Yard Cleanup Services
Fall Leaf Removal
Extension notes that a thick layer of unchopped leaves shades the turf and holds moisture, which raises disease risk. The leaves also land in fall, the season newly overseeded fescue is trying to establish. Under big trees, more than one pass through the season keeps a thick layer from building up. Leaves are blown or raked onto tarps, vacuumed into a truck, or shredded with a mulching mower where the layer is light.
Spring Cleanup
Spring cleanup clears what winter left: sticks and fallen limbs, matted leaves in beds and along fences, and last year's perennial stems and ornamental grasses, cut back before new growth starts. Beds get weeded and edged, and it's the natural time to top up mulch. See planting, mulch and garden beds. A first mowing and a crabgrass pre-emergent often go on the same visit; Extension's cue for the pre-emergent is forsythia dropping its blooms.
Not everything has to be cut to the ground. Ornamental grasses and perennials with sturdy seed heads can stand through winter and come down in late winter, which gives birds food and the garden some structure until spring. Tell the contractor which beds you want left alone.
Storm and Brush Cleanup
After a storm, a cleanup crew picks up downed branches, cuts limbs into manageable lengths and hauls brush away. Anything still hanging in a tree, touching a power line, or large enough to need climbing or a chainsaw above the ground belongs to a tree service or the utility, not a landscaper.
Bed and Gutter-Line Cleanup
Leaves collect in foundation beds, window wells, along fences and at the base of downspouts, where they hold moisture against the house and clog drains. A thorough cleanup clears those spots and the grates of any catch basins or channel drains. Clearing gutters on the roof itself is a separate job, usually for a gutter or roofing company.
Why Richmond homeowners call Richmond Elite Landscaping
- Free on-site estimate
- Scope, materials and price in writing before work starts
- Utility lines marked through VA 811 before digging
- One local landscaping contractor, not a call list
- No charge to homeowners for the referral
What Happens to the Leaves
You have a few options, and a cleanup quote should say which one it uses.
Mulch them in
Virginia Cooperative Extension says chopping leaves with the mower during regular mowing doesn't harm turf, and up to about 6 inches of leaves can be mulched at a time, sometimes in more than one pass. What hurts the lawn is a thick layer left whole.Use them in beds
Shredded leaves make a good mulch or compost ingredient for vegetable and shrub beds.Haul them away
The contractor bags them or takes them loose in a trailer and disposes of them.Use the city program
Richmond's 2026 leaf collection starts October 5: up to six bags a week go out with the trash on your normal day. Vacuum collection of loose leaves starts November 2 and costs $30 per request through RVA311. You can also take leaves to the East Richmond Landfill, loose or in paper bags.
Don't blow leaves into the street gutter. Loose leaves clog storm drains and the grates at the curb.
HomeGuide's national averages are $150 to $700 for leaf removal on most residential lawns and $125 to $400 for a general yard cleanup. We haven't found Richmond-specific figures. The size of the yard, how many trees, and whether haul-away is included set the price.
When to Schedule a Yard Cleanup
Spring
After the worst of winter and before the first mowing. Richmond's median last freeze is April 3, so cutting back perennials and ornamental grasses in March leaves time for new growth.Fall
Leaf passes through the season under big trees, with the city's bag collection starting October 5 in 2026 and vacuum collection November 2.After storms
As soon as it's safe, before fallen limbs kill the grass under them. Anything hanging or near a power line waits for a tree service or the utility.Before a project
A cleanup before a patio, planting or sod job gives the installer a clear site and a clearer quote.
What a Yard Cleanup Should Include
Scope
Lawn, beds, patio and walks, fence lines, and any areas the contractor won't touch.Cutbacks
Which perennials and grasses get cut back, and which are left standing for winter interest or seed heads for birds.Haul-away
Whether debris removal is in the price, or charged per load or per bag.Visits
One cleanup or a series through the leaf season, and roughly when each happens.Add-ons
Mulching, edging, a final mowing and gutter-line clearing, priced separately so you can compare quotes.
For lawn care that picks up where the cleanup leaves off, see lawn care and mowing.