maintenance services that appeal to homeowners with different lawn care issues.
TruGreen received my “Best Customer Service” rating because of its willingness to respond to and address issues at the local level. The company always makes right on issues that arise, and lawn care can throw many curveballs, so it’s important that a company doesn’t give customers the cold shoulder.
Lawn Doctor received my “Best Service Guarantee” for its “Lawn Doctor Guarantee.” The company states that it will make sure you’re 100% satisfied, or its team will keep coming back until you’re happy. Even if it isn’t responsible for any damage, it will work with you to help get your lawn to the desired condition.
| TruGreen | Lawn Doctor | |
| My Pick | ✔ | |
| Superlative | Best Customer Service | Best Service Guarantee |
| Our Rating | 4.9/5 | 4.1/5 |
| BBB Rating | A+ | B+ |
| Cost Per Month | $50–100 | $75–250 |
| State Availability | 48 | 40 |
| Environmentally Friendly | Yes | Yes |
| # of Services Offered | 8+ | 6 |
| Mobile App | Yes | No |
| Get a Free Quote | Visit Site | Visit Site |
Cost: TruGreen Vs. Lawn Doctor
Based on my research and direct quotes from each provider, Lawn Doctor is the more affordable option for basic lawn care treatments.
Suppose you’re using Lawn Doctor for weed control, fertilization, aeration, and seeding. In that case, the costs can quickly add up, but the average annual cost is usually between $400–$800 for a range of services.
TruGreen offers a wide assortment of services, with its cost per visit being a little higher than Lawn Doctor’s services. The average yearly cost for TruGreen is between $500–$1,500.
TruGreen offers a more affordable lawn package up front, but the prices increase over time depending on the package you choose. Many of the services come à la carte, so you can find yourself taking on additional fees that you might not have initially accounted for.
The bottom line: We recommend choosing Lawn Doctor if price is your primary driving factor for choosing a company. It offers more customized package options based on each local branch, and its prices are hard to beat.
| TruGreen | Services | Lawn Doctor |
| N/A | Mowing | N/A |
| $200–$250 | Aeration | $150–300 |
| $75–$100 | Weeding | $50–$100 |
| $75–$100 | Fertilization | $50–$100 |
| $200–$250 | Seeding | $50–$150 |
| N/A | Mulching | N/A |
| $70–$150 | Tree and Bush Trimming | $50–$100 |
TruGreen Vs. Lawn Doctor: Plans and Services
Both TruGreen and Lawn Doctor offer a wide range of service plans to help with the health and appearance of your lawn. TruGreen stands out as the winner in terms of comprehensiveness because it offers a scientifically backed lawn analysis, soil amendment, and disease control to help deal with very stubborn lawn issues.
On the other hand, Lawn Doctor does provide a great range of services, including lawn fertilization, power seeding, weed control, crabgrass removal, lawn aeration, grub control, and pest control.
Both companies provide everything you need for a healthy lawn.
Another interesting thing is that TruGreen offers an easy-to-use mobile app where you can manage your account, pay your bills, and request service directly from your phone. This is great if you’re on the road or at work.
Based solely on the services provided, TruGreen is the winner.
| Plans | TruGreen | Lawn Doctor |
| Fertilization | ✔ | ✔ |
| Pre-emergent and Weed Control | ✔ | ✔ |
| Aeration | ✔ | ✔ |
| Overseeding | ✔ | ✔ |
| Tree and Shrub Care | ✔ | ✔ |
| Pest Control/Grub Prevention | ✔ | ✔ |
| Insect Control/Mosquito Control | ✔ | ✔ |
| Irrigation | ✔ | |
| Disease Prevention | ✔ |
Customer Reviews: TruGreen Vs. Lawn Doctor
If you’ve ever searched online for honest reviews and opinions of lawn care programs, you likely realize that people are very quick to turn to the Internet when they have something bad to say but not when they have something good.
So, we think it’s important to dive deep into real customer reviews to see if there is an overall consensus of what is the actual problem with a company and what could be mostly “blowing smoke.”
TruGreen has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and a 4.0-star rating on Google.
Lawn Doctor has a B+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and a 4.5-star rating on Google.
According to online reviews of TruGreen, the main issue revolves around a lack of communication on its part. Many customers are displeased when they believe they’ll receive specific services on certain days, and then TruGreen either doesn’t show up or changes the schedule to come at a more inconvenient time.
While most customers are satisfied with the services they receive, they believe the large company nature of TruGreen can be to blame for the lack of communication and care to the individual customer.
Lawn Doctor, on the other hand, takes a more personal approach by allowing individual branch locations to handle inquiries, making its service much faster.
But, many of the same issues arise due to a lack of understanding of the services provided. Most customers need help with communication and scheduling. Many also don’t seem to understand the services they sign up for after months of these services being provided.
So, what can we learn from this?
First, make sure you take responsibility for yourself. Understand what you’re signing up for before agreeing to anything. When it comes to both of these companies, they have salespeople designed to sell you a lawn care package; that’s their job.
Ensure you know what services are being provided and the expected results.
Second, keep copies of anything you sign and agree to so you can refer back to it if the services are not as you would expect.
These are both great companies, but they don’t always have control over what happens at the local level. Whenever an issue comes about, they always make it right, so just make sure you can back yourself up in the event that the services you receive are not what you expected.
While it might seem annoying that you need to be responsible when paying a company for service, remember that technicians and customer service reps might not always be on the same page. Unfortunately, you need to hold the service providers accountable, so make sure the technicians who come out provide the services you signed up for.
Based on reading hundreds of reviews, Lawn Doctor has a better reputation because of the local branch locations handling individual complaints rather than a central hub.
Availability: TruGreen Vs. Lawn Doctor
TruGreen and Lawn Doctor are both national lawn care service providers, and their services are available in multiple states across the U.S.
TruGreen operates in 48 states (except for Hawaii and Alaska) and provides services to over 2.3 million residential and commercial customers. TruGreen’s wide availability and extensive network make it easy for customers to access their services regardless of location.
Lawn Doctor has a network of over 600 locations across 40 states and employs over 14,000 trained professionals to provide lawn care services. The 10 states that Lawn Doctor does not service are:
- Alaska
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Maine
- Nevada
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- South Dakota
- Vermont
- Wyoming
TruGreen is the clear-cut winner because it’s available in 48 states. If you seek a more personalized experience with a smaller company, Lawn Doctor can provide that because it allows more control at the local branch level.
So, Is TruGreen or Lawn Doctor the Best?
Based on the following factors:
- Services provided
- State availability
- Service
- Trustworthiness
- Personal experience
I choose TruGreen as the recommended lawn care service.
TruGreen stands out because of the vast assortment of professional lawn care services. If something is bothering you about your lawn, I guarantee that TruGreen has a service that can fix it. The company also succeeds very well at addressing issues and remedying whatever mistakes are made at the local level.
Lawn Doctor is a great company; I love its local feel and pricing options. This company is more affordable, so if budget is your primary driving factor behind choosing a company, Lawn Doctor is your go-to.
If you want to know more about TruGreen, consider checking out my full TruGreen review. If you’re not sold on TruGreen and would like to learn more about Lawn Doctor, read my complete Lawn Doctor review.
Regardless of the company you choose, don’t wait around for the green lawn you’ve always dreamed of. Either of these companies can take good care of you:
FAQs: TruGreen Vs. Lawn Doctor
Does TruGreen offer weed control?
TruGreen offers weed control treatments for both pre- and post-emergent weed control. It uses various options for customers concerned with damaging the environment or nearby plants.
What is the cheapest lawn care service?
Lawn Doctor is one of the most affordable lawn care services, and it can provide a range of à la carte services to help design a lawn care package for even the most budget-conscious customers.
Does Lawn Doctor offer mowing services?
No, neither Lawn Doctor nor TruGreen offers mowing or landscaping services. These companies focus entirely on getting your lawn to grow stronger, greener, and healthier. You’ll need to DIY your lawn mowing or hire a company with this as a part of its lawn care plan.
Is TruGreen or Lawn Doctor safe for pets?
In most cases, no. Most of the products used by both companies are not natural. However, the natural lawn care plans are safe for pets.
Methodology: How We Evaluated TruGreen Vs. Lawn Doctor Against Our Review Standards
At Today’s Homeowner, we strive to bring you the most accurate information for your home improvement projects. Our lawn company ratings emphasize what matters most to you — a wide range of useful products with reliable service and impressive results.
Our ratings are based on publicly available information about each company, secret shopping via phone and internet, customer-review analysis, and discussions with lawn and landscaping specialists.
Each company can earn up to 100 points divided across five categories. We assess those point scores, then convert them to a five-star scale to determine rankings. We researched popular lawn care companies across the country to develop the following category breakdown:
- Plan Options (36 points): Lawn care companies earn the most points in this category if they offer a wide range of plans to fit various homeowner needs. Companies providing services like aeration, seeding, tree/shrub, and fertilization (explore reputable yard fertilizer companies) care will earn more points than providers with base-level plans.
- Additional Offerings (11 points): We score this category by evaluating additional offerings that enhance a company’s overall service selection. Companies that provide pest control services, organic lawn care products, and a la carte options score the highest in this category.
- Customer Service (25 points): We considered how far each company goes to ensure customers have convenient, intuitive access to products and services with contact forms, online chat features, and additional learning resources.
- State Availability (8 points): We factored each company’s state availability into its overall score. Companies with more locations and wider service areas score higher than those with limited availability.
- Trustworthiness (20 points): We score each company’s trustworthiness based on its Better Business Bureau accreditation and score, number of years in business, and Google Star ratings.
We monitor company data on an ongoing basis to keep rankings and information up to date.
