Lawn Care Prices in Ontario: the Weed Spray You Remember Has Been Illegal Since 2009
Which changes what you should be paying for, and what you should stop paying for.
In short
A standard suburban cut in the GTA runs $45–75, which works out to roughly $150–300 a month on a weekly schedule. A full season package with fertilising and cleanups is commonly $500–1,200.
The part almost nobody prices in: Ontario’s cosmetic pesticide ban. Products containing 2,4-D, diazinon and glyphosate cannot lawfully be used on a lawn for cosmetic purposes. Only ingredients on the province’s Allowable List may be — corn gluten meal, soap, borax, sulphur.
So “weed control” on an Ontario quote cannot mean what it meant twenty years ago. It means making the grass strong enough to crowd weeds out. A company promising to wipe out your weeds in one spray is describing either a much weaker product than you imagine — or an offence.
What lawn care costs in the GTA
Market quotes, autumn 2026 — prices published by businesses that sell the work, not an independent survey. Lot size is the main driver; access and slope come next.
| Service | Typical price | How it is usually quoted |
|---|---|---|
| Single cut, small city lot | $40–55 | Per visit, trimming usually included |
| Single cut, standard suburban lot | $45–75 | Per visit |
| Single cut, large or corner lot | $75–150 | By area or by time on site |
| Weekly through the season | $150–300 per month | Contract, priced per cut but billed monthly |
| Full season package | $500–1,200 | Cuts plus fertilising, aeration, spring and fall cleanup |
| Spring or fall cleanup, one-off | $200–500 | By property size and volume of debris |
| Aeration and overseeding | $150–350 | Per 1,000 sq ft on larger properties |
A seasonal contract is usually cheaper per cut than calling someone each time, for an unglamorous reason: a company that already services your street can add you to an existing route. That is also why the same lawn gets very different quotes from two companies — one of them is already nearby.
What the pesticide ban actually changed
Ontario’s cosmetic pesticide ban has been in force since 2009 under the Pesticides Act and Ontario Regulation 63/09. It prohibits using pesticides for cosmetic purposes on lawns, vegetable and ornamental gardens, patios, driveways, parks and schoolyards unless the only active ingredients are on the Allowable List.
Named on the banned side: 2,4-D, diazinon, glyphosate. The province’s reasoning is stated plainly — unnecessary risk to human health, particularly children’s.
On the allowed side sit biopesticides and lower-risk products: borax, corn gluten meal, soap and sulphur are the household examples the ministry gives. They work slowly, partially, and in support of a healthy lawn rather than instead of one.
So what does legal weed control look like?
Competition, not chemistry. Every legitimate Ontario lawn programme does the same four things, and they are worth knowing so you can tell whether you are being sold a real plan or a bottle:
If you believe someone is using a banned product, the ministry takes reports through its local district offices, and after hours through the Pollution Hotline and the Spills Action Centre.
You may be legally required to cut it
In Toronto the Turfgrass and Prohibited Plants Bylaw requires owners or occupants to cut turfgrass when growth exceeds 20 centimetres. Complaints are accepted during the growing season, and a property that does not meet the standard gets a Notice of Violation.
The consequence that surprises people is not the ticket. The City can carry out the work itself and add the cost to your property tax bill. An absent owner, a rental between tenants, a summer away — that is how it usually happens.
A deliberate natural or pollinator garden is a different thing from a neglected lawn, and the bylaw accounts for it. If you are converting a lawn, read the requirements first: what separates the two is documented intent and maintenance, not height.
Red flags
What to do next
Before next season, ask two companies for a written season quote with the number of cuts stated, and ask each one the same question: what exactly do you apply for weeds, and what is the active ingredient? The answers will sort them faster than the prices will.
Compare home services in Ontario on Ontario24 and contact businesses directly. Ontario24 is a classified directory — we help you find and compare, and we do not vet anyone. Also useful: how to choose a landscaper, what a new lawn costs and leaf and yard waste collection.
Before you call anyone, it helps to know what this job should cost and what the next one will. What things cost in Ontario in 2026 puts 75 service prices in one table.
Frequently asked questions
Market quotes for a standard suburban lot generally run $45 to $75 per cut, with small city lots at the lower end and larger properties priced by size. Seasonal contracts usually work out cheaper per cut than calling someone each time, because the company can route your street efficiently.
On a weekly cut through the growing season, expect roughly $150 to $300 a month for an average property. Full-service packages that add fertilising, aeration and spring or fall cleanup commonly run $500 to $1,200 for the season, depending on lot size and how many visits are included.
The number of cuts, what happens in a dry spell when the grass stops growing, whether trimming and edging are included, whether clippings are bagged and taken away, and the start and end dates of the season. Two quotes that look far apart are usually quoting different things.
Not the way most people remember. Ontario’s cosmetic pesticide ban prohibits products containing 2,4-D, diazinon and glyphosate for cosmetic use on lawns and gardens. Only active ingredients on the province’s Allowable List may be used — examples include corn gluten meal, soap, borax and sulphur — and they behave differently from what was on the market before 2009.
Mostly by making the grass win: overseeding, correct mowing height, fertilising and aeration so the lawn outcompetes weeds, plus hand pulling. If a company promises to eliminate weeds in one spray, ask what the active ingredient is and check it against the Allowable List before you agree.
In Toronto, yes. The Turfgrass and Prohibited Plants Bylaw requires owners or occupants to cut turfgrass when growth exceeds 20 centimetres. If you do not, the City can issue a notice, do the work itself and add the cost to your property tax bill. Other municipalities have their own versions.
Toronto’s bylaw provides for natural gardens rather than treating every uncut yard as a violation. If you intend to convert a lawn into a native or pollinator planting, read the bylaw’s requirements first — the difference between a natural garden and a neglected lawn is documented intent and maintenance, not height alone.
Sources and how current this is
Checked 18 September 2026. The cosmetic pesticide ban, the named banned ingredients 2,4-D, diazinon and glyphosate, the Allowable List examples of borax, corn gluten meal, soap and sulphur, the surfaces covered and the reporting route come from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks page on pesticides for home lawns and gardens, under the Pesticides Act and Ontario Regulation 63/09. The 20-centimetre turfgrass requirement, the seasonal complaint window and the City’s power to do the work and add the cost to the property tax bill come from the City of Toronto’s Turfgrass and Prohibited Plants page, Chapter 489 of the Municipal Code; other municipalities set their own height and process. Prices are market quotes published by GTA businesses that sell the work, not an independent survey, and they move each season. This is not legal advice. Ontario24 is a classified directory and does not cut lawns, apply products or vet the businesses listed.