Beware of lawn care scams

Released today by the Gwinnett County Police Department:

(Lawrenceville, Ga., Apr. 10, 2026) – Gwinnett County Police Department is warning residents to be aware of seasonal lawn care service scams.

As the weather warms up and people start landscaping their properties, individuals or small groups of people will offer property owners their lawn care services and end up taking advantage of the situation.

These scams often involve someone going door to door offering services such as laying pine straw and shrub or brush removal.  They will offer to place pine straw for four to five dollars a bail and tell the homeowner a reasonable quote for the job, often a few hundred dollars.  After finishing they will tell the homeowner they had to use a lot more materials and that they now owe thousands of dollars for the landscaping.  Seniors and elderly people are often the target of these scams when they do not have someone else home to help them understand the inflated cost of the services claimed.

Some tips to help prevent these types of scams are to always ask for a written quote for what is going to be provided and request detailed receipt of the materials used and the cost of the specific services.  While there is not a specific landscaping license requirement in Georgia, you can still verify if it is a real company with a business license.  Look for reviews online or check the Better Business Bureau website for fraud complaints.