Commercial Grounds Maintenance & Snow Removal for Greater Boston Properties
Year-round grounds care and snow & ice management for property managers, condo associations and multi-family owners — from the Medford company that's been keeping Boston properties looking right since 1989.
One vendor for the whole year
Commercial Grounds Maintenance
Weekly mowing and edging, spring and fall cleanups, pruning, mulching, bed care and organic fertilization on a written schedule — with photo reports so your board sees the work without driving over.
- Condo associations & HOAs
- Apartment & multi-family buildings
- Office, retail & medical properties
- Two- and three-families and small properties close to where we already work
Snow Plowing & Ice Management
Seasonal snow contracts covering lots, drives, walkways, stairs and entries, with pre-treatment, salting and per-storm documentation. Sidewalk-only service for dense neighborhoods where Boston's clearance deadline is the real problem.
- Seasonal flat-rate or per-push pricing
- Lots, walks, stairs, entries, dumpster pads
- Salt, calcium and pre-treatment
- Timestamped service logs for every event
Built for the people who answer to a board
37 years, one owner
American Elm Landscape has worked in Somerville, Medford, Cambridge and Boston since 1989. Allan Spires still runs it and still answers the phone. Read the 61 Google reviews.
Drainage is part of maintenance
Half of "landscape problems" are water problems — soggy lawns, icy walkways, foundation puddles. We're an NDS Certified Professional Drainage Contractor, so we fix the cause instead of mowing around it.
Organic fertilization
Our lawn program uses organic fertilizers, which matters to boards in Somerville and Cambridge and to anyone with kids and dogs on the lawn. How the program works.
Paperwork done right
Certificate of insurance, W-9, references and a written scope arrive with the proposal, not after three emails. Renewals go out in September so you're never scrambling.
Hardscape under the same roof
When a walkway heaves or a retaining wall leans, the same company that maintains the grounds can fix it — through our hardscape division, Boston Patio Design.
Tight service area on purpose
We stay inside a small radius around Medford and Somerville so crews spend their time on your property instead of on I-93. That's how the pricing stays sane.
Where we work
Core service area for grounds and snow contracts. If your property is just outside these, ask — it depends on what else we service nearby.
- Somerville
- Medford
- Cambridge
- Boston
- Charlestown
- North End
- Beacon Hill
- East Boston
- Arlington
- Malden
- Everett
- Winchester
- Belmont
- Melrose
From first call to first service
- Site walk. We measure the property, note the trouble spots (drainage, ice traps, tight access) and ask what your last vendor got wrong.
- Written proposal. Scope, schedule, price and terms in plain English, plus COI and references. Usually within 2–3 business days.
- Board approval. We'll join a board call or Zoom if it helps. Questions get answered by the owner.
- Service starts. Photo-documented visits, a direct line to Allan, and a September renewal so nobody's surprised.
Frequently asked
Do you take residential properties or only commercial?
Both. The division is built around commercial and multi-family properties, and we also take on condo associations, two- and three-families and owner-occupied multi-units in Somerville, Medford and Cambridge. We're honest about fit: a single small lawn far from anything else we service usually isn't a good match for either of us.
How fast can you send a proposal?
Most proposals go out within two to three business days of a site walk. Snow proposals for the coming winter go out fastest in September and October, before contracts are awarded.
Who actually shows up?
A crew supervised by Allan Spires, the owner, who has run American Elm Landscape in Medford since 1989. You'll have his cell number, not a call center.
Are you insured?
Yes. A certificate of insurance naming your association or management company as certificate holder is included with every proposal, and we'll send a fresh one at renewal without being asked.