Lawn care in Ottawa typically costs $45 to $75 per mowing visit for an average residential lot in 2026, or $900 to $1,800 for a full-season package that bundles weekly mowing, fertilizing, spring and fall cleanups, and aeration. À la carte services price separately: a four-application fertilizer program runs about $250 to $450 for the season, core aeration $120 to $250, overseeding $150 to $400, and a spring or fall cleanup $200 to $500 depending on lot size and leaf volume. Ottawa's growing season is short — roughly late April through mid-October — which means about 22 to 26 mowing visits and...
Mowing is priced by lot size and access, not by the hour. In Ottawa for 2026, a small city lot under 2,500 sq ft of turf runs about $35 to $50 per visit, a typical suburban lot of 3,000 to 6,000 sq ft costs $45 to $75, and a large or estate lot over 10,000 sq ft runs $85 to $150+. Each visit normally includes mowing, string trimming along beds and fences, edging hard surfaces, and blowing clippings off walkways and the driveway. With Ottawa's season running roughly from the last week of April into mid-October, weekly service means about 22 to 26 cuts, putting a seasonal mowing-only total around $1,000 to $1,900 for an average suburban yard. Bi-weekly service saves money but produces a rougher cut, because removing more than a third of the blade height at once stresses the grass. Contractors often charge a small premium for gated backyards that require walk-behind mowers, steep slopes, or heavy trampoline-and-playset obstacle courses.
Seasonal contracts usually shave 5–15% off the per-visit rate and lock in your spot on the route. Pay-per-cut customers get bumped when crews are behind after a wet week, which in Ottawa's June growth surge can mean a badly overgrown lawn.
A standard Ottawa fertilizer program is four to five applications — early spring, late spring, summer, and fall — and costs roughly $250 to $450 per season for an average lot, or $60 to $110 per individual application. The fall application is the most valuable in our climate: it feeds root development before dormancy and drives the green-up you see the following April. What Ottawa homeowners often do not expect is that Ontario's Cosmetic Pesticides Ban prohibits most conventional weed-control products for lawn use, so local companies rely on lower-risk Class 11 products such as iron-based (FeHEDTA) herbicides, corn gluten, plus a strong fertility and overseeding program to crowd weeds out. Expect $70 to $150 per spot-spray weed application. This is why realistic expectations matter: an Ottawa lawn will never be as weed-free as a chemically treated lawn in another jurisdiction, and any company promising 100% weed elimination is either overselling or planning to apply something they should not.
Nematode applications for white grubs run about $150 to $350 per treatment in Ottawa and must be applied in a narrow late-summer window when soil temperature and moisture are right. Damage typically shows as spongy turf that lifts like carpet, often in August.
Core aeration pulls plugs from compacted soil so water, air, and fertilizer reach the root zone — essential in Ottawa where heavy clay soils and winter compaction are common. Expect $120 to $250 for a typical residential lot, with larger properties at $250 to $450. Overseeding after aeration costs $150 to $400 depending on lot size and seed quality; a good Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue blend suited to our climate costs more but establishes better. Compost topdressing, which improves soil structure over time, adds $300 to $700 for an average yard. The best window in Ottawa is late August through late September, when soil is still warm, nights are cooler, and weed pressure has dropped — spring seeding tends to lose out to crabgrass. Bundling aeration and overseeding together usually saves 10–20% versus booking them separately, and it is the single highest-value pair of services for a thin, patchy Ottawa lawn dealing with salt damage or snow mould from the previous winter.
Cleanups bookend the Ottawa lawn season and are billed as one-time services. A spring cleanup — dethatching or power raking winter debris, clearing sand and road salt residue near driveways, cutting back perennials, and edging beds — typically runs $200 to $450 for an average lot. A fall cleanup, dominated by leaf removal and final cut, runs $250 to $500, climbing to $600+ on mature-treed properties in neighbourhoods like Alta Vista, Rockcliffe, or the older parts of Nepean where a single yard can produce dozens of bags. Yard waste disposal is a real cost factor: the City of Ottawa collects leaf and yard waste seasonally in paper bags or green bins, so contractors who bag on site charge less than those hauling material away. Ask which approach is included. Combining spring cleanup, seasonal mowing, and fall cleanup with one provider almost always beats hiring three separate crews, both on price and on accountability when something is missed.
The most cost-effective approach for most Ottawa homeowners is a bundled seasonal package rather than piecemeal booking. A typical mid-range package — weekly mowing, four fertilizer applications, spring and fall cleanups, and one aeration — lands around $1,400 to $2,200 for the season on an average suburban lot. A basic package with mowing and fertilizer only comes in near $1,100 to $1,500, while a premium program adding overseeding, topdressing, nematode grub control, and bed maintenance can reach $2,500 to $4,000. When comparing quotes, confirm the number of scheduled visits, what happens after a rainout, whether clippings and leaves are removed or mulched in place, and whether the company carries liability insurance and WSIB. Ask for the exact fertilizer analysis and application schedule rather than a vague 'four-step program.' Get three written quotes on identical scope, and book by March — Ottawa's best crews fill their routes before the snow clears.
Ask who mows if your regular crew is off, whether mowing height is adjusted seasonally (Ottawa lawns do best at 3 to 3.5 inches through summer heat), and how they handle salt-damaged strips along the driveway each spring.
In 2026, lawn mowing in Ottawa costs about $45–$75 per visit for an average suburban lot, and a full seasonal package bundling mowing, fertilizing, cleanups, and aeration runs roughly $900–$1,800. Premium programs with overseeding and grub control can reach $2,500–$4,000.
Expect $35–$50 per visit for a small city lot, $45–$75 for a typical suburban lot of 3,000–6,000 sq ft, and $85–$150+ for large or estate properties. Visits normally include trimming, edging, and blowing off hard surfaces.
Core aeration runs about $120–$250 for a typical residential lot and overseeding adds $150–$400. Bundling both usually saves 10–20%. The ideal window in Ottawa is late August through late September.
Only with permitted lower-risk products. Ontario's Cosmetic Pesticides Ban prohibits most conventional lawn herbicides, so Ottawa companies use iron-based (FeHEDTA) products, corn gluten, and strong fertility plus overseeding programs. Spot weed applications typically cost $70–$150.
Ottawa's growing season runs roughly from late April to mid-October, so weekly service means about 22 to 26 cuts. Bi-weekly service halves that but produces a rougher cut and more stress on the grass.
A spring cleanup typically costs $200–$450 and a fall cleanup $250–$500, rising to $600+ on heavily treed properties. Confirm whether yard waste is bagged for City collection or hauled away, since disposal affects the price.