How Much Does Weed Removal Service Cost? [2024 Cost]
Normal range: $50 - $150
Expect to pay around $95 for a standard sized yard, but price can increase depending on severity of your weeds.
The average weed removal service cost is $95 for a ¼-acre space (the size of an average American yard), with most services costing between $50 and $150. However, prices can vary based on the treatment type, severity of the problem, and, most importantly, your yard size. You can save money by DIYing weed removal in your yard, but you can expect to invest serious sweat equity. Let’s dive into the cost of professional weed removal and how to budget for this service.
- Average
- $95
- Low end
- $35
- high end
- $400
Weed Removal Service Cost Factors
Consider the following cost factors when scheduling a weed removal service.
Yard Size
| Yard Size | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| ⅛ Acre | $35 |
| ¼ Acre | $95 |
| 1 Acre | $200+ |
Perhaps no factor influences your overall weed removal service cost as much as the size of your yard. The larger the weeding area, the more labor, time, and herbicides required to remove its pesky weeds.
You can expect to pay about $95 for a professional weeding of a ¼ acre yard. Smaller ⅛ acre yards cost an average of $35, and larger spaces may cost upwards of $200 per acre. Keep in mind that even the smallest yard will be subject to minimum service fees starting at $30.
Removal Method
| Weed Removal Type | Average Cost (Per ¼ Acre) |
|---|---|
| Herbicide | $60–$180 |
| Weed Pulling | $30–$300 |
Professional weed removal services will kill your weeds through the application of an herbicide or by manually pulling. While DIY spraying weeds requires buying a sprayer and herbicides, pulling weeds in large areas is often more expensive because it is more labor-intensive.
Spraying Herbicides
| Type of Herbicide | Average Cost (per ¼ Acre) |
|---|---|
| Pre-Emergent | $60–$150 |
| Post Emergent | $75–$170 |
| Weed and Feed | $50–$180 |
| Non-Selective | $40–$165 |
| Selective | $75–$200 |
| Organic | $80 |
On average, expect to pay between $60 to $180 for a professional to spray weed killer on your yard’s weeds. Consult your weed removal pro about the type of pre-emergent chemicals they plan to use for the task because some herbicides can be hazardous for humans, pets, and surrounding plants.
The cost of spraying weeds depends on the type of herbicide. Herbicide options offered by landscapers include pre-emergent, post-emergent, weed and feed, non-selective, selective, and organic. These herbicide types are not mutually exclusive, so an organic pesticide can also be post-emergent and non-selective.
Pre-emergent herbicides: These chemicals treat weeds that have not started growing yet, so they are applied before the growing season starts. On average, pre-emergent treatments cost between $60 and $150.
Post-emergent herbicides: This herbicide is applied to weeds that have begun to sprout. These treatments usually cost between $75 and $170.
Weed and feed: This method is a combined lawn fertilizer and weed control solution. It effectively kills broadleaf plants like clover and dandelions, but it does not work well on some weeds, like crabgrass. It typically costs between $50 to $180 per application.
Non-selective herbicides: These chemicals kill all plants they come in contact with. Most herbicides are non-selective, but can vary in price based on their effectiveness and concentration. The application of non-selective herbicides costs an average of $8 to $25 per gallon or between $40 and $165 per application.
Selective herbicides: This type of herbicide targets a specific type of plant, meaning you can apply them to grass or other landscaping features without damaging it. A skilled weed control expert can choose the right selective herbicide for your yard to harm the unwanted weeds in your yard without damaging your landscaping. Because they are more specialized, selective herbicides are more expensive than non-selective ones, costing around $10 to $20 per gallon or about $75 to $200 per application.
Organic herbicides: These chemicals are more sustainable and safer to use around pets and children. These herbicides are almost all non-selective but they usually don’t kill plant roots. Organic herbicides cost 30% more than traditional versions, costing around $20 to $45 per gallon or about $80 per application.
Manually Pull Weeds
You can expect to pay around $30 to $100 an hour for a gardener to pull weeds by hand. Most ¼-acre yards will take between one to three hours to weed manually, meaning the total expenses will cost between $30 and $300, depending on the severity of the weed infestation.
Manual weed pulling targets existing weeds and can be done using mechanical weed pullers, root busters, trimmers, tillers, hand-weeding tools, and more. While manually pulling weeds sometimes costs more, it produces instant results, won’t harm children or pets, and doesn’t harm the environment. On the other hand, depending on the herbicide, spraying weeds can often kill the roots and continue to suppress future weeds for some time.
Labor
Weed removal pros may charge anywhere between $20 to $150 per hour, depending on their experience level and your location. When weeding is done manually, landscapers usually charge by the hour. Depending on the size and scope of the project, some contractors may charge per hour for weed spraying, but they typically charge a flat rate.
Location
People living in areas with a high cost of living, such as large cities, typically pay more to hire a professional to remove their yard’s weeds. Similarly, if the area that needs to be weeded is in a difficult-to-access area that requires them to traverse rocky, steep, or overgrown terrain, expect to pay a premium for weeding services.
Lawn Condition
Naturally, a yard overrun with stinging nettle, ivy, and crabgrass requires more attention than one well cared for with a few rogue weeds. You’ll pay more for weed removal services if your yard condition is poor and overwhelmed by weed overgrowth, especially if you require weed abatement services because the county has determined the weeds are a fire hazard. Weed abatement typically costs between $70 and $120 per treatment.
Weed Removal Service Ongoing Expenses
Don’t forget to account for these ongoing costs of keeping your yard weed-free.
Maintenance
Removing weeds once will improve the look and health of your yard, but these pesky plants will always grow back. If you want to keep your space weed-free, you can do so by following through with regular gardening services. Professional weed removal services typically cost between $50 and $150 per visit or $20 to $150 per hour. The more frequently your expert visits, the fewer weeds will pop up between appointments.
A yearly lawn care package may be the best option if you're concerned about weeds in your grass. These contracts typically cost between $30 to $100 per visit and may include mowing, fertilizer, and weed control services.
DIY Weed Removal vs. Hiring a Pro
DIY weed control is easy to handle yourself, but if your yard’s weeds are thick, thorny, or overwhelming, it’s best to hire a local weed removal pro. One great thing about handling the issue yourself is that addressing your weed problem can help you learn more about the condition of your soil so you can help your garden thrive in other ways. Before you start, identify the suspected weeds so you don’t accidentally pull out plants from your garden.
If you’re trying to save money and are dealing with weeds with long tap roots, weeding can be completely free if you do it by hand. Unfortunately, it can be physically challenging and takes a lot of time. You can make the project easier by investing in quality gardening gloves, a weeding tool, and a kneeling pad, costing less than $50.
When you have a lot of weeds or are dealing with species that are difficult to pull by hand effectively, you may want to spray herbicide. Weed sprayers can cost anywhere from $10 for a small pump sprayer to $160 for a battery-powered backpack model. Herbicide costs range from $8 per gallon for non-selective sprays to $45 per gallon for organic products. Most products are concentrated and require an average of 2.5 ounces per gallon of water, so one gallon of herbicide concentrate can make around 50 gallons of herbicide spray. Since a gallon of diluted herbicide typically covers around 1,000 to 1,500 square feet, you’ll need between 7 and 11 gallons per application for an ¼ acre yard —so expect to pay about $0.80 to $4.50 per treatment.
But on the downside, weeding a large area can take several hours and is dirty, strenuous work. Consider hiring a weed removal pro for a one-time service or ongoing maintenance visits to ensure your yard stays healthy and clear year-round.
Cost of Common Weed Removal Add-Ons
If you’re paying a weed removal or landscaping pro to remove weeds, you may also want to purchase other services. Adding mulch to a freshly weeded yard can help suppress growth in the future. Aeration, dethatching, mowing, and fertilizing can keep your lawn looking its best. While the prices below cover the individual costs for each potential add-on, you may save money by bundling these services together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ultimately, pulling weeds vs. spraying them depends on what’s happening in your yard and your personal preferences. Manual weed removal doesn’t introduce any chemicals into your landscape, targets specific problematic plants, produces immediate results, can be free if you go the DIY route, and is inexpensive with a weed service if you only have a handful of weeds. On the other hand, spraying is often preferable for severe weed infestations and situations involving difficult-to-pull weeds because it treats multiple weeds at once, is usually more effective long-term, is less time-consuming, and costs less when done by a pro.
It usually takes between two weeks and a month for weeds to fully die off after you spray them with herbicide, but they will start to wilt within the first week. Different weed sprays produce different results, with some working more quickly and effectively than others. Similarly, some weeds are killed more easily than others. Consult your weed removal pro for an exact timeline based on their weed removal method.