Fall cleanup and leaf removal in Macomb County

Why the leaves should be gone before the snow

A layer of leaves left on the lawn mats down once it is wet and snowed on. Turf under a matted layer through a Michigan winter comes out of the snow thin and prone to snow mold, and the spring repair costs more than the fall cleanup would have. Leaves in beds hold moisture against foundations and siding, and leaves blown into the street end up in storm drains, which in Macomb County drain untreated toward Lake St. Clair.

There is also a calendar reason. At Detroit Metro Airport, the official station for the region, the median first fall freeze over the last 30 years is October 29 and the median first snow of two inches or more is December 12. Most communities in the county end curbside yard waste pickup between late November and mid-December. Once that last pickup passes, bagged leaves sit at the curb until spring.

When to book

Late October through November, after most of your trees have dropped and before your community’s last yard waste pickup. If you are under oaks, which hold their leaves late, plan on the second half of November or a second pass. Booking early holds a date; the crew comes when the yard is actually ready, not on a date picked in September.

How we price a fall cleanup

We do not publish a single fall cleanup price, because two yards with the same lot size can be hours apart. What moves the number:

• Leaf volume. The number and size of mature trees on and next to the property matters more than lot size.
• Beds. Long foundation beds and borders take hand work that open lawn does not.
• Where the leaves go. Bagging for curbside pickup takes longer than mulching leaves into the lawn.
• Access. Gates, slopes and fenced backyards change how fast the work goes.
• One pass or two. Late-dropping trees can mean a second visit, and the quote says so if it does.

For what fall cleanups cost across the market, and what to ask before you hire anyone, see what a fall cleanup costs.

What we do not do

We do not apply fertilizer, weed control or any other product, and we do not do tree work, gutters or any roof work. If your yard needs one of those, we will say so and suggest you call a company that specializes in it.

Where we work

We quote fall cleanups in the Macomb County communities where we already run snow routes, which is all 26 of them. A yard well away from the rest of the day’s work may get a later date in a busy week, and we tell you that when we quote.