The AhTown Guide to Landscaping and Snow Removal in New Jersey

What does mowing cost in NJ?

These come from one company's bookings and lean toward South Jersey, so North Jersey prices may run higher. City averages in the same data: Cherry Hill $46, Toms River $50, Trenton $57.

What do other lawn services cost?

What changes the price?

• Lot size and how much is actually grass
• Hills, fences, gates and obstacles
• How often they come. Weekly is cheaper per visit than every other week
• Bagging and hauling clippings versus mulching them
• Whether edging and blowing are included

Per visit, per inch or per season?

The one NJ figure in that data: $100 to $200 a visit in Livingston.

Which pricing is right for you?

• Per visit (per push): you pay only when it snows. Good in light winters, expensive in heavy ones.
• Per inch: the price rises with the depth of each storm.
• Seasonal: one flat price for the winter. You're covered in a bad year and overpay in a mild one. Check whether visits are capped.

See snow removal contracts for what to get in writing.

Which credential covers which job?

Does mowing or snow plowing need registration?

New Jersey's home improvement rule names landscaping but doesn't mention routine mowing or plowing. We found no state guidance that settles it. Either way, ask for proof of liability insurance.

What else does HIC registration require?

Registered home improvement contractors must carry at least $500,000 in commercial general liability insurance and give you a written contract for jobs over $500. Tree care businesses must carry $1,000,000 in liability coverage plus workers' compensation.

The rules at a glance

What else does the law say?

• No fertilizer on frozen ground
• No fertilizer during or just before heavy rain, or on saturated soil
• Sweep fertilizer off driveways and sidewalks. It can't be left on hard surfaces
• Lawn fertilizer sold at retail must be at least 20% slow-release nitrogen

Professionals face fines of $500 for a first offense and up to $1,000 for each one after.

Why does NJ have this law?

To keep nitrogen and phosphorus out of streams, lakes and bays, where they feed algae. The law was signed in January 2011.

What does this mean when you hire?

Your lawn company should be able to show a ProFACT certificate, and its last treatment of the year has to be down by December 1.

The NJ fall lawn schedule

How much seed?

Per 1,000 square feet: 4 to 6 pounds of tall fescue, fine fescue or perennial ryegrass, or about 2 pounds of Kentucky bluegrass.

Why fall and not spring?

Soil is still warm, weeds are slowing down, and new grass gets two cool seasons before summer heat. Spring seeding competes with crabgrass and faces summer drought sooner.

Should you test your soil?

Yes. Rutgers puts the target soil pH at 6.0 to 7.2. A soil test also tells you whether you're allowed to apply phosphorus under NJ's fertilizer law.

Mowing

• Height: 2.5 to 3.5 inches, on the high end in summer
• One-third rule: to cut to 2.5 inches, mow when the grass reaches about 3.75 inches
• Frequency: weekly is usually enough
• Clippings: leave them. Rutgers says clippings don't cause thatch

Watering

• How much: about 1 inch a week, up to 1.75 inches in hot, dry weather, including rainfall
• How often: more than twice a week is probably excessive
• When: between 10 pm and 8 am
• Season: mostly June through August

What about summer fertilizer?

Rutgers' Ocean County office advises no fertilizer from July through mid to late August. Heat-stressed grass doesn't need it.

What should you ask a mowing company?

• What height do you cut at? (Scalped lawns brown out in July.)
• Do you mulch clippings or bag them?
• How often do you sharpen blades?

What does leaf removal cost?

By the hour: blowing $15 to $45, raking $25 to $50, vacuuming $37 to $60. Disposal runs $5 to $10 a bag. Jobber's 2026 contractor data puts the average leaf removal job at $376 and a general yard cleanup at $360.

Does your town pick up leaves?

Many do. Middletown Township in Monmouth County, for example, collects loose leaves at the curb by zone each fall. Its rules are typical:

• Loose leaves in a neat row at the curb, not in the road
• No bagged leaves
• No brush or grass mixed in
• Out no more than one week before your zone's pickup

Check your town's schedule before you book a cleanup. A crew that blows leaves to the curb costs less than one that hauls them away.

Can crews use gas leaf blowers in your town?

Not everywhere. See gas leaf blower bans in NJ.

When does NJ freeze?

Those are based on NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate data. A light frost won't burst pipes. A hard freeze can, so book before it.

What does it cost?

Spring start-up runs $45 to $140 (LawnStarter, December 2025).

Who can do it in NJ?

State law requires a certified landscape irrigation contractor and a business permit to install, repair or maintain sprinkler systems for hire. Licensed plumbers are exempt. Ask for the certificate number.

Does the backflow preventer need testing?

Not annually for a house. NJ's Department of Community Affairs says testable backflow preventers on one- and two-family homes don't require annual testing. Your water utility may have its own rule.

How do you calculate how much you need?

Square feet × depth in inches ÷ 324 = cubic yards.

Example: a 20 by 10 foot bed (200 sq ft) at 3 inches deep: 200 × 3 ÷ 324 = about 1.9 cubic yards.

What does mulch cost?

How deep should mulch be?

Rutgers' guidance:

• No more than 3 inches total, including what's already there
• 2 inches on poorly drained soil
• 1 to 2 inches for fine-textured mulch
• Keep it 3 to 5 inches away from young stems and 8 to 12 inches from mature trunks

What's wrong with “volcano” mulching?

Piling mulch against a trunk starves roots of oxygen, rots the bark, invites disease and gives rodents cover to chew. If your landscaper builds volcanoes, ask them to stop.

What does tree removal cost?

Emergency work after a storm can run 2 to 3 times the normal rate.

Do you need a permit to cut down a tree in NJ?

It depends on your town. Two examples:

• Maplewood: a permit is required for any tree 12 inches or larger. You must replace each tree or pay $375 per tree, and neighbors are notified.
• Montclair: a permit is required before removal. The contractor must be state-licensed and registered with the township, and you replace the tree or pay $250 to the tree fund.

Call your town's public works or shade tree office before you book.

Who can legally do tree work in NJ?

Since the Tree Experts and Tree Care Operators Licensing Act, every tree care business must register with the NJ Board of Tree Experts and employ a Licensed Tree Care Operator (LTCO) or Licensed Tree Expert (LTE). They must carry $1,000,000 in liability insurance and workers' compensation, and show their registration number on their vehicles.

Look up a company at treeexpert.sna-apps.com/businessdirectory.

What are the red flags?

From Rutgers: door-to-door offers after storms, asking for payment in advance beyond materials, pressure to decide fast, recommending “topping” a tree, and using climbing spikes on a tree that isn't being removed.

How long do you have?

Look up your own town's ordinance. These change, and fines differ.

Can you be sued if someone slips?

Under New Jersey court decisions, homeowners generally have no legal duty to clear natural snow and ice from the public sidewalk in front of a home, but can be liable if they clear it in a way that makes it more dangerous. Commercial property owners do have a duty to keep sidewalks reasonably safe. Breaking a town ordinance can get you fined without, by itself, making you liable for an injury. This is general information, not legal advice.

Can your plow service push snow into the street?

No. New Jersey's Anti-Snow Dumping Act bars commercial plow operators from depositing snow from private property onto public roads. Fines are $250 for a first violation and $500 after that. Make sure your contractor piles snow on your property.

Do you have to clear your car?

Yes. NJ drivers must make reasonable efforts to clear snow and ice from their vehicles. Fines are $25 to $75, and $200 to $1,000 if flying snow or ice causes injury or damage.

The checklist

Seasonal, per push or per inch?

• Seasonal: a flat price for the winter. Predictable. Ask about visit caps.
• Per push: a flat fee each time they come.
• Per inch: tiered by storm depth.

See snow removal cost for typical prices.

Why the sidewalk clause matters

Your town sets a deadline for clearing the public sidewalk, often 6 to 24 hours after the snow stops, and the fine goes to you, not the contractor. If you want them responsible for the sidewalk, the contract should say so. See NJ sidewalk snow rules.

What temperature does each one work to?

Extension sources disagree by a few degrees. Below a product's limit, use sand for traction.

Is ice melt bad for concrete?

It can be. Nebraska Extension says de-icers contribute to the freeze-thaw scaling that flakes concrete surfaces, and that new concrete should cure and air dry for at least 30 days before its first freeze. Go easy on anything poured this year.

Is it safe for pets?

The ASPCA says rock salt irritates paws and can raise sodium levels if eaten. Calcium, potassium and magnesium chloride can upset the stomach more. Products labeled pet-safe can still cause stomach upset. Wipe paws after walks. ASPCA Poison Control: 888-426-4435.

What about lawns and plants?

Salt burns leaf tips and edges and damages roots. Pile salty snow away from beds, use burlap barriers on shrubs near the road, and flush the soil with water in spring.

Which NJ towns ban gas leaf blowers?

Other towns have seasonal limits or hour restrictions. Search your town's code for “leaf blower.”

What are the fines?

In Maplewood, NJ Monthly reported a warning first, then $1,000, then $1,500.

Is there a state law?

Not yet. A state Senate bill, S623, was reintroduced in January 2026. It would phase out two-stroke gas blowers over four years and limit four-stroke blowers to spring and fall cleanup seasons. An earlier version cleared a committee in 2024 and then died.

What should you ask your landscaper?

• Do you know my town's blower rules?
• Do you have battery-powered equipment?
• Who pays if we get a ticket?

The pre-listing yard list

How much mulch?

Rutgers says never more than 3 inches total, counting what's already there, and keep it away from trunks. One cubic yard covers about 108 square feet at 3 inches. Installed mulch costs about $77 to $94 per cubic yard. See mulch.

Selling in spring with a thin lawn?

Fall is the best time to seed in New Jersey, and early spring is second choice. If you're listing in spring, seed bare spots as early as you can, or lay sod in the worst areas for an instant fix. See when to seed.

Selling in fall or winter?

Keep leaves off the lawn and walks through every week you're listed. In snow, clear the walk, steps and driveway before each showing. Many towns require it anyway. See sidewalk snow rules.

Should you plant new trees or redo the beds?

Rarely worth it right before listing. New plantings need time to fill in. Spend on cleanup, mulch and a few pots instead.

More on getting ready to sell

See The AhTown Guide to Getting Your New Jersey Home Ready to Sell.

Ten questions to ask

1. Which of my jobs are you licensed or registered for? Can I see the numbers?
2. Can you send your certificate of liability insurance and workers' comp?
3. Who applies fertilizer and weed control, and are they ProFACT certified and DEP licensed?
4. What's included in each visit: mowing, edging, blowing, bed weeding?
5. What height do you mow at?
6. Do you know my town's leaf blower and leaf pickup rules?
7. For snow: what's the trigger depth, and are walks and the public sidewalk included?
8. Where do you pile snow?
9. Is this a seasonal price or per visit? What costs extra?
10. How do I cancel?

What does NJ say about contracts and payment?

For home improvement work over $500, NJ requires a written contract with the contractor's legal name, address, registration number, start and end dates, the scope of work and the total price. NJ Consumer Affairs describes a customary payment schedule of one-third up front, one-third midway and one-third at completion.

Red flags

• No registration or license number on the truck, estimate or contract
• No proof of insurance
• Cash only, or a large payment before any work
• Door-to-door offers, especially tree work after a storm
• Fertilizer applications scheduled after December 1

Where do you find one?

AhTown features one landscaping and snow removal company per ZIP code in New Jersey. Featured Pros pay for placement. AhTown does not endorse, verify or guarantee any provider, so run the checks above for any company you call. Find the pro in your ZIP.