Frequently Asked Questions

More than square footage. Pricing reflects drive time from Milwaukee, whether we already have work booked near you that day, the size of the property and how much of it we are actually touching, the slope, the access, how many obstacles have to be trimmed around, how overgrown things are, how far material has to be carried, and how much debris leaves with us. Recurring service costs less per visit than a one-time call.

Most quarter-acre Milwaukee residential lots run $40–$70 per visit, depending on lot size, slope, obstacles and trimming. Larger properties and overgrown first cuts are quoted individually. ALT Landscaping gives every estimate free and in writing before any work starts, so there are no surprises on the first invoice.

Installed mulch pricing depends on the material and how much bed prep is needed, weeding and edging are usually the larger share of the cost, not the mulch itself. One cubic yard covers about 100 square feet at three inches. Send your bed measurements for a free written quote.

Cleanup pricing tracks tree cover more than lot size. A small lot with two trees is a very different job than a Wauwatosa property under mature oaks. ALT Landscaping quotes cleanups after seeing the property, and the visit and estimate are both free.

Sod costs more up front than seed but gives you a finished, usable lawn in two to three weeks. Total cost depends on square footage, how much old turf has to come out, and how much grading and soil amendment the site needs. Free on-site estimate.

Seasonal pricing depends on driveway length, how much walk and stair work is included, and whether you want ice management with it. Per-event pricing is also available. Book before December, routes are set in November and mid-season additions depend on existing route coverage.

Access, slope, disposal volume and how far material has to be carried. A tight alley lot with no truck access takes longer than an open driveway. Overgrowth matters too: a first cut on knee-high grass is a different job than a weekly mow.

Usually within a few days of your call, and often the same week during the shoulder seasons. Peak spring and the first heavy snow are the two busiest windows of the year. Call (414) 975-6841 or send the estimate form and Adolfo will follow up directly.

For lawn care, mulching, cleanups and snow you do not, the property can be walked and quoted without you. For design, planting or anything where taste matters, it is much better to walk it together so you get what you actually want.

Yes. ALT Landscaping works around your needs on the type, frequency and scope of the job. Plenty of customers start with a single cleanup or one mulch install and decide afterward whether to move to a recurring schedule. There is no obligation either way.

Recurring lawn service needs no long-term contract. You set the frequency and can change it during the season. Larger installation projects may need a deposit toward materials, and that is stated in the written estimate before you agree to anything.

Credit cards, along with the usual options. Payment terms are set out in the written estimate so there is nothing to work out after the job is finished.

Spring cleanups fill through March, mulch installs through April and May, and snow routes are set in November. For anything seasonal, calling a few weeks ahead of when you want it done is the difference between getting your preferred week and taking what is left.

Turf in Zone 5b usually needs its first cut in the third or fourth week of April, once soil temperatures hold above 50°F and the ground has firmed up. Cutting a saturated March lawn causes rutting and compaction, so ALT Landscaping starts routes on conditions rather than on a date.

Late March through April, once you can walk the lawn without leaving footprints in it but before perennials have pushed more than a few inches. Getting matted leaves and winter debris off the turf early lets the grass green up on schedule instead of three weeks late.

Mid-April through May, after the soil has warmed and spring bulbs are up. Mulching too early over cold, wet ground traps moisture and keeps the soil from warming. A light top-dress in October is fine for winter appearance and root protection.

Late October through November, after most of the leaf drop but before the first hard freeze. Heavy tree cover often needs two passes, one mid-drop and a final pass once the trees are bare, so leaves never sit and mat under the first snow.

Late August through late September is the strongest window in Zone 5b. Soil is still warm for fast germination, nights are cooling, and crabgrass has stopped competing. Early spring is the backup window but brings more weed pressure and a shorter root-establishment runway before summer heat.

Routes run from the first plowable snow, usually early December, through March. Routes are built in November, so booking before December matters. Service continues through the season for every event that hits the agreed snowfall trigger.

ALT Landscaping serves Milwaukee and the surrounding communities across southeastern Wisconsin, including Wauwatosa, West Allis, Greenfield, Glendale, Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Oak Creek, Franklin, Cudahy, Greendale, Brookfield, Waukesha, New Berlin, Menomonee Falls and Mequon. Not sure if you are in range? Call (414) 975-6841.

Yes, on a small-commercial scale, apartment buildings, small offices, storefronts and their parking lots, particularly for snow and ice management where a slip-and-fall is a real liability. Large multi-site commercial contracts are outside what an owner-operated business should promise.

Yes. Cleanups, removals and bed work all include hauling and disposal unless you specifically want material left: split wood stacked, for instance, or leaves composted on site. Nothing gets left in a pile behind the garage.

No fixed minimum. ALT Landscaping is owner-operated, which means small jobs that a larger company would turn down are worth doing, a single bed of mulch, one overgrown shrub removed, a one-time cleanup. Call and describe what you need.

Warranties are difficult when the work involves earth, sand, stone and living plants. What ALT Landscaping guarantees is your satisfaction: if there is a problem with our workmanship, we come back and make it right. Manufactured products carry their own warranties, and we help you resolve claims on those.

Adolfo Téllez, the owner, with family assisting. He spent eleven years with a major landscaping company before starting ALT, and he still walks and works the jobs himself. That is the whole reason the personalized service claim on this site is not marketing language.