7 WINTER LANDSCAPING SERVICES FOR STEADY INCOME
The winter season isn’t always for a time of rest or to take a break, especially when landscaping is involved. As a property owner, the last thing that a person should do is to allow their property maintenance to fall behind. It leaves a huge mess after the snow melts and can be costly when spring shows up.
Here are 7 winter lawn care and landscaping ideas to help you make a steady income in cold weather—and to gain year-round customers who stay when the snow melts.
If you’re a landscaper looking for a steady revenue stream throughout the winter season, then now is the perfect time to reach out to your customers. Inform them on the importance of winter landscaping and how continued maintenance can prevent a lot of headaches for them down the road.
But, you might ask, what winter landscaping tasks are most important? What jobs are landscapers able to complete in the winter? Offering winter lawn care services, holiday light installation, and other seasonal work can keep your landscaping business profitable from late fall to early spring.
1. Protect their investment with Winter lawn preparation
Your customers have invested a good amount of money into their property to keep it in great shape throughout the warm months. Winter lawn prep is an excellent way for them to continue to care for that investment.
Offer a comprehensive winter lawn prep package that includes:
- Draining all sprinklers and hoses to avoid freezing
- Aerating the soil by dethatching the lawn
- Pruning trees and shrub and wrapping plants in burlap
- Removing dead grass and plants from flower beds
- Keeping the lawn dry to prevent snow mold build-up
- Removing and storing all patio furniture
- Offer debris removal and fertilizing when the ground thaws in February to make lawn mowing easier in the spring and summer
2. Add winter mulching to your landscaping services
Winter mulching should be on your landscaping services list every winter. Mulch acts as a layer of insulation to keep the ground frozen and plants in dormancy, especially throughout brief, warm-temperature spikes.
For best results, offer mulching once the ground has hardened, or after the first hard frost, to protect perennial plants from cold weather damage. Winter mulching can also block weeds and pests from penetrating the surface of your soil.
3. Weed removal services
Protect every customer’s lawn by providing winter weed removal services. While most lawn care providers offer weed removal as part of their summer services, many types of weeds actually thrive in the cold and begin their germination and growth in the winter. Taking preventative measures will help stop the spread of weeds, and make your job that much easier once spring rolls back around.
4. Help customers with leaf removal
Leaf removal is often needed well into the winter months to keep lawns healthy and prevent snow mold. Additionally, clearing leaves off the grass often requires multiple visits, as some trees can take months to lose all of their leaves. Reach out to customers with large or multiple trees on their properties. Leaf removal can be a bigger job than expected, so customers are often willing to pay for recurring leaf removal services.
5. Gutter cleaning
If your gutters are not cleaned regularly, they can lead to roof leaks and structural damage. Gutter cleaning requires no major tools or equipment, which makes it an excellent addition to your lawn care services. Simply get out that sturdy ladder and perform the gutter cleaning.
6. Plant trees and shrubs
Colder temperatures make labor-intensive jobs, such as planting young trees and shrubs, much more comfortable. As long as the ground isn’t frozen, winter is the perfect time to plant trees or shrubs for your customers. The typical range for plant installations is between $1,330 and $5,646, but some professional landscapers will charge anywhere from $300 to $10,800. As a result, large-scale planting gigs could get you through the slow winter season.
7. Pressure washing services
Early spring and fall are great times to offer pressure washing services. Offer to pressure wash pergolas, fences, patios, decks, planters, and driveways, to clear off any grime or dirt that has built up over the summer and winter months.
Depending on the scope and surface area, the average pressure washing prices range from $56 to $827. Pressure washers are fairly affordable (starting around $125), so adding pressure washing to your service list is a small investment with big rewards.
Provide your customers with services that keeps their property looking its best year-round. Share your wealth of knowledge with your clients and stress the importance of winter landscape maintenance. Express to them that what you do can help prevent messy and unkempt property when spring rolls around and potentially costly home damage.
Need help managing your increase in landscape jobs, expenses and team schedule throughout the winter months? Give us a call at 800-774-7230 or check out our SAWIN service automation software app. It will make work life much easier and more efficient, so you can focus on what truly matters.