Spring cleanup in Ottawa

What it costs

Priced by the size of your lot.

Lot	Lot size	Cleanup
Small	4,000 sq ft and less	$250
Standard	4,000 to 6,000 sq ft	$300
Large	6,000 to 8,000 sq ft	$350
Extra large	8,000 to 10,000 sq ft	$425

Prices before HST. We do not take lots over 10,000 sq ft. Not sure what your lot size is? Send us your address and we will tell you.

What we do

• Rake and lift matted grass and winter debris
• Clear leaves and twigs from the lawn, beds and window wells
• Edge the beds
• Blow the walks, driveway and street clear
• Bag everything for city collection

When to book it

We start once lawns are ready, which is usually some time in April. Most cleanups end up falling between late April and the early part of May.

The date depends on the winter. Two things have to be true before we work on a lawn. The snow has to be fully off the ground, and the meltwater has to have drained so the soil is no longer soggy. Raking and walking a saturated lawn tears up the grass and leaves ruts that stay all season. A long winter or a wet spring pushes everything back. We give you a date once we can see the ground.

We take bookings from March.

Dethatching

Thatch is the layer of dead stems and roots that collects between the green grass and the soil. A thin layer is normal and does no harm. Once it builds past about half an inch it starts holding water at the surface, keeps new roots from reaching the soil, and stops water and air getting down to where they are needed.

Spring is the time to take it out. The grass is growing hard enough to close the gaps the work opens up. It also has the whole season in front of it. The same job done in the heat of summer leaves thin patches that stay thin.

We dethatch by hand with a thatch rake, either on the same visit as your cleanup or on its own. It is quoted as a job at $75 an hour. The time it takes depends on how much has built up.

Disposal

Ottawa collects leaf and yard waste weekly at the curb, with no limit on quantity. We bag your waste and leave it for that collection.