Aeration, dethatching, and top dressing aren't three unrelated services — done in the right order for your grass, they're one process that resets a tired, compacted, or uneven lawn from the soil up.
Restoration starts at $1,000 for a standard home · final price depends on property type & lawn size.
Most homeowners find us searching for one service. But a struggling lawn usually has more than one thing going on at once: a thatch layer on top, compacted soil underneath, and an uneven, depleted surface. A restoration addresses all of it in sequence — clearing the surface, opening the soil, then leveling and enriching it — so each step sets up the next.
We're straight with you: a restoration is defined work, completed professionally. It gives your soil the best possible reset — it doesn't guarantee a perfect lawn. Results still depend on watering, mowing, sunlight, and grass type.
Done out of order, the services fight each other — top dressing over an un-aerated, thatch-covered lawn mostly sits on the surface. Done in order, they compound.
Dethatching lifts the dead thatch layer that traps water and blocks air — so nothing downstream is working through a mat of debris.
Core aeration pulls plugs to relieve the compacted, sandy soil underneath, opening channels for air, water, and roots.
A compost top dressing works into the openings to smooth low spots and rebuild tired soil — which is why it always goes last.
Zoysia and Bermuda build up thatch and benefit from removing it — so they get the full three-step sequence.
Power-rake out the dead thatch layer choking the turf.
Pull plugs to relieve the compacted soil underneath.
Work compost into the holes to level and enrich.
On request we can supply and apply fertilizer for an extra charge — best mixed into the compost while we top dress.
Not sure which grass you have? Newer southern Villages lawns are almost always St. Augustine; the central Villages are more often Zoysia. See the grass-type guide →
We don't run fertilization programs — our focus is the mechanical soil work: aeration, dethatching, and top dressing. But if you'd like fertilizer, just ask: we can supply and apply it as an add-on for an additional charge. The best time is right as we top dress, since we can mix it into the compost so it works into the soil in one pass.
Straight answers on what a restoration includes, the order, and what it costs.
Still have a question? (352) 352-4424Not always — each one is available on its own, and we'll never push a bundle you don't need. But together they solve different problems in sequence: dethatching clears the surface, aeration opens the soil, and top dressing levels and enriches it. For a tired, compacted, or uneven lawn, doing them together gives the soil its best reset. It's your call — à la carte, or as a full restoration.
It depends on your grass. For Zoysia and Bermuda: dethatch first, then aerate, then top dress. For St. Augustine: aerate, then top dress — we skip full dethatching because it damages that grass. In both cases top dressing goes last, so the compost works into the openings aeration creates.
Yes — just not with full dethatching. Most newer southern Villages lawns are St. Augustine, and power-raking the whole lawn would tear up its runners and roots. We aerate and top dress instead, and only spot-treat thatch by hand where it's genuinely heavy. We'll always give you the honest recommendation for your grass type.
A full restoration starts at $1,000 for a standard home, and the final price depends on your property type and lawn size — well under the $2,000-plus packages some companies sell after an in-person visit. You can also tailor it: front yard only or full property. Our online quote tool shows your exact price upfront, with no sales call.
We don't run standing fertilization programs — our specialty is the mechanical soil work (aeration, dethatching, top dressing). But we can add fertilizer to your service on request for an additional charge, and the best way is to apply it while we top dress, so it mixes into the compost and works into the soil in one pass. Just ask when you book.
The pieces run on their own schedules: aeration about every 6 months, dethatching every 1–2 years for Zoysia as thatch builds, and top dressing as needed to keep leveling and enriching. A full reset is most useful when a lawn is compacted, thatchy, or uneven — after that, the individual services keep it maintained.
Get clear, upfront pricing for a full restoration — or any one service — in under a minute.
Pricing covers a clearly defined service, completed professionally. Lawn results still depend on watering, mowing, sunlight & grass type.