How Much Does Garden Maintenance Cost in San Francisco?

If you’re a San Francisco homeowner trying to understand garden maintenance cost in San Francisco, you’ll quickly notice a wide range of pricing—and an even wider range of quality.

From fast, inexpensive crews to white-glove estate services, the difference isn’t just hourly rates. It’s horticultural knowledge, pruning skill, consistency, and long-term care of your landscape. Below is a realistic breakdown of what different garden maintenance options cost in San Francisco, and what you actually get at each level.

Low-Cost “Mow and Blow” Gardeners

Typical cost: ~$50 per hour

Best for: Simple lawns, minimal planting, no aesthetic pruning

Inexpensive garden maintenance services depend on speed and volume. Often referred to in the industry as “mow and blow” crews, their focus is limited to mowing lawns, blowing debris, and moving quickly to the next property.

Because of this pace, quality tends to suffer:

• Pruning is typically done quickly with power shears, prioritizing speed over plant structure or long-term health.

• Pruning cuts may damage long-term plant health.

• Weed control is often handled with broad, fast-acting methods that don’t distinguish between desirable plants and unwanted growth.

• This approach leaves little room for plant-by-plant decision-making, which can be an issue in gardens with seasonal plantings or self-seeding annuals.

If your outdoor space is mostly lawn and hardscape with little need for horticultural decision-making, this can be an economical option. However, for gardens with perennials, fruit trees, natives, or ornamental pruning needs, the long-term cost can be higher due to plant decline or replacement.

For gardens with shrubs, perennials, fruit trees, or seasonal plantings, this is where experienced pruning and horticultural decision-making begin to matter.

Large Landscaping Firms in San Francisco

Typical cost: $85–$100 per hour

Best for: Larger properties that prioritize scale over consistency

Big-name landscaping companies dominate much of the San Francisco market. They manage large crews and many clients, which creates operational efficiency but also inconsistency.

Common challenges include:

• Frequent rotation of gardeners on your property

• These companies often rely on larger teams of earlier-career gardeners, which can affect consistency and depth of horticultural knowledge.

• Low employee retention due to wages and management structure

While these firms may offer reliability in scheduling, the quality of garden maintenance can vary significantly. Because gardeners rotate frequently, homeowners may not receive the same level of familiarity or continuity from visit to visit. If you value continuity and a gardener who truly understands your plants, this model often falls short.

Many homeowners reach out to Fyrn Landscapes after realizing their garden needs more consistency, care, and informed pruning than a rotating crew can provide.

Luxury Garden Maintenance Services

Typical cost: ~$200 per hour

Best for: Estate properties and ultra-high-net-worth clients

At the top end of garden maintenance cost in San Francisco are boutique firms offering white-glove service. These companies deliver exceptional care, detailed horticultural work, and concierge-level responsiveness.

For most San Francisco homeowners, however, this pricing is simply out of reach.

Fyrn Landscapes Garden Maintenance Rates

Fyrn Landscapes is intentionally positioned between large firms and ultra-luxury services, offering a level of care comparable to estate-quality work while remaining accessible to San Francisco homeowners.

You don’t have to compromise quality in order to work with a small, thoughtful, highly skilled garden professional. Fyrn Landscapes offers high-skill, personalized garden maintenance pruning, and seasonal consulting at a price accessible to middle-class San Francisco homeowners.

As a one-person operation, Fyrn Landscapes has low overhead. This allows rates to stay competitive while maintaining a very high standard of care. You work with the same gardener every visit, building a long-term relationship with someone who understands your garden, your preferences, and how your landscape evolves seasonally.

What sets Fyrn Landscapes apart:

• Expert pruning informed by formal estate garden experience

• Deep horticultural knowledge from work in public gardens, private estates, natural lands and historic landscapes

• Thoughtful, chemical-conscious weed and pest management

• Ongoing professional education and creative problem-solving

• A consultative approach focused on long-term plant health and beauty

This level of care is ideal for homeowners who want their garden to improve over time, not just be maintained. Much of my work involves corrective and ongoing pruning, seasonal assessments, and consultative care that helps gardens mature gracefully over time.

Learn more about my approach to garden care services or view examples of past work in my portfolio.

Why Skilled Pruning Changes the True Cost of Garden Maintenance

In San Francisco’s climate, pruning is one of the most important (and most misunderstood) aspects of garden care. Proper timing, plant-specific technique, and an understanding of long-term structure directly affect a garden’s health, appearance, and maintenance needs. Poor pruning can lead to years of corrective work, while thoughtful pruning reduces future labor and helps plants thrive.

What Really Affects Garden Maintenance Cost in San Francisco

When comparing garden maintenance rates, consider more than the hourly number. Ask:

• Will I have the same gardener consistently?

• Does this gardener have enough experience to understand proper pruning timing and technique?

• Are decisions being made with long-term plant health in mind?

• Is this service proactive, or purely reactive?

In San Francisco’s unique microclimates, informed care makes a measurable difference.

Is Professional Garden Maintenance Worth It?

For gardens with fruit trees, ornamental shrubs, natives, perennials, or edible beds, skilled maintenance is an investment. Proper pruning, soil care, and seasonal timing can extend plant life, improve aesthetics, and reduce costly mistakes.

Who Fyrn Landscapes Garden Maintenance Is (and Isn’t) For

This service is a good fit if you:

• Want a consistent, long-term relationship with the same gardener

• Value skilled pruning, plant health, and seasonal decision-making

• Have a garden with perennials, shrubs, fruit trees, natives, or edible beds

• Prefer thoughtful, chemical-conscious care over quick cosmetic fixes

• See your garden as something to be cultivated over time, not just maintained

This service may not be the best fit if you:

• Are primarily looking for the lowest possible hourly rate

• Have a simple lawn and hardscape with minimal planting

• Prefer different crews each visit

• Need fast, transactional service rather than ongoing stewardship

If you’re trying to understand what your garden actually needs and want guidance from someone who brings horticultural expertise, I offer garden maintenance, pruning, and consulting with a long-term perspective tailored to San Francisco landscapes.

I’m happy to start with a one-time consultation, seasonal pruning visit, or discuss ongoing care if it’s a good fit.

👉 Contact Fyrn Landscapes to schedule a garden consultation or learn more about ongoing maintenance options.