Brown’s Landscaping and Turf Management, LLC is committed to delivering high-quality products and services. These Terms and Conditions outline our standards and expectations. By hiring Brown’s Landscaping and Turf Management, LLC (hereafter referred to as “Contractor”), you (hereafter referred to as “Client”) agree to these Terms and Conditions.
Changes to Terms
These Terms are subject to change by the Contractor without prior written notice. Any changes will take effect as of the “Last Updated Date” on the Contractor’s website, brownslandscapingandturf.com. Clients should review these Terms before purchasing any products or services. Continued use of services after the “Last Updated Date” constitutes acceptance of the changes.
Turf Services
Cool-Season Turf (Tall Fescue and Bluegrass)
Weekly Mowing, Edging, and Trimming
- Weekly Mowing – Contractor will mow all turf areas once a week from March 1 through Oct 31. The rest of the year and while the grass is actively growing Contactor will mow at least every two weeks, and more often if needed to keep grass from growing more than 1 ½ inches above the mowing height. Mowing heigh shall be no less than 3 inches and no higher than 3 ½ inches as measured by the mower blade from a flat paved surface. During the summer months (June-August), the Contractor can raise the mowing height up to 4 ½ inches to preserve the turf. Clippings can be left on the turf as long as no readily visible clumps remain on the grass surface after mowing. Otherwise, clippings must be collected and disposed of by the contractor. Note for Bluegrass Lawns: Mowing heigh shall be no less than 2 inches and no higher than 3 ½ inches as measured by the mower blade from a flat paved surface. During the summer months (June-August), the Contractor can raise the mowing height by ½ but not exceed a mowing height of 3 ½ inches to preserve the turf.
- Edging and Trimming – All the hard edges (along driveways, sidewalks, etc.) shall be edged once a week from March 1 through October 31 and at least once a month the rest of the year. All hard edges will be edged with a metal blade. All the soft edges (along plant beds, and around trees etc.) shall be edged once every two weeks from March 1 through October 31 and at least once a month the rest of the year. Turf around sprinkler heads shall be trimmed so that grass does not interfere with or intercept the irrigation stream – once every two weeks from March 1 through October 31 at least once a month the rest of the year.
Standard Program (7-Step Fertilization and Weed Control Program) – All turf areas shall be fertilized seven times a year within the following dates, February 15 to March 15, April 1 to 30, June 1 to 30, August 1 to 31, September 1 to 30, October 1 to 31, and November 1 to 21. The fertilizer shall be in granular form (having at least 25 percent of the nitrogen (N) in water in-soluble or slow release form) or in liquid form depending on the time of the season and the nutritional needs of the turf. Contractor shall notify client when turf is to be fertilized so that Client will set the irrigation system to water after the fertilizer has been applied. Contractor will apply preemergent herbicide twice a year within the following dates, February 15 to March 15 and April 1 to 30, to control annual weed problems. Contractor will also scout during each fertilizer for signs of broadleaf weeds, sedges and crabgrass and will apply appropriate materials to prevent turf damage resulting in more than 10 percent of turf loss. Grassy weeds, expect for crabgrass, will not be controlled unless on a specific program to control grassy weeds.
Standard Plus Program – Includes everything in the Standard Program, plus:
- Aerification and Overseeding – Contractor will aerate in the fall during September or October and re-seed at a rate of 3 pounds per 1,000 square feet immediately afterwards using tall fescue cultivars recommended by NC State University. Note for Bluegrass Lawns: Contractor will re-seed at a rate of 1.5 pounds per 1,000 square feet using 365ss Bluegrass.
Elite Program – Includes everything in the Standard Plus Program, plus:
- 4 Step Fungicide Program – Contractor will apply fungicide four times a year within the following dates, May 1 to 31, June 1 to 30, July 1 to 31, and August 1 to 31, to prevent Brown Patch Disease and other turf diseases.
Warm-Season Turf (Bermuda)
Weekly Mowing, Edging, and Trimming
- Mowing – Contractor will mow all turf areas once a week from April 1 through September 31. The rest of the year and while the grass is actively growing Contactor will mow at least every two weeks, and more often if needed to keep grass from growing more than ½ inches above the mowing height. Mowing height shall be no less than 1 inches and no higher than 2 ½ inches as measured by the mower blade from a flat paved surface. September 15 to 30, Contractor will raise the mowing height by ½ but not exceed a mowing height of 3 inches. Clippings can be left on the turf as long as no readily visible clumps remain on the grass surface after mowing. Otherwise, clippings must be collected and disposed of by the contractor.
- Edging and Trimming – All the hard edges (along driveways, sidewalks, etc.) shall be edged every two weeks from April 1 through September 31 and at least once a month the rest of the year. All hard edges will be edged with a fixed metal blade. All the soft edges (along plant beds, around trees, etc.) shall be edged once every two weeks from April 1 through September 31 and at least once a month the rest of the year.
Standard Program (8-Step Fertilization and Weed Control Program) – All turf areas shall be fertilized seven times a year within the following dates, April 1 to 30, May 1 to 31, June 1 to 30, July 1 to 31, August 1 to 31, September 1 to 30, and October 1 to 15. The fertilizer shall be in granular form (having at least 25 percent of the nitrogen (N) in water in-soluble or slow release form) or in liquid form depending on the time of the season and the nutritional needs of the turf. Contractor shall notify client when turf is to be fertilized so that Client will set the irrigation system to water after the fertilizer has been applied. Contractor will apply preemergent herbicide twice a year within the following dates, February 7 to March 15 and September 1 to 30 to control annual weed problems. Contractor will also scout during each fertilizer for signs of broadleaf weeds, sedges and crabgrass and will apply appropriate materials to prevent turf damage resulting in more than 10 percent of turf loss. Grassy weeds, expect for crabgrass, will not be controlled unless on a specific program to control grassy weeds.
Standard Plus Program – Includes everything in the Standard Program, plus:
- Aerification – Contractor shall aerate once a year within the following dates, May 1 to 31. Aerification will be done using ¾ to 1 inch diameter tines that remove soil cores.
Elite Program – Includes everything in the Standard Plus Program, plus:
- Plant Growth Regulator Program – Contractor will apply plant growth regulator every 3 weeks starting in May with the last application made on or before September 15.
Ground Maintenance Services
Landscape Bed Weed Control Program – Contractor will scout all beds for weeds weekly if Client receives weekly mowing, trimming, and edging services. If not, then Contractor will scout all beds for weeds when on site. All weeds are controlled with pre and post emergent herbicides along with hand removal. Pre-emergent will be applied in the granular form 4 times a year within the following dates, January 1 to 31, April 1 to 30, July 1 to 31, and October 1 to 31. Any weeds over 2 inches will be hand pulled or controlled with post emergent herbicides. No more than 5 weeds per 100 square feet shall be present in the beds, after initial cleaning of the beds. Weeds pulled must be collected and disposed of by the contractor.
Tree and Shrub Pruning Program – Contractor will prune all shrubs in a horticulturally correct manner, including Crepe Myrtles. Pruning will be performed in the spring, summer, and fall. During the summer only light pruning is done to maintain the shape of the shrub. No more than one third of the shrub will be removed at a time. To prune all shrubs in a horticulturally correct manner, Contractor will prune specific plants as recommended by NC State University. This includes when specific shrubs are pruned as well as how they are pruned. Broken, dead, or weak will be removed as spotted. Crepe Myrtles will not be topped, as this is an inappropriate pruning practice. Limbs and clippings pruned must be collected and disposed of by the contractor. Trees or shrubs over 12 feet tall will not be pruned or maintained by Contractor.
Organic Tree, Shrub, and Flower Fertilizer Program – Coming in 2025
Weekly/Bi-Weekly Leaf Removal – Contractor will remove leaves from all turf and landscape areas weekly or bi-weekly from October 1 through January 31. Leaves must be collected and disposed of by the contractor, unless Client lives in a location where public services will collect leaves on curb side or there is an area on Client’s property that Contractor can dispose of the leaves.
Yearly Pine Straw Installation – Contractor will spread pine straw in all landscape beds during the early spring, before March 30, and/or during the fall before October 31.
Yearly Dyed Mulch Installation – Contractor will have colored brown or black mulch delivered and spread in all landscape beds during the early spring, before March 30.
Contractor agrees to furnish all supervision, labor, materials, and equipment necessary to properly perform the work described above.
Insurance
Contractor also agrees to carry liability insurance covering property damage and personal injury, with minimum coverage of $1,000,000 per accident.
Auto-Renewal Policy
The agreement will be on-going from year to year. If there is any change in the service fees from year to year the client will be notified in writing 30 days before the date of such increase.
Cancellation Policy
Either party may cancel this contract with 30 days written notice. During this 30-day period, services will continue at the normal rates agreed upon. Upon cancellation, Contractor will invoice client at a prorated rate for any days that roll over to the next billing cycle. Note: For Pre-Pay Clients cancellation can only occur at the end of 12 months which were prepaid for. 30 days written notice is still required.
Communication Policy
By providing an email address and/or phone number, the Client agrees to receive service-related emails and SMS messages from the Contractor. These communications may include estimates, invoices, job updates, and other important information related to the client’s services. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies.
Payment Terms
Invoices are due on the first of each month and will be sent to the Client 15 days before they are due. Payments are due on the first day of each month. Client can also pre-pay for the year with a 10% discount. Late fees will be assessed after the 5th day of the month at a rate of 1.5% per week with a minimum charge of one week. If the amount due becomes past due by 30 days or more the Contractor reserves the right to stop services.
Last Updated: November 9, 2024