Spring raking and fall leaves.
A cleanup clears the lawn so the rest of the work can reach it. In spring that means raking out what winter left behind, once the ground is firm enough to walk on. In fall it means getting the leaves off while the ground is still solid, because by the time it is firm enough to rake in spring the damage is done. Spring is priced in the online estimator in about a minute; fall prices are listed below.
Lawn Preparation & Raking
By spring the lawn is matted with dead grass, leaves and debris. We rake out the mat and blow the property clean so light and air get back to the grass. It is usually the first visit before aeration, feeding or seeding.
Leaf & Yard Cleanup
Leaves left down over winter smother the grass and leave the grey, matted patches you find at snowmelt. We rake and blow the lawn clean, bag the leaves, and stage the bags at the curb for city pickup.
A base charge for your area, plus $10.50 a bag. That's it.
The base charge is not a trip fee. It gets the truck, equipment and crew to you, and it pays for the cleanup itself.
The base charge covers
- The whole lawn blown and raked into piles, whatever the volume turns out to be
- The driveway, walkways, steps and patio blown clean
- The garden beds cleared, then a last pass along the house, the fence line and under the shrubs, so nothing is left scattered
- The bags staged at the curb for city pickup
The bags measure the work
$10.50 per yard-waste bag. Each bag is the raking, blowing and bagging it took to fill it, carried to the curb. Ten bags or fifty, the price moves with the leaves.
One visit when most leaves are down, or two for heavily treed properties. Two visits carry two base charges.
Choose your price to book - your selection travels with the request, nothing to retype.
One visit
| Area | up to 10 bags | up to 20 bags | up to 30 bags | up to 40 bags | up to 50 bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orléans & East | $200 | $305 | $410 | $515 | $620 |
| Central Ottawa | $215 | $320 | $425 | $530 | $635 |
| Ottawa West | $230 | $335 | $440 | $545 | $650 |
Two visits
| Area | up to 10 bags | up to 20 bags | up to 30 bags | up to 40 bags | up to 50 bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orléans & East | $295 | $400 | $505 | $610 | $715 |
| Central Ottawa | $325 | $430 | $535 | $640 | $745 |
| Ottawa West | $355 | $460 | $565 | $670 | $775 |
- All prices +HST. Bags included - nothing to buy or haul.
- Rural (K0A) properties start from $260 - a full trip out, and usually a good deal more ground to cover.
- Bookings after November 15 carry a 10% scheduling surcharge.
- Prices assume a typical property. Heavily treed lots or unusually deep leaves are confirmed with you before we start.
Cleared, and left the way we found it.
- Timed to the pickup calendar. We book the visit as close to your area's leaf and yard waste collection as the schedule allows, so the bags aren't at the curb for a week.
- Hard surfaces blown clean. Driveway, walkway, steps and patio, with no leaf fragments left in the corners.
- The edges and corners. Along the foundation, through the beds, the fence line, around the air conditioner, under the deck and the shrubs.
- Left as we found it. Gates closed, furniture and planters back where they were, nothing of ours left behind.
Feeding and seeding only work on a cleared lawn.
Matted leaves block the light and air the grass needs, and the debris under them is a damp mat all winter. Clear it and the feeding reaches the soil and the seed touches the ground.
That is why a cleanup usually shares a visit with aeration, dethatching, the first feeding or overseeding, priced together in the estimator.
Common questions.
What does a cleanup include?
The lawn raked and blown clean, the driveway, walkway, steps and patio blown off, the edges and corners done, and the property left as we found it. In fall the garden beds are part of it; in spring, beds and the perimeter are the bed & perimeter add-on.
When should I book a spring cleanup?
Once the snow is gone and the lawn is firm enough to work - walking and raking a soggy lawn does more harm than good. In a typical Ottawa spring that's April into May. Book ahead; the season is short and the calendar fills.
When should the fall cleanup happen?
Depending on your trees, it's one visit or two: the first when about half the leaves are down, the second once most or all have dropped. Late October into November for most properties - done too early it needs repeating; left too late the snow beats us to it. Where the schedule allows, we also line the visit up with your area's yard waste day.
Can't the leaves wait until spring?
They can, but the timing works against you. The best moment to get them off in spring - as soon as the snow goes, before the grass starts moving - is exactly when the lawn is softest, and raking then is what does the damage. Wait for it to firm up and the leaves have already smothered what is under them. A fall cleanup is the same job on firm ground.
Do I need both cleanups every year?
Most properties benefit from both - they solve different problems at opposite ends of the season. If your lot has few trees, the fall visit may be light or unnecessary, and we'll say so.
Can other work happen in the same visit?
Yes, and that's the usual order - cleanup first, then aeration, dethatching, feeding or overseeding on the cleared lawn. The estimator prices them together.
What does it cost?
Spring Lawn Preparation & Raking is priced by property size in the online estimator, with the service already selected. Fall leaf cleanup is a base charge for your area plus 10.50 per bag, bags included - the table above has every price.
How do I know how many bags my property fills?
Most homeowners already know from experience - it's the same number every fall, give or take the wind. If you're new to the property, tell us the lot size and tree cover and we'll estimate the bracket for you. And you can cap the work at your chosen bracket: we bag to that number and confirm with you before going past it.