Our crews will mow, trim, and edge all existing turf areas on the property. At the end of each service we use our backpack blowers to clear all non-turf areas of loose grass clippings. NOTE: Only existing turf areas are serviced during each visit (wooded areas and/or landscaping beds not included).
The mowing season starts anywhere from March 15th through the first or second week of April. Each season is different due to the weather. We wrap up the mowing season between the last week of October and the last week of November. Each property is a little different and we'll make sure to cut accordingly. At this point we stop mowing and begin our fall cleanup and leaf removal for customers who want to prepare their property for the winter months.
During the springtime we mow every 7-10 days due to the fast growing conditions. During the summer we slow to more of a 10-14 day cycle due to the heat. The turf begins to grow fast again during the Fall and we switch to more of a 7-10 day schedule before leading into November when we wrap up the season. We've learned it's difficult to promise a day of the week due to the ever changing weather. We usually see 1-2 rainouts per week in our area so the mowing schedule can be very "fluid".
Our goal is to get your first cut taken care of within 24-72 business hours of signing up. Sometimes the weather holds us up for a day or so but we catch up really fast! Also, if you signup later in the week, your first mow could be carried over to Monday. Don't worry though, we'll have you on a regular schedule after the first cut.
We start our day at the A Cut Above offices in Sterling, VA around 6:30am and it's usually after 7:30am by the time we get to our first mowing locations. Most local laws require us to wait until after 7am due to noise ordinances.
The ideal mowing height for cool season turf is between 2.5" -4”, depending upon weather conditions. We set our equipment to this range for several reasons. Cutting a lawn too short supports the possibility of scalping the turf. Also, cutting off more than one-third of the height of grass in any single mowing also is very stressful and damaging to lawns. If you let your grass grow to about four inches and then mow it down to two, for example, you may open the door to disease or further weed growth—even if two inches is the proper height for the grass. At “A Cut Above” our Annual Mowing Program ensures that we'll constantly take care of your lawn all season.
Our preferred mowers are made by Exmark and Scag, both industry leaders in professional lawn equipment. For most properties up to 1/2 acre in size we typically use a 36" (mower deck width) walk behind mower and a 52" walk behind mower. We use a 60" riding mower for larger properties that have wide open areas, including "Over 1/2 Acre" properties, HOA Communities, and Commercial Properties. The size/weight of the mowers do not damage the turf or underground irrigation systems. Note: We also have a few mowers of other sizes that are used if needed on a temporary basis, but they're all within a few inches of the previously mentioned sizes above.
We send an email about 24 hours before your expected weekly visit. You'll also receive a post service email notification upon the crew wrapping up the route for the day. Aside from the email notifications, you can use our client portal to view your past and upcoming job info.
You don't need to be home for the mowing service to be performed. That's what's great about the service notifications we have in place here at A Cut Above. You'll receive an email notification before and after we perform each service, so you'll know when we're coming.
Please remove toys/hoses/etc. from the lawn before each visit (A Cut Above is not responsible for damage to any man made object left in the lawn prior to mowing service). Our crew leaders inspect the lawn before each visit but we really appreciate your help with this. Also, please unlock any gates on the property so our equipment can get through.