Spring Cleanup in Halifax: the Yard Ready for the Season, from $199
Updated: November 2026
Spring cleanup in Halifax with Yardly costs $199 for a small lawn, $279 for medium, $379 for large and from $479 for extra large. It covers raking out leaves, branches and winter sand, re-cutting bed edges, the first cut, and hauling everything away. Core aeration from $89 and overseeding from $69 can be added on the same visit. Cleanups run from mid-April, once the ground is firm. Prices before HST.
What a spring cleanup includes
- Everything winter left raked out of the lawn and beds: leaves that blew in after the fall cleanup, branches, and the sand and salt grit along the driveway and street edge.
- Dead grass and matted patches raked up so air gets to the soil and the lawn greens evenly.
- Bed edges re-cut with a spade so the line between lawn and bed is sharp again.
- Perennials cut back if they were left standing over winter, and the beds tidied.
- The first cut of the year, high, with the clippings bagged because they are usually wet and full of debris.
- Hard surfaces blown clean and everything we collected hauled away. Nothing left at the curb.
What spring cleanup costs in Halifax
| Lawn size | Grass area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Small | up to 3,000 sq ft | $199 |
| Medium | 3,000 to 6,000 sq ft | $279 |
| Large | 6,000 to 10,000 sq ft | $379 |
| Extra large | over 10,000 sq ft | from $479 |
Prices before HST. A medium cleanup is $318.06 with HST. Lawns with heavy leaf cover from a wooded lot can run to the next size up; we tell you before we start, not after.
When it happens
Halifax yards are usually ready between mid-April and the second week of May. Too early and the ground is soft, the raking pulls up turf and the wheelbarrow leaves ruts. Too late and the grass has grown through the debris and the first cut turns into a fight. We watch the ground, not the calendar, and book cleanups by week. If a late snow sets things back, your week moves and you hear from us first.
Add aeration and seed on the same visit
If the lawn is thin, mossy or packed hard where people walk, core aeration on cleanup day is the lowest-cost fix there is. The aerator pulls plugs of soil out across the whole lawn, which lets water, air and fertilizer reach the roots; the plugs break down in a couple of weeks. Overseeding right after, with a sun or shade mix suited to Nova Scotia, fills the thin spots before weeds do.
- Core aeration: $89 small, $119 medium, $159 large.
- Overseeding after aeration: $69, $89, $129.
- A small lawn with cleanup, aeration and seed together: $357 before HST.
Fall is the better season for aeration if you can wait, because the new grass gets cool weather and rain instead of a dry July. If the lawn is bare in patches now, do it now.
Moss, needles and the North Shore wind
A lot of Halifax lawns, in Hammonds Plains, Timberlea, Spryfield and anywhere under spruce, come out of winter with moss in the shade and a mat of needles. Moss means shade, acidic soil and compaction, not a lack of water. The cleanup rakes it out; aeration and a lime application are what stop it coming back. We do not sell miracle moss killers, and in Nova Scotia nobody can legally spray most of them anyway.
After the cleanup
The first weekly mowing visit is usually seven to ten days later, when the lawn has had its first growth. Customers on the Lawn + Seasons or Everything plan have the cleanup included; everyone else books it on its own and starts weekly mowing when they want.
Questions about spring cleanup
When do spring cleanups start in Halifax?
Mid-April in a normal year, once the frost is out and the ground is firm enough not to rut under a wheelbarrow. In a late year it is the first week of May. We book by week, not by date, and text you when your week is confirmed.
What happens to the leaves and branches?
They leave with us. Nothing is piled at the curb or left for the green cart. If you would rather use HRM pickup, we can bag leaves in paper bags instead, but hauling is included in the price either way.
Should I aerate in spring or fall?
Fall is the best time for aeration and seed in Nova Scotia, because the new grass gets cool weather and rain. Spring aeration still helps a compacted or mossy lawn, and if the lawn is thin we would rather seed it in spring than wait a whole season.
Can you do the cleanup and then start weekly mowing?
Yes, and most customers do exactly that. The cleanup includes the first cut; weekly mowing starts the following week at the per-visit price for your lawn size.
Related
- Weekly mowing: what every visit includes, by lawn size
- Fall cleanup: the other end of the season
- Monthly plans: Lawn, Lawn + Seasons or Everything in 12 equal payments
- 2027 price guide: every price with HST examples