Fix it yourself
Landscaper repairs you can do yourself
4 landscaper problems a careful person can handle at home — and the point where each one becomes a job for a pro.
- You can do
- 4
- Pro-only
- 0
- Typical time
- 20 min – 3 h
- 01Open
Dead lawn patches
Diagnose first: pull on the dead grass — if it lifts like a carpet, grubs have eaten the roots; if it is dry and crisp in a sunny spot, it is drought; a round patch with a green ring is often pet urine or fungus.
easy 1–2 h· $10–40 for seed and soil
- 02Open
Driveway weeds growing through cracks
Pull or dig out the weeds with the roots using a crack weeder; do it after rain when the soil is soft.
easy 30–90 min· $10–40 for filler or polymeric sand
- 03Open
Overgrown shrubs blocking windows or walkways
Check the plant type: spring-flowering shrubs are pruned right after flowering; most others in late winter. Evergreens tolerate light trimming any time.
easy 1–3 h· $0–40 for pruning tools
- 04Open
Sprinkler head broken or leaking
Run the zone and watch: a geyser means a broken head, a bubbling puddle means a cracked riser or pipe.
easy 20–45 min· $3–15 for a head
What it costs
Typical rates by country, so you can compare DIY parts against a pro's invoice.
Cost guideDo this for a living
These are the calls a landscaper takes every week. Licensing, training and where the work is short of people.
How to become a landscaper