✓ Verified Google reviews·✓ Reviewed regularly·✓ Updated June 6, 2026
Written by Mark Reid,
Home Services Editor ·Verified June 6, 2026
St. Louis yards present a specific set of challenges that landscapers elsewhere don't deal with every day. The city's mix of older brick bungalows in south city neighborhoods like Bevo Mill and Tower Grove, newer construction out in Chesterfield and Wildwood, and mid-century ranch homes across the county means property sizes and existing plantings vary enormously from one street to the next. The clay-heavy Missouri soil drains poorly after the area's frequent summer thunderstorms, which makes grading and drainage work a recurring issue. A lot of homeowners also have to factor in the transition zone climate, which puts St. Louis in a tricky spot for turf grass. Cool-season fescue and warm-season zoysia both grow here, but neither thrives without some deliberate management through the heat of a Missouri summer. Local landscapers who know the difference between a compacted clay lawn off Gravois Avenue and a sloped wooded lot out near Ellisville are genuinely worth seeking out.
The businesses on this page were drawn from third-party public business listings and ranked primarily by their public review rating and review count. Listings that show a working website and phone received a small lift in that ranking. Before appearing here, each business's homepage was checked to confirm that landscaping work is what they primarily offer. That step keeps general contractors or unrelated trades from slipping onto the page. Listings flagged as permanently closed are removed automatically. A small number of businesses on this page carry a Trust Verified badge. That badge means the business has additionally passed our full verification process, covering trade qualifications and accreditations, public liability insurance, trading history, customer review history, and registered company information. You can see the full list of what that involves on our How We Verify page. Any business that doesn't carry the badge has not been independently verified by us, and you should carry out those checks yourself before booking.
Before you commit to any landscaper, it's worth getting at least two or three written quotes that break down labor and materials separately. Ask each contractor whether they hold a valid Missouri business license and what kind of general liability insurance they carry. For larger projects involving irrigation systems, retaining walls over a certain height, or significant grading work, confirm whether a permit is required through the City of St. Louis or your specific county municipality and ask who is responsible for pulling it. If a company is applying herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers commercially, they're required to hold a Missouri Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator license. Don't be shy about asking for references from recent customers in your zip code, and walk through what a maintenance schedule actually looks like in writing before any work starts.
How We Select & Rate The Best Landscapers in St. Louis, MO
Rankings on this page are driven by public review rating and review count pulled from third-party business listings, with a small additional lift for businesses that show a working website and a listed phone number. Each business's homepage is checked to confirm that landscaping is what they primarily offer, which keeps unrelated trades off the page. Listings flagged as permanently closed are removed automatically. Businesses marked Trust Verified have additionally passed our full verification covering qualifications, insurance, trading history, customer review history, and registered company information. See our How We Verify page for the full list. All other businesses on this page have not been independently verified by us, and inclusion here is not an endorsement. Always do your own checks before hiring.
Recommended and Featured listings are paid placements, so a business's fee affects whether and where it appears. Every other listing is ranked on rating and review count from third-party business listings. How we rank & verify →
Barnes Landscaping LLC is a full-service landscaping company operating out of St. Louis. With a 4.9-star rating across 78 Google reviews, the company has built a consistent record of satisfied clients across the metro area. Services cover the range typical of residential and commercial landscaping, from design and installation to routine grounds maintenance.
Seasons Cycle is a landscaping company serving St. Louis, MO 63118. With a perfect 5-star rating across 22 Google reviews, the company has built a consistent record of satisfaction among local homeowners. Seasons Cycle handles outdoor maintenance and design work for residential properties in the south city area.
J & B Landscaping handles residential outdoor projects across St. Louis, with a focus on custom lawn care and garden design. Fourteen Google reviewers have given the company a perfect five-star rating, reflecting consistent work on yards of varying size and scope. The crew serves homeowners looking for reliable seasonal maintenance alongside one-time landscaping installations.
Rated 4.3 stars across 40 reviews, InvoGreen brings consistent results to residential and commercial landscaping in St. Louis. The company handles outdoor design, maintenance, and installation for clients in the 63120 area and beyond. Straightforward service with a track record that holds up in the ratings.
High End Outdoor Solutions focuses on residential landscaping in the St. Louis area, with work spanning lawn care, planting, and outdoor space design. The company holds a 4.4-star Google rating across 28 reviews, reflecting consistent results for local homeowners. Based in the 63111 zip code, it serves clients looking to reshape their yards with structured, planned approaches rather than one-off fixes.
Transparency notice: Recommended and Featured listings are paid placements, so a business's fee affects whether and where it appears. All other listings are ranked by a combined score drawn from ratings and review counts published on third-party business listings, plus basic completeness signals such as a working website and phone. A Trust Verified badge means we have independently checked that business's documents; businesses without it have not been independently verified by us. How we verify →
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It depends heavily on the scope of work. Basic lawn mowing and maintenance for a typical St. Louis residential lot runs roughly $35 to $75 per visit, depending on lot size and frequency. A full yard cleanup in spring or fall, including leaf removal, edging, and bed work, often comes in between $150 and $400. Design-and-install projects, like a new planting bed, patio, or retaining wall, start around $1,500 and can run well into the $10,000 to $25,000 range for larger hardscape work. Irrigation system installation typically costs $2,500 to $6,000 for a standard suburban lot. St. Louis's clay soil and uneven terrain can push labor costs up on anything involving grading or excavation. Getting two or three itemized quotes is absolutely normal and makes it much easier to compare what each contractor is actually offering.
What services do St. Louis landscapers typically offer?
Most full-service landscapers in the area handle lawn maintenance, seasonal cleanups, fertilization, and weed control as a baseline. Beyond that, services vary quite a bit. Many companies also offer landscape design and installation, including planting trees, shrubs, and perennials suited to Missouri's climate. Hardscaping work, such as patios, walkways, retaining walls, and fire pit areas, is common, especially for older homes in Webster Groves or Kirkwood with sloped yards that need structure. Irrigation system installation and winterization is another frequent request. Some companies specialize in native plantings or low-maintenance designs that handle Missouri's summer heat and periodic drought conditions better than traditional turf. Ask specifically what's included in any quoted service, because what one company calls a 'lawn care program' another might bill as separate line items.
Do landscapers in St. Louis need a license?
Missouri doesn't have a single statewide landscaping license, but there are requirements that apply depending on what work is being done. Anyone applying pesticides, herbicides, or commercial fertilizers for hire is required to hold a Missouri Department of Agriculture commercial pesticide applicator license. Irrigation contractors dealing with backflow prevention are typically required to have a plumber's license or work with a licensed plumber for those connections. General business licensing requirements also apply at the city and county level. It's worth asking any landscaper you're considering to confirm what licenses they hold that are relevant to the specific work you're requesting. Don't assume a company carries the right credentials just because they've been operating for a while.
Is zoysia or fescue better for a St. Louis lawn?
Both grasses grow in St. Louis, but they suit different situations. Tall fescue is a cool-season grass that stays green longer into fall and greens up earlier in spring. It handles the area's clay soils reasonably well and is a good choice for shaded yards, which are common in older neighborhoods with mature tree canopy. The downside is that it can struggle during hot, dry Missouri summers without consistent irrigation. Zoysia is a warm-season grass that goes dormant and turns brown in winter but holds up much better through summer heat and drought once it's established. It also forms a dense mat that tends to crowd out weeds. A local landscaper familiar with your specific zip code and yard conditions, including sun exposure and drainage patterns, can give you much better guidance than a general recommendation.
When is the best time of year to hire a landscaper in St. Louis for a new project?
Fall and late winter are often the smartest times to book larger design and installation projects. Fall planting, roughly September through early November, gives trees, shrubs, and perennials time to establish roots before summer heat arrives. Contractors also tend to have more availability in the off-peak season, which can mean faster scheduling and sometimes better pricing. For hardscape work like patios and retaining walls, spring and early fall are both solid windows. Avoid scheduling major grading or excavation work right after heavy rain periods, which is easy to do in Missouri given the spring storm pattern. For lawn renovation or overseeding fescue, fall is the clear choice since soil temperatures are right and new grass has time to establish before the following summer.
How do you choose between landscapers and verify they're legitimate?
Start by asking each company for proof of general liability insurance and confirm it covers work done on your property. Get that certificate directly from them, not just a verbal assurance. If they'll be applying any chemicals, ask to see their Missouri pesticide applicator license number and verify it through the Missouri Department of Agriculture's online database. Check their public reviews across multiple platforms and look specifically for reviews from customers in your area who had similar work done. Ask for two or three references you can actually call, and ask those references whether the project came in on time and on budget. Get everything in writing before work starts: a detailed scope of work, a payment schedule, and clarity on who pulls any required permits. Businesses on this page that carry a Trust Verified badge have already been put through an independent verification process covering qualifications, insurance, trading history, and more. For anyone without that badge, running those checks yourself before signing anything is the right move.
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