What to put on a landscaping estimate
A landscaping estimate needs your business name and contact details, the customer and the property, an estimate number, the date and how long the price holds, the work split into phases with a quantity, unit and price on every line, plant and material specs, sales tax where your state charges it, the deposit, rough work dates and a place for the customer to sign.
Install work is where landscapers lose money on paper. The customer remembers "new beds and a walkway". You need them to remember 8 shrubs, 3 yards of mulch and 120 square feet of pavers. Write it down that way and the change conversation gets easy.
| Field | Why it's there |
|---|
| Phases: prep, planting, hardscape | The customer sees where the money goes and can drop or delay a phase without a full re-quote. |
| Units: sq ft, cu yd, ea, load | Pavers by the square foot, mulch by the yard, plants by the each. Add one more shrub and the math is already there. |
| Plant sizes and species | "3-gallon dwarf boxwood" is a promise you can keep. "Shrubs" is an argument at the nursery. |
| Valid until | A real date. Plant availability, stone prices and your spring calendar all move. |
| Deposit | What's due at signing to hold the dates, printed under the total. |
| Start and finish dates | Rough is fine. Weather moves installs; say so in the notes if you want. |
| Customer signature | Their OK in writing, before the sod cutter comes off the trailer. |
The example landscaping estimate, line by line
The example is a hypothetical front-yard refresh in Greenville, SC: $1,195 of site prep, $775 of planting and $2,880 of hardscape for a $4,850 total, with a $485 deposit at signing and $4,365 when the job is done. The business, the customer and the prices are made up; swap in yours.
| Section | Lines | Subtotal |
|---|
| 1. Site prep and cleanup | Shrub and stump removal $650; 180 sq ft of sod strip, grade and edge at $2.50 = $450; 1 load haul-away and dump fee $95 | $1,195.00 |
| 2. Planting | 8 shrubs, 3-gallon, supplied and planted at $65 = $520; 3 cu yd of mulch at $85 = $255 | $775.00 |
| 3. Hardscape | 120 sq ft of paver walkway at $24 = $2,880, base, sand and edge restraint included | $2,880.00 |
| Subtotal | | $4,850.00 |
| Sales tax | Set to 0% in the example | $0.00 |
| Total | | $4,850.00 |
| Deposit at signing | 10% of the total | $485.00 |
| Balance | Due when the job is done | $4,365.00 |
Why 0% tax? Whether landscape labor, plants and stone are taxable depends on the state, and some states split install work from maintenance. Mark each line taxable or not, set your rate, and check with your state's revenue department. This isn't tax advice.
See it the way the customer will: open the filled example PDF.
Pricing a landscape install: by phase, by unit
Maintenance is priced by the visit. Installs are priced by the unit, and each phase has its own.
- Prep and demo as a job or by the square foot. Pulling 4 overgrown shrubs is a job price. Stripping sod for a new bed is square feet. Grinding stumps is where the surprises live, so look before you price.
- Plants by the each, installed. One price per plant that covers the plant, the hole, the soil amendment and your trip to the nursery. Customers compare your shrub price to the garden center tag, so don't list the plant and the labor apart unless you want that conversation.
- Mulch, soil and stone by the cubic yard. Delivered and spread. 3 inches of mulch over 300 sq ft is about 3 yards; round up, never down.
- Hardscape by the square foot or linear foot. Pavers, patios and walls run on base depth, cuts and access. A walk with a curve or a wheelbarrow-only backyard is not the same square foot as an open driveway edge.
- Dump fees and equipment as their own lines. A skid steer day or a dump run is a real cost. Put it on the page so it doesn't get buried in your margin.
For walls and fences, the retaining wall calculator and the fence calculator give you the material count before you price. How to price landscaping jobs covers labor rates, markup on plants and materials, and minimums. Selling the maintenance after the install? The lawn care pricing calculator prices the weekly visit.
Options, plant warranties and what's not included
Give one option, not three estimates. The example keeps pavers on the lines and puts natural stone steppers in the notes for $1,450. The customer can trade down without you rewriting the estimate. Good-better-best works best as one alternate per phase.
Plant warranty, if you give one. Say how long and what voids it. Most landscapers tie it to watering, because a shrub that dies in a dry August on an unwatered bed is not your fault. One sentence in the notes is enough.
Name what's out. Irrigation, lighting, grading for drainage, permits, removing buried concrete. The example says irrigation is not included. Also say who requests the utility locate before anybody digs. If it's not on the estimate, the customer assumes it's in the price.
Markup on plants and materials. Your plant price should cover the nursery run, the plant you replace under warranty and the trip back for the one they changed their mind on. More in contractor markup.
Deposits, signatures and when the price becomes a promise
Deposit. Landscapers often ask for a deposit to hold the dates and cover plants and stone; the example asks 10%. Some states cap it. In California, the deposit on home improvement work can't be more than 10% of the contract or $1,000, whichever is less. Check your state before you ask for a third up front.
A signed estimate can be the contract. Once the customer signs the acceptance line, it's what both of you agreed to. New York, for example, lists what a home improvement contract must contain, including approximate dates and a payment schedule. And if the customer signs at their home, the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule covers sales of $25 or more made there: they get 3 business days to cancel, and you owe them a cancellation notice. Quote vs estimate explains when a number becomes a promise.
When the job is done, the landscaping invoice template uses the same layout, so the invoice matches the estimate they signed. Bigger build with more phases? Use the construction estimate template.
Landscaping estimate mistakes that cost you the job (or the margin)
- "Front yard landscaping, $4,850." The customer can't tell what they're paying for, so they get two more bids.
- No plant sizes. They picture 7-gallon shrubs, you priced 3-gallon. Write the size.
- Forgetting the dump fee. Every old shrub and every square foot of sod you strip has to go somewhere, and that costs money.
- One price for hardscape regardless of access. Pavers behind a gate cost more to lay than pavers by the driveway. Price the access.
- No valid-until date. They come back in April, when stone is up and your calendar is full, and want the November number.
- Sending it next week. The landscaper who sends the estimate the same day usually gets the job. Write it before you leave the curb.
Not sure which install services to offer? See the landscaping services list.
Questions about landscaping estimates
Is this landscaping estimate template free?
Yes. Fill it in on this page and download it as a PDF, Word or Excel file, or download the blank versions. There's no email gate and no signup. The blank files work even if you never touch the form on the page.
What should a landscaping estimate include?
Your business name and contact details, the customer and property, an estimate number, the date and how long the price holds, the work in phases with a quantity, unit and price per line, plant sizes and material specs, sales tax where it applies, the deposit, rough dates and a signature line.
How do you price a landscaping job on an estimate?
Price each phase in the unit it runs on: prep as a job or by the square foot, plants by the each installed, mulch and soil by the cubic yard, pavers by the square foot. Add dump fees and equipment as their own lines, then check the total against your hourly target.
Should a landscaping estimate list plants separately from labor?
Most landscapers price plants installed, one price per plant that covers the plant, the hole, the amendment and the trip. Splitting them invites the customer to compare your plant price with a garden center tag. List the size and species so they know exactly what they get.
How long should a landscaping estimate be valid?
Thirty days is common, and the example holds its price that long. Plant availability, stone prices and your schedule all change with the season. If the customer comes back after the date, check your costs again before you send an updated estimate.
How much deposit should a landscaper ask for?
Many ask for enough to hold the dates and cover plants and stone; the example asks 10%. Some states cap deposits on home improvement work: California allows no more than 10% of the contract or $1,000, whichever is less. Check your state's rule before you set yours.
Is a signed landscaping estimate a contract?
It can be. Once the customer signs the acceptance line, it's what both of you agreed to. If they sign at their home, the FTC Cooling-Off Rule gives them 3 business days to cancel sales of $25 or more, and you owe a cancellation notice. Some states require more.
Do landscapers charge sales tax on an estimate?
It depends on the state. Some tax landscape services, some tax only plants and materials, some treat install work differently from maintenance. The example is set to 0%. Mark each line taxable or not, set your rate, and confirm with your state's revenue department.
Can I use this landscaping estimate in Google Docs or Google Sheets?
Yes. Download the Word or Excel file, upload it to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs or Sheets. The layout carries over, and in Sheets the line, total and deposit formulas keep working. Your edits stay in your own Drive.
