TruGreen vs. Lawn Doctor (2023 Guide)

Searching for the best lawn care service for your needs can be overwhelming. There are many options across the country, but they don’t all offer the same plans and quality of service. TruGreen and Lawn Doctor’s reputations may precede them, but do you know everything you need to know about them?

We at the This Old House Reviews Team researched the country’s best lawn care services. After comparing TruGreen and Lawn Doctor on important metrics such as availability and services offered, we recommend TruGreen for its greater number of comprehensive lawn care programs and its commitment to customer service.

TruGreen and Lawn Doctor have both been around for decades, building their reputations across the country. Here is how the two lawn care services compare:

TruGreen Overview

TruGreen has five annual plans, a greater variety than many competitors. The lawn care company also offers an array of a la carte services so that you can customize your plan. Its TruSignature℠ Lawn Care Plan even covers care for trees and shrubs.

TruGreen stands out because it is available in nearly every state, its specialists undergo rigorous, mandatory training programs, and the company offers extensive customer service through an online chat function and mobile app.

Lawn Doctor Overview

Lawn Doctor operates through locally owned franchises, combining regional expertise and national resources. The company offers an extensive range of services, including fertilization, lawn aeration, and pest control.

The lawn care company offers a more extensive guarantee than many of its competitors. Its 100% satisfaction guarantee offers a free re-application at no additional charge—or a full refund for your most recent service.

*The TruComplete Lawn Care Plan and TruSignature Lawn Plan only offer lawn overseeding for fescue grass.

TruGreen offers five annual plans, beginning with its three core, popular programs: the TruHealth Lawn Care Plan, TruComplete Lawn Care Plan, and TruSignature Lawn Care Plan. Along with your first application, your lawn specialist will start with a Healthy Lawn Analysis to find out precisely what nutrients your soil needs for the healthiest grass.

The remaining two plans are the TruMaintenance Lawn Care Plan, which includes fertilization and pre-emergent and targeted weed control, and TruNatural Lawn Care Plan, which strictly includes natural fertilizer. All of TruGreen’s plans come with a Trugreen Healthy Lawn Guarantee, which promises to reservice your lawn between scheduled treatments if you are unhappy with your results.

TruGreen lawn care also provides the following add-on and a la carte services:

• Grub Control & Prevention
• Mosquito Control & Defense Treatment
• Soil Amendment & Analysis
• Outdoor Nuisance Pest Control
• Lawn Disease Service

Lawn Doctor Plans

Lawn Doctor offers annual lawn care treatment plans, including the Fertilization and Weed Plan, Mosquito Control Plans, and Tick Control Plans.

The Fertilization & Weed Plan includes lawn fertilization, pre-emergent weed control, and broadleaf weed killer and crabgrass control. For its Mosquito Control Plans, which can be done either as a one-time treatment for special events or a series of applications, Lawn Doctor gives you the option to choose organic or conventional products. The Tick Control Plans involve regular applications of tick-eliminating sprays.

Lawn Doctor’s lawn care services include these options:

• Fertilization
• Power seeding
• Mosquito & tick control
• Core aeration
• Weed control
• Grub control
• PH balancing & lime
• Tree & shrub care
• Lawn insect control
• Perimeter pest control
• Fire ant control

Lawn Doctor’s lawn insect control protects against grubs, fire ants, armyworms, sod webworms, and chinch bugs. Perimeter pest control is more comprehensive, protecting against ants, fleas, centipedes, clover mites, boxelder bugs, crickets, earwigs, millipedes, silverfish, sowbugs, spiders, and ticks.

TruGreen Availability

TruGreen is available in 48 states, all except for Alaska and Hawaii.

Lawn Doctor Availability

Lawn Doctor is available in 38 states, all except for:

• Alaska
• Arizona
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Maine
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• North Dakota
• Oregon
• Vermont
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Both TruGreen and Lawn Doctor have multiple pages with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), each for different locations. For both companies, some pages are BBB-accredited while others are not, and ratings vary. TruGreen’s headquarters page is BBB-accredited and holds an A+ rating.

TruGreen Reviews

“Great customer service. Totally worth [it] to check out.” —Kryptonitechic

“I have had a great experience with TruGreen. Everyone from the people who answer the phones to the technicians have been very helpful and polite. When I call with a problem, they are eager to do what needs to be done and respond quickly. They have been treating my lawn for buttonweed, which is very hard to get rid of. I have tried unsuccessfully for 10 years to do this on my own with help from garden center supplies, and it only got worse. I am pleased to say that after less than 5 months, they have almost completely eradicated these weeds from my lawn and when I find any coming up again, they send a technician to treat any new seedlings that arise. My lawn is really looking good and I recommend TruGreen for lawn service.” —Dorothy R.

“1 star at best due to numerous scheduling problems, wrong treatment plans, and no substantive communication other than call center representatives.” —Mike R.

Lawn Doctor Reviews

“Awesome company, they really turned my lawn around! My lawn is so beautiful.” —Megan N.

“Great results. Sandor is a conscientious, well trained technician who strives to make the lawn as best as it can. Also good results from Yard Armour. I would recommend Lawn Doctor for a nice, green, weed free lawn.” —Eugene D.

“This company is a scam. Their products do not kill weeds. The representative is disrespectful, always puts blame on clients. I paid good money and got no results. My neighbors asked about their service and categorically replied to never use them.” —Ira R.

While Lawn Doctor offers several service plans in 38 states, TruGreen has them beat with five annual plans and availability in 48 states. While Lawn Doctor offers more a la carte services, TruGreen offers some of those very services bundled into its annual plans. Lawn Doctor does not lay its plans out as clearly online, so it’s a little bit harder to know what you’re signing up for. In addition, TruGreen values customer service, offering a detailed FAQs page, online chat function, and mobile app.

The This Old House Reviews Team recommends getting multiple quotes before making your final decision. To get a free quote from TruGreen, you can place a phone call to 866-817-2287 or fill out this easy form. If you’d prefer a DIY approach to lawn care with subscription boxes shipped to your door, consider Sunday for a convenient, hands-on choice.

The This Old House Reviews Team backs up our lawn recommendations with a detailed rating methodology that we use to objectively score each provider. We review lawn care plans and packages, navigate the provider website and speak with customer service representatives, request quotes, and analyze customer reviews for each provider. We then score the provider against our review standards for plan options, additional benefits and customizability, availability, trustworthiness, and customer service to arrive at a final score out of 100.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.