Estimates
A landscaping estimate, line by line
By DoneQuote Editorial · August 23, 2026 · 7 min read
On this page · 8 sections
A landscaping estimate should distinguish recurring maintenance from installation and cleanup work. State visits and billing periods for maintenance, plants and quantities for installation, and the hourly rate and cap for uncertain cleanup work.
The three examples below use a fictional company and invented prices. Confirm site measurements, plant selections and local requirements before adapting them. For pricing structure, see landscaping pricing.
A season of maintenance, billed monthly
Estimate #2026-152 Date: August 23, 2026 · Valid through: September 22, 2026
To: P. Novak, 745 Ashbrook Lane From: Greenfield Lawn & Landscape LLC, 40 Depot St. · (555) 010-4417 · [email protected]
Property: 0.35 acre lot, roughly 12,000 sq ft of turf, 4 front beds
| Description | Qty/Frequency | Unit | Price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mow, string trim, edge walks and drive, blow hard surfaces | 28 visits | per visit | $58.00 | $1,624.00 |
| Shrub and hedge trim, front beds (12 shrubs) | 2 visits | per visit | $145.00 | $290.00 |
| Bed re-edge and hardwood mulch refresh, 6 cu yd at 2 in. | 1 | project | $480.00 | $480.00 |
| Turf fertilizer and pre-emergent program, applied by a licensed applicator | 4 rounds | per round | $75.00 | $300.00 |
| Final leaf cleanup, debris hauled off | 1 | visit | $290.00 | $290.00 |
| Season total | $2,984.00 |
Billing: 8 equal installments of $373.00, March through October 2027, allocated across the season’s work. Sales tax added where the state taxes lawn maintenance. Season: 28 mowing visits, approximately March 15 through October 31, 2027. If growth stops: in a summer drought we drop to every other week. Each omitted mowing visit reduces the season price by $58.00. We apply the credit to the final installment and refund any excess within 14 days after the season ends. Renewal: the agreement ends with the season. We re-quote each January; nothing renews on its own. Not included: irrigation repairs, tree work over 12 ft, storm debris.
A front-yard planting and sod install
The installation example removes 900 sq ft of turf: 600 sq ft receives new sod and 300 sq ft becomes planting beds. Plant lines include supply and planting labor; confirm the layout and site preparation before quoting a real installation.
| Description | Qty | Unit | Price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strip existing turf, sod cutter, 900 sq ft | 900 | sq ft | $1.10 | $990.00 |
| Grade beds and till in compost | 4 | cu yd | $95.00 | $380.00 |
| Supply and plant boxwood, Buxus 'Green Velvet', #3 container | 9 | each | $62.00 | $558.00 |
| Supply and plant panicle hydrangea, 'Little Lime', #5 container | 5 | each | $88.00 | $440.00 |
| Supply and plant feather reed grass, 'Karl Foerster', #1 container | 24 | each | $16.00 | $384.00 |
| Shredded hardwood mulch, installed 3 in. deep | 3 | cu yd | $78.00 | $234.00 |
| Tall fescue sod, delivered and installed | 600 | sq ft | $0.95 | $570.00 |
| Debris haul-off and transfer station fees | 2 | loads | $92.50 | $185.00 |
| Sod cutter and mini skid steer rental, 1 day | 1 | day | $340.00 | $340.00 |
| Subtotal | $4,081.00 |
Deposit: $[amount] due at signing, then the balance on completion. Several states cap what a contractor may collect up front on residential improvement work — write in the number yours allows, not a copied one, and we do not order stock until any cancellation period has run. Substitutions: if a cultivar is sold out at install time we will call before swapping, and any substitute matches the listed size and habit. Watering and warranty: provide a site-specific watering plan and the complete plant warranty for approval before installation. State covered plants, term, claim process and any maintenance conditions; do not copy a fixed watering frequency without checking soil, weather and the nursery’s instructions.
A spring cleanup with a cap
When the amount of hidden debris is uncertain, an hourly crew price with a cap can define the authorized charge. A fixed price is also possible when you can assess the cleanup scope and quantities. Here, one crew-hour means both members of the two-person crew working for one elapsed hour; six crew-hours equals twelve individual labor-hours.
| Description | Qty | Unit | Price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two-person crew: cut back perennials, clear beds, edge, mulch touch-up | 6 | crew-hours | $95.00 | $570.00 |
| Debris hauled and dumped, truck and trailer | 2 | loads | $130.00 | $260.00 |
| Estimated total | $830.00 |
Cap: we stop at $1,050.00 and call you. Anything past that needs written approval of the extra scope, price and schedule first.
Identify the plants, sizes and quantities
Two estimates that both read "foundation planting — $2,400" can differ by half the plant material, and the customer has no way to see it. The fix: botanical or trade name plus cultivar, container or root size, and a count. #3 and #5 are container sizes, B&B is balled and burlapped, and caliper describes trunk diameter where used to size trees. Confirm the nursery’s actual specifications; extension guidance explains the nursery-stock forms.
Same discipline on bulk goods. Mulch and compost in cubic yards at a stated depth, not "a few loads." Sod by square foot and by type, because tall fescue, zoysia and bermuda differ in price and in where they will live. Gravel and soil by the ton if that is how your supplier sells it. Visible quantities let the customer compare the material scope.
State the planting window and weather dependencies
Give the planting window and explain how wet or frozen ground can change it. Follow the nursery’s instructions for the selected stock and confirm revised dates with the customer instead of treating the original schedule as unconditional.
A maintenance agreement that quietly renews at last year's price is a dispute waiting for March, which is why the season terms above carry an end date.
Price disposal and describe underground assumptions
"Cleanup included" is a blank check. Sod strippings, brush, bed debris and excavation spoil all cost money to put down somewhere, and transfer stations bill by the ton or by the load, often at separate rates for yard waste and construction debris. Show it as loads or tons so the customer can see the third truckload was real.
Contact 811 before digging and follow the local notice, response and safe-digging rules. Private irrigation, lighting and other customer-owned lines may need a separate locate. State how unknown rock, roots or unsuitable soil will be handled: stop, document the added scope and price, explain the schedule effect and get written approval before continuing.
The licenses that belong on the page
Check licensing for each service you offer:
- Pesticides. EPA requires certification for restricted-use pesticide application or supervision. A noncertified worker may apply under direct supervision only when the label, applicable rules and federal supervision requirements allow it. Many states also require certification for commercial use of general-use products.
- Fertilizer. Check the state’s separate fertilizer rules rather than assuming pesticide certification covers it.
- Irrigation. Check the irrigation or plumbing authority. Texas requires landscape-irrigation licensing, with roles and exemptions defined in its rules.
- Other landscape work. Ask the contractor licensing authority about the scope and value of the job. Include the required license details on the estimate.
Reuse maintenance and installation prices
Save maintenance services and installation items in DoneQuote with their units and selling prices. Describe the measured job or paste the customer’s email to create a draft. Review the visit count, plant quantities, billing intervals and terms before sending; quote approval does not record completed visits or payments.
Write quotes
10x faster
- Describe the job, AI drafts the quote
- Professional layout in seconds
- Free to try, no credit card