How A lot Does Garden Aeration Price? (2025)
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Garden aeration usually prices between $150 and $250 for a median quarter-acre yard when executed professionally. Bigger lawns could price $300 or extra, whereas DIY choices utilizing rented gear can run as little as $75 — however they’ll take extra of your effort and time.
Aeration helps your garden breathe. Over time, the soil will get compacted, particularly in high-traffic areas, which prevents water, air, and vitamins from reaching the roots. That results in skinny, patchy grass and cussed weeds. Aerating the soil solves that by pulling out small plugs of grime and letting your grass develop deeper and stronger.
If you happen to’ve seen dry patches, puddling water, or thinning turf, it’s in all probability time to aerate. Most owners profit from this service yearly, usually in early spring or fall. Hiring a garden care firm like TruGreen means sooner, cleaner outcomes and the choice to bundle aeration with overseeding or fertilizing for higher long-term garden well being.
On this information, we’ll break down what you may count on to pay for each DIY {and professional} aeration and when it’s value spending extra to get higher outcomes.
Garden Aeration Prices at a Look
Skilled garden aeration prices between $150 and $250 for a median ¼-acre yard. For bigger properties, count on to pay $300–$400 for a half-acre and round $700 or extra per acre. Most garden care firms cost $15–$18 per 1,000 sq. ft.
DIY aeration is cheaper, often costing $75 to $100 for a day-long rental of a core aerator. If you happen to’re fast and skilled, you may get it executed with an hourly rental for as little as $50 to $60. Simply be able to spend a couple of hours doing the work and transporting the gear.
Right here’s how the prices evaluate:
| Technique | Typical Price |
|---|---|
| DIY | $75–$100 |
| ¼-acre garden (skilled) | $150–$250 |
| ½-acre garden (skilled) | $300–$400 |
| Full acre (skilled) | $600–$800 |
Remember, in case your yard wants prep work — like clearing leaves or branches — that may add $200–$600 for a spring clean-up, except you deal with it your self.
Garden Care Companies
Residential garden care plans will usually price you round $150 per 30 days. Particular person companies could begin at $50.
Hydroseeding Service
Hydroseeding includes making use of a water, seed, and mulch slurry to a naked garden. It prices $0.05–$0.08/sq. ft.
Garden Aeration
Aeration promotes wholesome grass development & soil drainage. Skilled aeration could price you $150–$250.
DIY Garden Aeration Prices
Doing the aeration your self can prevent cash, particularly if you have already got a tow-behind aerator on your mower. Most owners lease a core aerator for the day, which usually prices $75–$100. That ought to provide you with sufficient time to aerate a regular garden.
If you happen to’re working with a smaller yard — otherwise you’re assured and fast — you may get away with an hourly rental for $50–$60.
Simply bear in mind: this isn’t a no-effort job. You’ll have to:
- Choose up and return the gear
- Spend a couple of hours pushing or towing the aerator
- Clear up your yard earlier than you begin
And in case your garden is plagued by sticks, leaves, or particles, you’ll have to deal with that first. Hiring out the cleanup provides $200–$600, however you may keep away from that price with a little bit of weekend work.
Skilled Garden Aeration Prices
Most owners pay between $150 and $250 to have a professional deal with aeration on a typical ¼-acre garden. The price scales with yard measurement — a ½-acre yard runs $300–$400, whereas a full acre averages $600–$800.
Most firms cost $15–$18 per 1,000 sq. ft, however some could provide flat charges or bundle pricing. For instance:
- ¼-acre garden (10,890 sq. ft.): $150–$180
- ½-acre garden: $300–$360
- 1 acre: $600–$800
Larger properties don’t all the time imply greater per-acre charges—some firms provide reductions for multi-acre jobs.
Hiring a professional saves time and reduces the chance of over-aerating or lacking spots. It additionally enables you to bundle in companies like overseeding, fertilization, or dethatching — which frequently lowers the price per service.
If comfort issues to you or your schedule’s tight, that is the way in which to go.
Finest Buyer Service
TruGreen
Learn our TruGreen Overview for extra data.
Aeration by the Acre
If you happen to’ve obtained a bigger property, count on pricing to shift from sq. footage to flat per-acre charges. Most garden care firms cost round $600 to $800 per acre, with $700 being the typical.
For multi-acre jobs, you may see a reduction — particularly from native suppliers seeking to earn repeat enterprise. At all times ask if there’s a bulk fee should you’re aerating a couple of acre.
Calculating Garden Aeration Costs
Whether or not you’re going DIY or hiring a professional, the overall price relies upon principally in your garden’s measurement and the way a lot prep work is required.
If you happen to’re renting gear, determine round $75–$100 for a day, plus gas and transport. If you happen to can knock it out in beneath 4 hours, an hourly rental at $50–$60 may do the trick. Simply take into accout: Your effort and time aren’t free — particularly if that is your first time aerating.
For skilled companies, ask how they cost — some go by sq. footage, others by the hour. You’ll additionally need to ask:
- Is there a minimal service cost?
- Are there journey charges?
- What’s included within the quote?
If you happen to’re additionally planning on overseeding, fertilizing, or spring cleanup, it’s sensible to ask about package deal offers. Bundling can lower your expenses and provide you with higher long-term outcomes.
Components That Affect Aeration Price
A number of issues can affect how a lot you’ll pay for garden aeration. Listed below are the most important price drivers:
Garden Dimension
That is the principle issue. The larger your yard, the extra effort and time it takes—so the price goes up. Most firms cost $15–$18 per 1,000 sq. ft. or $600–$800 per acre.
Location
Garden care is dearer in high-cost-of-living areas. If you happen to dwell removed from the supplier, count on a journey payment of as much as $50.
Garden Prep
In case your garden is roofed in particles, you’ll want to scrub it up earlier than aeration. Spring clean-up companies price $200–$600. Some householders additionally go for dethatching, which runs $175–$300 or extra relying on yard measurement.
Negotiating Pricing & Bundle Offers
Whereas nationwide garden care firms often stick with mounted charges, native suppliers are sometimes open to negotiation — particularly through the low season or should you’re bundling a number of companies. If you happen to’re evaluating quotes, don’t be afraid to ask if there’s wiggle room on value or if they provide reductions for brand spanking new prospects, seniors, or multi-service packages.
Bundling aeration with companies like overseeding, fertilization, or a spring clean-up typically lowers the general price. For instance, aeration alone may cost $180, however when packaged with overseeding, the per-service fee usually drops. This strategy not solely saves cash but in addition ensures your garden advantages from a coordinated therapy plan, maximizing leads to one go to.
If you happen to’re getting quotes, ask every firm for a breakdown of what’s included and whether or not further therapies like grub management or weed prevention may be added at a lowered fee. The extra you group collectively, the extra worth you’ll often get.
Garden Aeration Strategies
There are three most important methods to aerate a garden, and each tackles soil compaction in another way.
- Spike aeration is essentially the most primary technique. It makes use of strong spikes to poke holes into the soil, serving to water and air attain the roots. It’s cheap however affords short-term advantages and isn’t best for compacted soil.
- Core aeration is the simplest and extensively beneficial technique. It removes small plugs of soil from the garden, relieving compaction and permitting vitamins to penetrate extra deeply. The plugs break down naturally over time, serving to fertilize the soil as they decompose.
- Liquid aeration makes use of a chemical answer — usually ammonium lauryl sulfate, the identical stuff present in soaps — to interrupt down dense soil and natural matter. It’s a gentler course of and higher suited to householders preferring to not disturb the floor of their garden, although outcomes could take longer to note in comparison with core aeration.
Every technique has its place, however for many compacted lawns, core aeration is the perfect funding.
Further Prices Past Aeration
Garden aeration is a powerful first step towards a more healthy yard, however most owners get the perfect outcomes by pairing it with different companies. These extras can add to your complete price however ship a noticeable distinction within the look and well being of your garden.
Overseeding
Overseeding is a well-liked follow-up. It fills in naked spots and thickens your turf, serving to your garden outcompete weeds. This service often provides $500 to $1,500, relying on yard measurement and the kind of seed used.
Fertilization
Fertilization helps restore vitamins that your grass must develop thick and inexperienced. After aeration, fertilizer soaks in additional successfully. Fertilization companies common round $350, however pricing can vary from $100 to $550.
Tree & Shrub Care
Tree and shrub care can also come into play, particularly should you’re targeted on curb enchantment. These companies fluctuate extensively—count on to pay $50 to $1,000 relying on the quantity, measurement, and situation of your timber and shrubs.
Pest Management
Pest management is one other add-on value contemplating. Garden pests like grubs, ticks, and ants can injury your turf from the roots up. Remedy prices usually vary from $150 to $500, although perimeter therapies for termites or extra aggressive pests might push that nearer to $1,000.
Why Your Garden Might Want Aeration
Most lawns profit from aeration yearly, particularly in high-traffic areas or heavy clay soils. However how are you aware in case your yard actually wants it? There are a couple of simple indicators to search for.
Compacted Soil
In case your grass appears to be like skinny, dry, or patchy, there’s a very good likelihood the soil beneath is compacted. Compacted soil retains water and vitamins from reaching the roots, which stunts development and weakens your garden. You may additionally discover water pooling after it rains — that’s one other signal the soil isn’t absorbing moisture correctly.
Thick Thatch
Test the thatch layer too. Thatch is the layer of lifeless grass and natural materials between the soil and the residing grass. A bit is okay, but when it’s greater than half an inch thick, it may very well be holding moisture and vitamins away from the roots. In that case, you might want dethatching earlier than aerating.
Compacted Soil
If you happen to suspect compaction, strive the screwdriver check: push a screwdriver into the soil. If it goes in simply, your soil might be high quality. If it takes effort or barely goes in, your garden will profit from aeration.
Uneven Grass Progress
Uneven development is one other clue. Areas that get walked or pushed on extra typically will compact sooner and develop extra slowly. Aerating these spots may also help carry them again consistent with the remainder of your garden.
Ultimate Ideas: Is Garden Aeration Price it?
Sure, garden aeration is completely value it if you’d like a thicker, more healthy yard. It relieves compacted soil, improves drainage, and helps your grass get the vitamins and water it must develop robust. When paired with overseeding and fertilization, it may well utterly rework a struggling garden.
For most owners, skilled aeration prices between $150 and $250, which is a small funding in comparison with the long-term advantages. A wholesome garden requires fewer weed therapies, holds up higher throughout drought, and simply appears to be like higher total.
DIY aeration can prevent some cash, but it surely takes time, effort, and the appropriate gear. If you happen to’re quick on time or need assured outcomes, hiring a professional is a great transfer — particularly when you may bundle it with different garden companies.
Corporations like TruGreen provide aeration as half of a bigger garden care plan, which may give you higher outcomes for much less cash. In case your garden appears to be like drained or patchy, aeration is among the best — and inexpensive — methods to carry it again to life.
Finest Buyer Service
TruGreen
At present’s House owner’s Score Methodology
At At present’s House owner, transparency and belief are our most vital values for the reader. That’s why we took the time to create an goal ranking system and rating every garden firm/service in line with our methodology.
Our analysis crew dug deep into the high quality print of contracts, combed via a couple of hundred buyer opinions, and totally investigated all of every garden care service’s companies, prices, and merchandise. We’ve executed the homework for you by researching almost the entire garden care firms in the marketplace so you may have the knowledge you have to make the only option on your dwelling.
We developed a system to objectively decide the perfect garden care firms and provides every a rating out of 100 based mostly on the next standards:
- Plan Choices (30): Do they supply a wide range of plan choices? We appeared on the variety of plans every firm supplied and the flexibleness of adjusting the plan.
- Companies supplied (20): What number of companies are supplied in every plan? We appeared on the variety of garden care coverages, together with weed management, seeding, irrigation, aeration, dethatching, and extra.
- Belief (10): What do prospects say after their garden has been serviced? Does this firm provide a assure? We thought of how glad prospects are post-service if the corporate does what it says it is going to, BBB accreditation, and repair ensures.
- Costs (10): How cheap are the prices of the plan or service compared to the business common? We in contrast the prices of every firm to opponents that provide the identical garden companies.
- Distinctive perks (10): Does the corporate provide reductions or particular companies similar to natural therapies, pest management, or a cell app? We appeared for perks every firm affords that set them other than the competitors.
- Buyer Service (10): How is the client expertise when contacting the corporate? We thought of the velocity of response, weekend/vacation availability, and ease of communication via cellphone calls, electronic mail, and on-line chat features.
- Nationwide availability (10): What number of states does the corporate provide its companies? Corporations that function nationally and in all zip codes are favored over these with restricted availability.
