A real fall cleanup on a typical North Shore property — a quarter acre, a few mature trees, a handful of beds — usually runs $300 to $600 for a single-visit cleanup, or $500 to $900 total if the property needs two visits to catch the full leaf drop. Heavily wooded lots under oaks can push past that. Open lots with only a few maples can come in below.
The bigger question than "how much" is "what's actually getting done for that money." Fall cleanup is the service where cut-rate crews cut the most corners, and the gap between a $200 cleanup and a $500 cleanup is enormous.
What drives the price up or down
- Leaf volume and tree species. Oaks drop late and heavy. Maples drop fast but lighter. A lot under three mature oaks produces more fall debris than a lot under six maples.
- Number of visits. One sweep is cheapest but only catches what's on the ground that day. A proper job on a wooded lot is two visits — one in early November, one right before Thanksgiving.
- Whether haul-off is included. This is the single biggest cost driver. Trucking leaves off-site to a composting facility costs real money. Crews that skip this by blowing piles into the woods or leaving tarps in the driveway undercut the price by $100+.
- Bed cleanup and cutback. Is the crew actually going into the beds to pull out leaves, cut back perennials, and re-edge? Or are they just blowing the lawn and calling it done?
- Final mow. A short final cut matters for winter turf health. If it's not in the quote, ask.
What a fair quote includes
For the prices above, a legitimate cleanup should cover:
- Full leaf removal from lawn, beds, driveway, and walkways
- Perennial cutback on species that need it
- Bed cleanout and a fresh spade edge on every bed
- A final short mow
- Haul-off to a proper composting facility
- Written flat price, not hourly
Quotes to walk away from
- "$150 for a whole-property fall cleanup." Not real. Either haul-off isn't included, or leaves are getting blown into the neighbor's tree line. Either way you'll pay for it later.
- Hourly rates for cleanup work. Incentivizes the crew to move slowly. Flat pricing is the industry standard for good reason.
- "One visit covers everything" on a heavily wooded lot. Impossible. Oaks don't cooperate with that timeline.
- No written estimate. If it's not in writing, it's not a quote — it's a verbal hope.
How Casey and Sons prices it
Every fall cleanup quote is flat, written, and based on an on-site walk-through. Ben looks at leaf volume, counts the trees, checks bed feet, and gives you one number. If the property needs two visits, you'll see both in the quote. Haul-off is always included — we don't blow piles into the woods.
Our full fall cleanup scope lives on the fall cleanup service page. To get on the calendar (fall books up fast — usually full by late September), call or text (781) 715-4254.