TruGreen Review: Charlotte, NC (2022)

Instead of spending lots of time and effort caring for your Charlotte lawn, Queen City homeowners can consider hiring a professional lawn care company to handle all the necessary tasks from fertilization to weed control. The This Old House Reviews Team has reviewed many lawn care providers to determine which has the best services, availability, and reputation in Charlotte.

Our top recommended lawn care provider, TruGreen, uses scientifically backed solutions to maintain hardy, healthy lawns in Charlotte. The company offers a variety of annual programs in the area, a la carte services, and a customer satisfaction guarantee.

Pros and Cons of TruGreen

✔ Natural fertilizer available
✔ Mobile app and online chat
✔ Offers pest control services
✘ Customers complain about inexperienced technicians
✘ Customer service can be difficult to get in touch with by phone

Plans and Services

TruGreen has a wide selection of lawn care plans, offering four different annual programs in the area. The three most popular programs are the TruHealth℠ Lawn Care Plan, TruComplete℠ Lawn Care Plan, and TruSignature℠ Lawn Care Plan. Here are the plans’ breakdowns:

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

The final plan is the standard TruMaintenance℠ Lawn Care Plan, which includes fertilization and pre-emergent and targeted weed control.

TruGreen also offers a la carte services so you can customize a well-rounded lawn care program:

• Soil Amendment & Analysis
• Grub Control & Prevention
• Fire Ant Control Services

TruGreen Locations in the Charlotte Area

TruGreen services the Charlotte Metro Area. Its branch there is located less than 25 minutes from downtown Charlotte.

• Location: 10830 Quality Drive, Charlotte, NC, 28278

TruGreen services the following zip codes, among others:

• Charlotte: 28208, 28209, 28210, 28214, 28217, 28223, 28226, 28273, 28277, 28278
• Belmont: 28012
• Bessemer City: 28016
• Cherryville: 28021
• Cramerton: 28032
• Dallas: 28034
• Gastonia: 28052, 28053, 28054, 28056
• Grover: 28073
• Kings Mountain: 28086
• McAdenville: 28101
• Mount Holly: 28120
• Pineville: 28134
• Shelby: 28150, 28152

TruGreen Reviews

TruGreen has built its reputation over nearly 50 years in the business. Here’s what some real customers had to say about TruGreen.

“I use TruGreen for our lawn and trees and shrubs. Very responsive and great communication prior to appointments. Service techs are great and responsive to any needs. Products applied have improved color and fullness of both lawn and shrubs. Thanks for great service!” — Greg M. in Charlotte, NC

“I feel like the yard didn’t look appreciably better than when I was doing applications myself for a fraction of the price. Technicians were nice, but it seemed like it was more effort for me to plan ahead, make sure dogs were inside, etc. and then repeat when there were weather cancellations, delays, etc. than to spend 30 minutes spreading fertilizer, spraying weeds, etc. myself.” — Michael B. in Charlotte, NC

How to Get a Free TruGreen Estimate

Why You Should Choose TruGreen

TruGreen is a leader in the industry, offering a range of plans in every state except for Alaska. Read on to learn more about its benefits.

• Expert specialists: The lawn care provider offers scientifically backed services performed by TruExpert℠ Certified Specialists. Each of them must pass the 10-day TruExpert Lawn Certification Program, an intensive course that covers topics including horticulture, agronomics, and safety.
• Professional analysis: Each service begins with a Healthy Lawn Analysis® to assess your lawn’s unique needs. After each visit, your lawn care specialist will leave a service summary at your door detailing what they’ve done and any tips.
• Satisfaction guarantee: TruGreen services are backed by the company’s Healthy Lawn Guarantee for full-program customers, meaning that a TruGreen lawn care specialist will return to your lawn as many times as needed between applications to re-treat at no extra charge.
• Selection of plans: Unlike many of its competitors, TruGreen offers several different annual programs in addition to its a la carte services.
• Commitment to customer service: TruGreen offers 24/7 customer support during the week, an online chat function, and mobile app.

Charlotte Lawn Care Tips

Charlotte homeowners need to know the ins and outs of the grasses that grow in their region. North Carolina is in a transition zone, meaning both warm-season grasses and cool-season grasses can grow well there. Here are some of the best grasses for a robust Charlotte lawn:

• Tall fescue: This low-maintenance type of grass is drought-, heat- and disease-resistant.
• Bermuda grass: This warm-season grass thrives in the southern sunlight but is hardy enough to handle the winter months.
• Zoysia grass: This dense, stiff-bladed grass can stand up to a lot of wear and tear.

Here are some general tips for caring for your Charlotte lawn.

• Mow the right way: Only mow when grass is dry, and always mow high in the hot Charlotte summers to encourage deep root growth. Look into grasscycling—leaving the clippings to decompose on top of the lawn can reintroduce nutrients into the soil.
• Water deeply and infrequently: Give your lawn 1-1.5 inches of water each week over the course of one or two waterings. Daily watering will only promote shallow root growth.
• Dethatch as needed: An excessive buildup of thatch, the layer of decomposing matter between your grass blades and the soil, can suffocate your grass. Take a dethatching rake and break it up to allow your grassroots to access water, air, and nutrients.

Frequently Asked Questions about TruGreen Charlotte

How much do TruGreen lawn care services cost?

The cost you pay for TruGreen will depend on the size and shape of your lawn, area you live in, the condition of your lawn when treatment begins, the treatment plan you choose, and more.

Does TruGreen offer a guarantee?

TruGreen offers a Healthy Lawn Guarantee® for full-program customers, promising that if you have any concerns, a lawn care specialist will return to your home as many times as needed between scheduled appointments to re-treat at no extra charge.

How often should I mow my grass?

The frequency you mow will depend on your specific grass type—some need more mowing than others. Grasses like bermuda grass and zoysia grass need to be cut low to reach optimal health. Always make sure to cut less than ⅓ of the grass blade each time you mow.

Do I need to be home for my TruGreen appointment?

Your TruGreen specialist will need access to your lawn—gates will need to be unlocked and pets placed safely inside—but you do not have to be home. The specialist will always leave a service summary at your door detailing what services they performed and the products they used.

Our Rating Methodology

To provide readers with the most objective, accurate, and detailed recommendations, the This Old House Reviews Team continually researches lawn care service companies on the market. We take the following steps to obtain up-to-date information about the industry and each company we review:

• Analyze more than 100 customer reviews from third-party review sites, such as Yelp, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and Google Reviews, for each company
• Secret-shop for lawn care plans and packages to get a sense of cost, offered services, and the overall shopping experience for prospective customers
• Speak with representatives on the phone to simulate the customer service experience from each provider
• Update information on a regular basis to ensure the most accurate information when plans or services change with each company

We use the data from our research to build an in-depth rating system that allows us to score lawn care providers on a 100-point scale. Here are the factors in our evaluation and their designated scores:

• Plan options (30): As one of the most important factors for homeowners shopping for a lawn care service, this one is weighted heavily based on each company’s lawn coverage. Companies that offer more options, such as irrigation, weed control, seeding, and aeration services in addition to a general plan, score higher than others.
• Trustworthiness (30): Each company’s reputation is another significant factor for homeowners to consider before signing up for a plan. We scored providers based on their BBB score, accreditation, and offered guarantees available with each purchase.
• Additional Benefits (20): We gave extra points to companies that provide a few additional services and benefits with their offered plans, such as organic treatments, pest control services, and a mobile app for digital communication and plan management.
• Customer Service (10): In this rating category, we awarded points to customer-focused lawn care service providers who offer weekend availability and easy communication through phones, online chats, and online resources.
• Availability (10): We also scored companies based on their overall availability, rewarding those that are nationally available over local companies only operating in select cities or ZIP codes.

More Lawn Care Resources

• TruGreen Review (2022)
• Sunday Lawn Care Review (2022)
• TruGreen Review: Denver, CO (2022)
• TruGreen Review: Dallas, TX (2022)
• TruGreen Review: Oklahoma City, OK (2022)

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