Every October and November, the trees across Fairfield County drop what they grew all summer. Left on the lawn, wet leaves mat down under the first snow and smother the grass. Left in the beds and against the stone, they hold moisture right where it does harm. A fall cleanup clears all of it before winter, on homes and commercial properties alike.
Towns we cover for fall cleanup
We do fall cleanups everywhere we work, within about 30 minutes of our yard. Leaf drop isn’t the same from one town to the next, so neither is the job.
- New Canaan: wooded lots, mature trees and stone walls along the roads. New Canaan has its own fall cleanup page.
- Wilton: tall trees and a heavy leaf drop every fall, often on larger, sloped lots
- Weston: big trees and deep shade on wooded properties, where a fall cleanup is a serious job
- Westport: from yards near the Sound to the inland hills
- Darien: big old trees over backyards that do a lot in a small space
- Stamford: compact yards in town and wooded, rocky lots in North Stamford
- Fairfield: beach-area yards and the older properties of Southport and Greenfield Hill
- Greenwich: shoreline neighborhoods and large wooded backcountry properties
Wooded lots and shoreline yards need different cleanups
Inland and wooded
In Wilton, Weston, New Canaan, North Stamford and the Greenwich backcountry, a full canopy means a lot of leaves, often on slopes, along old fieldstone walls and into the edge of the woods. These cleanups take more time and more equipment, so we look at the trees overhead before we put a price on it.
Shoreline and in town
Closer to the Sound and in denser neighborhoods there are fewer trees but less room. Leaves blow in from the street and the yard next door, then pile up against fences, foundations and patio edges and pack into the beds. Here the work is getting into the tight spots and leaving the hard surfaces clean.
What gets cleared
The lawn, every bed and border, and the patios, walks, steps and driveway. If your property has stonework or drainage, point these out on the site walk so they get cleared rather than buried:
- Wall outlets. The weep holes and drain outlets at the base of a retaining wall stop working once leaves cover them.
- Drain inlets and downspouts. Leaves are what clog catch basins, French drain inlets and buried downspout lines. More on that under drainage and grading.
- Bluestone and pavers. Wet leaves left sitting on stone patios and walks leave dark marks behind.
One cleanup, or part of a seasonal contract
A fall cleanup can be booked on its own. If you’d rather not think about the yard at all, it can be bundled with weekly mowing, spring cleanup, mulch, pruning, fertilization and irrigation start-up and blow-out into one flat monthly rate. See lawn care and maintenance for how a contract works.
How it’s priced and booked
A foreman walks the property with you and looks at the size of the lawn, the beds, the trees overhead and how the crew gets in. You get one fixed written price, usually within 3 business days. The same crew does the work, and calls and texts are returned the same day. Earthworks is licensed and insured in Connecticut (HIC.0705687).
After the leaves
Fall cleanup is the last big job of the year, and winter comes right behind it. We also run snow and ice management contracts for driveways and walks, so the same crew can look after the property through the winter too.