| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| ● By the numbers. Adults 60 and older reported losing $2.4 billion to fraud in 2024. ● Watch for red flags. Many home improvement scams start with an unsolicited knock at the door or an unexpected phone call. ● Vet before you hire. Before hiring a lawn care company, ask for recommendations from people you trust, and check licenses and insurance. |
Choosing a lawn care company for an aging parent means checking what protects them from a bad or fraudulent hire: licensing, insurance, real reviews, a fair written price, and a company willing to talk to you.
Scams that start face to face, like a knock on the door, are among the most likely to end in lost money, and scammers often target older homeowners. That’s why a few extra verification steps matter more here than in a typical hiring decision.
Not enough time to search for and vet lawn care pros? Work with Lawn Love’s mowing service, which background checks its pros and backs every job with damage coverage.
Where to find companies worth hiring
Be wary of any company that approaches your parent first. A cold call or a knock on the door is a common scam opener. In-person scams make up just 1.2% of scams reported to the BBB, but about 75% of those reports involved lost money, the third highest rate of any contact method, according to the 2025 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report.
Better starting points for finding a trustworthy lawn care company:
- Neighbors on the same street. They’ve seen the crew work and know whether they show up.
- The local senior center or Area Agency on Aging. Call and ask whether they keep a list of local household service providers.
- Vetted platforms. Service platforms like Lawn Love that screen pros do the license-and-insurance step for you.
Confirm licensing and insurance
Once you have a company in mind, the paperwork is the first thing that separates a real business from a fly-by-night one. Here are the documents to ask for:
- Local business license. Most states don’t have a special trade license for mowing, but the company still needs a standard business license from its city or county.
- Proof of general liability insurance. Covers property damage: a broken sprinkler line, a rock through a window, or plant damage.
- Workers’ compensation coverage. Covers an employee injured on the property. Without it, the homeowner could face a claim.
- Pesticide/fertilizer application license. If the service includes any weed killer, fertilizer, or pest treatment, this is the license to ask about.
The applicator license is regulated almost everywhere, and often the individual technician applying for it needs his or her own certification, not just the company. Alabama, for example, issues its Horticulture Professional Services License only to businesses with a certified operator who has passed the ornamental and turf pest control exam.
Workers’ comp deserves a second look. Lawn work in summer is hot, physical labor, and heat illness is a real risk to crews. If a company carries no workers’ comp and a crew member collapses on the property, your parent could be left dealing with the claim.
Quick list of questions to ask:
- Do you handle fertilizer and weed/pest treatment, or just mowing?
- If lawn treatment’s involved, are you and your technicians certified to apply it?
- Do you do a site visit before quoting for treatment services?
- Can you send me proof of insurance?
- Can I call your insurance company to confirm the policy is active?
Ask for a Certificate of Insurance (COI). It should list general liability coverage and, if the company has employees, workers’ comp. (Rules vary by state.)
Read more: The Dangers of Mowing the Lawn in Extreme Heat (and When to Call for Help)
Look for BBB accreditation and verified reviews
A license proves a company is real, but it doesn’t prove it’s reliable. Plenty of licensed companies still cut corners or vanish mid-season. Reviews and a BBB track record show how a company behaves once the work starts.
How to check:
- Go to BBB.org
- Type the company name plus its city or ZIP
- Click through to the Business Profile.
- Look at the letter grade. A or B is a good sign. B- or lower is a caution sign, since BBB requires accredited businesses to keep at least a B rating.
- Then scroll to the Reviews and Complaints tabs and read a few.
Don’t stop at the BBB. Check Google, Yelp, Nextdoor, Trustpilot, or ask the company which review sites it uses.
Look for the reviews that talk about showing up when they promised and communicating: calling ahead, giving a heads-up before a change, answering the phone, and coming back to fix problems.
Check whether the company responds to complaints. A business that replies and works toward a fix shows it invests time and resources in customer service. BBB notes that the nature of complaints and how a company responds often matter more than how many complaints it gets.
Lawn Love has been BBB accredited since 2017, has an A+ rating, and background checks every pro on its platform.
Read more: Why BBB Accreditation Matters When Hiring a Lawn Care Service
What a fair price looks like
Overcharging is one of the easiest scams to miss. There’s no obvious red flag, just a number that sounds reasonable to someone who hasn’t hired a lawn service in years. Knowing the price range is the best defense.
According to Lawn Love’s mowing cost data, most Lawn Love customers pay $46 to $75 per visit. Hourly rates for lawn care pros range from $30 to $70.
If a quote for a routine mowing on an average suburban lot lands north of $100, ask what’s driving it. Lot size, slope, obstacles, and overgrowth are legitimate reasons, but they should be named and disclosed before the crew shows up, not added to the bill afterward.
Ask a few companies to quote the exact same scope of work (same frequency, same add-ons), so you’re comparing apples to apples.
Treatments and add-ons:
| Service | Typical Range |
| Fertilization | $103 to $343 |
| Weed Removal | $65 to $120 per treatment |
| Aeration | $82 to $251 |
| Dethatching | $145 to $247 |
| Leaf Removal | $165 to $485 |
| Yard Cleanup | $174 to $436 |
Source: How Much Does Lawn Care Cost?
A monthly lawn care plan generally costs $125 to $500, depending on lawn size and which services are bundled.
Not sure what your parent’s lot should cost? Get a free mowing quote from Lawn Love.
Know the scam red flags that target seniors
Older adults reported losing $2.4 billion to fraud in 2024, about 4 times the roughly $600 million they reported in 2020, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), scammers target older homeowners because they believe them to be more trusting and wealthier.
Clear warning signs can help you tell a shady company from a reputable business:
| Shady/Scam Services | Reputable Businesses | |
| First Contact | Knocks on the door or stops a truck out front with a “today only” deal | Found through referrals, vetted platforms, or verified reviews |
| Pricing | Charges more than quoted after the work is already done, with no explanation | Shares the price on paper, by email, or in app before the first visit, and confirms any change before starting work |
| Upsells | Says the lawn needs urgent treatment (grubs, fungus, weeds) and sprays the same day | Explains the problem, sends a quote, and waits for approval |
| Social Proof | Claims “we’re already doing your neighbors’ yards” | Has verified reviews and ratings you can check |
| Payment Terms | Demands full payment or large cash payments upfront, or asks for gift cards or money transfers | Bills per visit or monthly after service through a card or secure online payment; any prepay option comes with a clear refund policy |
A legitimate company will give you a clear price upfront, let you take time to decide, and bill you after the service is done. With Lawn Love, you get an instant mowing quote online and see the exact price before you book.
Make sure the company will talk to family, not just the homeowner
Staying involved matters more than it might seem.”It is more often the case that older adults do not report financial exploitation, especially if it is by someone they trust,” says Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University.
When you’re on the account, you can spot a problem without waiting for your parent to bring it up. Many lawn care services, including Lawn Love, handle booking, payment, and visit updates through an app, so an adult child can manage service at a parent’s address from their own phone.
Key questions to ask when hiring a lawn care company for your parent:
- Can I book and pay for service at my parent’s address?
- Will you text or email before and after each visit?
- If your crew notices anything unusual on the property (like roof damage, broken fences, or pests), will you notify me directly?
What if your parent has paid the same gardener in cash for years? That can be perfectly fine. But if you notice memory loss or confusion, Lichtenberg recommends listing your parent’s regular expenses, including cash payments, and formalizing the arrangement so payments can be tracked.
Read more:
- How to Manage Your Aging Parents’ Lawn Care: Risks, Conversations, and Solutions
- Hiring a Lawn Care Service for the First Time: What to Expect from Lawn Love
FAQ
No. BBB accreditation is voluntary, and plenty of reputable local companies aren’t members. Weigh it alongside a valid business license, proof of insurance, the company’s BBB letter grade, and recent reviews that mention reliability and communication.
Ask for the company’s business license number, pesticide applicator license (if they apply treatments), and a Certificate of Insurance.
Stop future payments, document everything (photos, receipts, texts), and report it to your state consumer protection office or the BBB and to the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline if fraud is suspected.
Yes, some local governments and nonprofits offer free or low-cost lawn care to seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. Ask your local senior center or Area Agency on Aging what’s available in your area.
Hire a local lawn care pro
Vetting a company yourself takes time most families don’t have, especially from a distance. Lawn Love background checks its pros, and every pro carries Lawn Love’s damage coverage, so you can book with confidence instead of verifying paperwork on your own.
Read more: Lawn Care for Seniors: Signs It’s Time to Stop Mowing Your Own Lawn
Source:
- Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI. Personal interview.
Main Image: Adult son helping his senior father empty a lawn mower grass bag. Photo Credit: master1305 / Adobe Stock
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