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Leaf removal cost per hour and for a fall yard cleanup
A leaf cleanup with two workers for three hours costs $810 at MJR Landscape's Grand Rapids rates: $110 per worker-hour plus $150 to haul the leaves away, with a $375 minimum. David's Landscaping in Farmington, Connecticut, starts fall cleanups at $250, and at $750 or more for a large or wooded lot. Ask whether the beds, the final mow and hauling are included.
What do published prices include?
| Job, size or area | Published price | Included work and extras | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall cleanup minimum; Farmington, CT | from $250 per job | Leaves, beds, hard surfaces, perennial cutback and final mowing; gutters excluded. | David’s Landscaping: fall cleanups in Farmington, Connecticut · Checked |
| Large or heavily wooded property; Farmington, CT | from $750+ per job | Large or wooded property with the same fall-cleanup scope; prices can exceed $750. | David’s Landscaping: fall cleanups in Farmington, Connecticut · Checked |
| Cleanup labor; Grand Rapids, MI | $110 per worker-hour | Yard-cleanup labor per worker; disposal charged separately. | MJR Landscape: Grand Rapids leaf services · Checked |
| Cleanup disposal; Grand Rapids, MI | $150 per job | Leaf disposal added to cleanup labor; $375 minimum total. | MJR Landscape: Grand Rapids leaf services · Checked |
| Curbside vacuum pickup; Grand Rapids, MI | $134 per first 15 minutes | Leaves already staged by the curb; leaves only, with no other debris. | MJR Landscape: Grand Rapids leaf services · Checked |
| Additional curbside vacuuming; Grand Rapids, MI | $25 per additional 5-minute block | Applies after the first 15 minutes; separate from whole-yard cleanup labor. | MJR Landscape: Grand Rapids leaf services · Checked |
Prices are in US dollars. Each row keeps the provider's unit and service area.
Should I pay for leaf removal by the hour or by the job?
By the job when the yard is big or wooded, because the total is fixed before anyone starts; by the hour on a small, open yard, with an estimate of the hours. Check whether an hourly rate is per worker. MJR's $110 per worker-hour means two people working three hours bill 6 hours: $660, plus $150 disposal.
David's prices the job: fall cleanups start at $250 and cover the lawn, beds, hard surfaces, perennial cutback and a final mow. On a small yard the minimum sets the bill. At MJR, 2 worker-hours plus disposal is $370, so you pay the $375 minimum. For an hourly quote, ask for the expected hours and a cap. For a job price, agree what done looks like: leaves out of the beds and off the patio and driveway.
What does leaf disposal cost, and is curbside pickup cheaper?
MJR adds $150 for disposal to a yard cleanup, on top of the hours. If you rake the leaves to the curb yourself, its vacuum pickup is $134 for the first 15 minutes and $25 for each 5 minutes after, so 25 minutes of vacuuming is $184, against $810 for the two-person cleanup. The pile has to be leaves only; branches, stones or trash change the job.
Before paying for haul-away, check whether your city or town collects leaves in the fall, bagged or loose at the curb, and on which dates. If it does, ask the crew to rake to the curb and leave the pile for the city, and the disposal line drops off.
How many leaf cleanups do I need in the fall?
One, after the trees are bare, is the cheapest plan. Add an earlier pass when a thick layer is matting the grass or burying the beds while leaves are still falling. Each visit has its own trip and setup, and if each one is billed as a separate job at MJR's rates, 2 visits cost at least $750. Ask for the visits as separate lines with target dates.
A wooded lot is a bigger job: David's starts large or heavily wooded properties at $750 or more for the same scope. On a lot like that, ask whether the price covers one visit or the whole fall, and what a late drop after the final visit costs.
What should I ask before booking a leaf cleanup?
Send this with photos of the yard: Please quote a fall leaf cleanup of the lawn, beds and driveway in the photos, with the leaves hauled away. The side gate is [width] wide and the leaves are about [depth] deep. Is that a job price or by the hour? If hourly, how many workers and hours do you expect, and what is your minimum? Is a final mow included?
Compare quotes on the same areas and number of visits, and ask the cheaper contractor what disposal and a final mow would add.
Frequently asked questions
How much does leaf removal cost per acre?
Tree cover tells a contractor more than acreage: an open acre with a few maples and a wooded acre are different jobs. David's prices large or heavily wooded lots from $750. For an acre or more, ask for a job price after a walk-through, or an hourly rate with an estimate of the hours and a cap.
Can I mulch leaves with the mower instead?
Yes, when the layer is thin enough that grass shows through after a pass. Dry leaves chopped small break down in the lawn over the winter; a thick, wet layer clumps, smothers the grass and needs raking. Mulching the early drops yourself and paying for one cleanup at the end can save a visit.
Does leaf removal include gutter cleaning?
Only if the quote names it. David's fall cleanup leaves gutters out, and gutter cleaners price by the foot of gutter and the story height, with ladders and a different crew. Book the gutters after the last leaves fall, so they stay clear into winter.
Sources
- David’s Landscaping: fall cleanups in Farmington, Connecticut · Checked
Farmington, Connecticut, fall cleanup includes leaves on the lawn, beds and hard surfaces, perennial cutback and a final mow. Gutters excluded.
- MJR Landscape: Grand Rapids leaf services · Checked
Grand Rapids yard cleanup charges worker-hours plus disposal, with a $375 minimum. Curbside vacuum pickup covers leaves already staged at the curb.
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