Landscaping Estimate Template: Maintenance and Design Projects

Landscaping estimates combine two types of work that operate on completely different timelines and pricing models: one-time installation and design projects, and recurring maintenance contracts. Many landscaping businesses do both — and the ability to present them clearly in a single estimate, without confusing the client about what is a one-time charge and what recurs, is a real competitive edge.

This guide covers every line item a landscaping estimate needs, sample breakdowns for a landscape design and installation project and a recurring maintenance contract, how to handle seasonal pricing, and how to structure an estimate that includes both types of work.

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Line Items for Landscaping Estimates

Design and Consultation Fee

For projects that go beyond basic maintenance, a design fee covers the time you spend assessing the property, developing a planting or hardscaping plan, and presenting it to the client. Design is intellectual work and should be billed separately from installation.

For smaller residential projects, some landscapers waive the design fee if the client proceeds with installation. If you do this, note it in the estimate — the client should understand they are receiving design work as part of the package, not that design has no value.

Typical range: $150–$1,500 for residential; $500–$5,000 for large or commercial projects.

Plants and Materials

This is often the largest line item on an installation project. Break it out by category: trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, ground cover, mulch. Include quantities and unit costs.

Mark up plants and materials appropriately for procurement time, risk of plant loss, and the logistics of sourcing. A 20–30% markup on plants is standard in the trade.

Presentation tip: List plants by common name and botanical name. "Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis), 6 ft. B&B, qty 3" is more credible than "3 trees."

Hardscaping

Patios, walkways, retaining walls, fire pit pads, and edging. Hardscaping is often a separate sub-project with its own labor and materials cost structure. Quote it separately from soft landscaping (plants) even if you are doing both.

Typical ranges:

• Paver patio installation: $15–$35/sq ft (materials and labor)
• Natural stone walkway: $20–$50/sq ft
• Retaining wall (timber): $10–$20/sq ft
• Retaining wall (block or stone): $20–$50/sq ft

Labor

Installation labor covers plant placement, digging, grading, mulching, and cleanup. Quote labor as a line item separate from materials — this is standard in the trade and makes cost comparison easier for clients.

For maintenance contracts, labor is the primary cost.

Equipment

Large projects may require equipment rental: skid steers, dump trucks, mini excavators. List these as separate line items. Clients who see the equipment cost understand why a project that looks simple is priced the way it is.

Irrigation

Irrigation system installation or modifications. This is often subcontracted or handled by a licensed irrigation specialist. If you manage the sub, include your coordination markup. If the client manages it directly, note that irrigation is excluded from the estimate.

Typical range: $2,500–$6,000 for a full residential irrigation system installation.

Ongoing Maintenance — Lawn Care

Mowing, edging, and blowing: typically priced per visit with frequency specified. Weekly, bi-weekly, or as-needed.

Typical range: $30–$150 per visit depending on property size.

Ongoing Maintenance — Bed Maintenance

Weeding, deadheading, mulch refresh, plant trimming. Either priced per visit or as a monthly flat rate.

Ongoing Maintenance — Seasonal Services

Fall cleanup (leaf removal, cutting back perennials, mulching for winter protection), spring cleanup (debris removal, edge refresh, fertilization), aeration, overseeding, fertilization programs. These are often sold as add-ons to a base maintenance contract.

Typical ranges:

• Leaf cleanup per visit: $75–$250 depending on property
• Spring or fall cleanup package: $200–$800
• Aeration and overseeding: $150–$500

Mulch

Mulch is a line item that clients often add after seeing it as a separate option. Quote by the yard or by the area covered. Typical application is 2–3 inches deep.

Typical range: $75–$150 per yard installed.

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Sample Estimate: Landscape Design and Installation

A new landscape installation for a suburban backyard, approximately 1,800 square feet. The project includes a planting plan, mixed plant installation, mulching, paver walkway, and basic irrigation connection.

Line Item	Description	Price
Design and Consultation	Property assessment, 2D planting plan, presentation meeting	$350
Plants – Trees	2 ornamental trees (Serviceberry, 6 ft. B&B)	$620
Plants – Shrubs	8 flowering shrubs (Spirea, Hydrangea, Inkberry)	$480
Plants – Perennials	24 mixed perennials	$360
Plants – Ground Cover	Creeping Phlox, 30 plugs	$120
Mulch	6 yards installed (2.5 in. depth)	$660
Edging	Steel edging, installed, approximately 80 linear feet	$320
Paver Walkway	12 ft x 4 ft bluestone walkway, base and installation	$960
Irrigation Tie-In	Connect new planting zones to existing irrigation system	$280
Labor – Installation	Plant installation, grading, cleanup	$1,200
Total		$5,350

Deposit required: 50% ($2,675) before materials are ordered
Balance due: Upon project completion
Plant warranty: 1 year on trees and shrubs with confirmed irrigation
Estimate valid for: 21 days (plant availability and pricing subject to change)

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Sample Estimate: Recurring Maintenance Contract

A full-season maintenance contract for a residential property with approximately 6,000 sq ft of turf and established planting beds. The contract covers lawn care, bed maintenance, and seasonal services.

Service	Frequency	Per Visit	Season Total
Mowing, edging, blowing	Weekly (24 visits)	$75	$1,800
Bed weeding and tidying	Bi-weekly (12 visits)	$60	$720
Spring cleanup	Once	—	$350
Fall cleanup and cutback	Once	—	$400
Mulch refresh (3 yards)	Once (spring)	—	$330
Fertilization (lawn)	3x season	—	$180
Season Total			$3,780

Payment options: Monthly billing ($630/month for 6 months) or 5% discount for full-season prepayment ($3,591)
Contract period: May 1 – October 31
Service days: Monday or Tuesday (weather-dependent)
Estimate valid for: 30 days

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Presenting One-Time and Recurring Work in the Same Estimate

Many landscaping clients want both installation and ongoing maintenance. Presenting them together in a single estimate — clearly separated — makes it easy for the client to see the total relationship value and approve both at once.

Structure the estimate with two clear sections: "Installation" and "Maintenance Contract." Use a section header and subtotal for each. The final total should show both subtotals and the combined total so the client can evaluate them independently.

One common approach is to use a lower maintenance rate as an incentive for clients who commit to a maintenance contract at the same time as an installation. State this explicitly in the estimate: "Maintenance contract rate reflects installation client discount." This rewards the decision to go with you for both services without hiding the discount.

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Seasonal Pricing Considerations

Landscaping demand is inherently seasonal in most climates. Spring is the peak season for installations — demand is high, labor is stretched, and plant supply can be limited. You can charge appropriately for peak-season work.

Late summer and fall installations often come with a lower client priority (fewer homeowners think about landscaping in October) but also lower demand on your schedule. If you want to keep crews productive through the fall, modest seasonal discounts on installation projects can fill the calendar.

For maintenance contracts, seasonal pricing means building the full scope of seasonal services — spring cleanup, fall cleanup, aeration — into the contract total rather than billing them as surprises. Clients on a flat monthly payment do not like unexpected bills for services they thought were included.

For guidance on structuring your services into packages that work across seasons, the how to create service packages guide covers the packaging models in detail.

Return to the free estimate template overview for guides covering other industries.

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Site Assessment Before Writing the Estimate

For any landscaping project beyond routine maintenance, the estimate should follow an on-site assessment, not precede it. A client who describes their yard as "just needing some cleanup and new plants" may have a property with drainage problems, existing root systems that limit planting locations, or invasive species that need removal before anything new goes in.

On the site visit, document:

Soil and drainage conditions. Poor drainage affects plant selection, installation method, and in some cases requires grading or drainage installation before planting begins. Note if the site has standing water, compacted clay soil, or slopes that direct runoff toward structures.

Existing plant material. What stays and what goes? Some existing plants can be incorporated into the new design; others need to be removed. Removal costs — especially for mature trees or established root systems — belong on the estimate.

Access for equipment and materials. Can a skid steer get through the gate? Where does a delivery truck unload? Limited access adds labor time and should be reflected in the quote.

Utility locations. Know where underground utilities, irrigation lines, and hardscape edges are before you start digging. A call to your local utility marking service (811 in the U.S.) is standard practice. Note in the estimate that the client is responsible for locating and marking any private utilities not covered by the public system.

Sun and shade patterns. Plant selection depends on the light conditions in specific areas of the property. A north-facing bed and a south-facing bed require different plant choices. Documenting this during the site visit gives you the information needed to write a planting plan that will actually succeed.

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Writing Plant Warranties Into Landscaping Estimates

Plant warranties are a differentiator in the landscaping industry, and how you write them into your estimate matters.

A blanket "one-year warranty on all plants" sounds good but creates liability you may not be able to control. A client who waters incorrectly, installs deer netting too late, or fails to winterize the irrigation can lose plants through no fault of your installation work.

Write plant warranties with conditions:

• "One-year warranty on trees and shrubs installed by our team, provided: the irrigation system is operating and plants are receiving adequate water; no modifications to the planting area have been made without our prior approval; plants have not been subjected to damage by animals, weather events, or human activity."

This is not a way to avoid honoring legitimate warranty claims — it is a way to protect yourself from warranty claims that result from client behavior or extraordinary circumstances. A client who accepts these conditions understands that the warranty covers installation quality, not plant survival in all circumstances.

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Turning Landscaping Clients Into Long-Term Accounts

An installation client who does not also have a maintenance contract is a one-time revenue event. A client who has both is an account that generates revenue every month for years.

The most effective time to close a maintenance contract is simultaneously with the installation estimate. The client is already engaged, already thinking about their property, and already trusting you with the work. A maintenance contract at that moment is a natural extension — not a separate sales effort.

Frame it this way in the estimate: "We strongly recommend pairing installation with our ongoing maintenance program to protect your investment. New plantings especially require consistent watering and monitoring in the first season to establish root systems. Our weekly maintenance visits during the growing season ensure early intervention if any plants show stress."

This framing puts the maintenance contract in the context of protecting the installation investment — which it genuinely does. Clients who care about the money they spent on the installation are motivated to protect it.

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Upselling and Optional Line Items in Landscaping Estimates

The base estimate does not need to be the only option. Presenting optional upgrades as clearly labeled add-ons lets clients self-select into higher-value work without requiring you to pitch it.

Common optional line items for landscaping estimates:

• Irrigation system installation or expansion: Clients who see their planting investment and understand it requires regular watering often upgrade to irrigation when the crew is already on-site.
• Landscape lighting: Low-voltage path and accent lighting can be added to most projects as a finish layer.
• Annual color rotation: A service where you plant seasonal annuals (spring, summer, fall) to keep beds looking fresh year-round. This can be a recurring add-on to a maintenance contract.
• Mulch refresh: Annual mulch application to maintain bed depth and appearance. Offer it as a spring service add-on.
• Snow removal: For clients in cold-weather regions, offering snow and ice management as a seasonal add-on to a maintenance contract keeps your crews productive and your relationships intact year-round.

For each add-on, list it separately with a price. Some clients will add everything; most will add at least one thing. Either way, the revenue per estimate increases without a separate selling conversation.

EstimateForge makes it easy to include optional line items in an estimate that the client can select or deselect before approving — a feature that works particularly well for landscaping quotes where add-ons are a significant revenue driver.