What a lawn care change order is for
Lawn customers change their minds through the season: they add grub control after seeing damage, switch to every other week in a drought, or skip the fall cleanup. Writing the change down with the new monthly price keeps billing right and avoids the customer disputing a charge two months later.
What to put on a lawn care change order
- The original program and price.
- What is added or removed and when it starts.
- Added lines and credits.
- The new total or monthly price.
- Customer approval.
A worked example
In midsummer the customer sees grub damage and adds a grub treatment, and switches the last six weeks of mowing to every other week.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grub control application | 1 | each | Your price | |
| Credit: mowing visits dropped (biweekly) * | -3 | each | $46.75 | $-140.25 |
The credit is the calculator's mowing line with a minus quantity, so it nets against the added treatment. Put the season's original price in Original amount for the new total.
* Typical price from our free lawn care cost calculator, which lists its sources. Your own costs and market come first.
Line items lawn care companies use
| Line item | Unit | How to write it |
|---|---|---|
| Mowing, trimming and blowing | visit | Per visit, priced by lawn size. |
| Fertilizer application | each | Per round; say the product type. |
| Weed control application | each | Pre-emergent or post-emergent. |
| Core aeration | each | Once a year, usually spring or fall. |
| Overseeding | sq ft | Often paired with aeration. |
| Spring or fall cleanup | each | Leaves, sticks and bed cleanout. |
| Leaf removal | visit | Say whether leaves are hauled or mulched. |
| Hedge trimming | hour | By the hour or by the hedge. |
| Edging beds and walks | ft | Hard edging along beds and paving. |
| Mulch, delivered and spread | cu yd | Type and depth. |
| Grub or insect control | each | Where licensed for the application. |
| Extra charge for overgrown first cut | each | When the first mow needs extra passes. |
Terms and deposit language for lawn care
- Deposit. Weekly mowing usually needs no deposit; many lawn care companies bill monthly or keep a card on file. Seasonal packages may be paid up front or in monthly installments.
- Payment. Billed monthly or per visit, with a card on file charged after each visit or at month end.
- Warranty. If a treatment does not take, many lawn care companies re-treat between visits at no charge. Say whether you do and the conditions.
- Rain days move mowing to the next dry day; say how you handle a skipped week.
- Customer keeps gates unlocked, pets in, and toys and hoses off the lawn on service days.
- Pesticide and fertilizer applications follow product labels and state licensing rules.
How to fill it in
- Put in the original estimate number and amount.
- Write what changed in the reason box, plainly.
- Add the new work; type a minus quantity for any credit.
- Fill in the days added.
- Print it for a signature on site, or send it from Koira to sign by phone.
Free tools for lawn care
- Lawn care cost calculator
- Lawn square footage calculator
- Satellite measuring tool
- Landscaping business name generator
The same change order for other trades: appliance repair, auto detailing, carpet cleaning, chimney, house cleaning, commercial cleaning, concrete, drywall, electrical, fence, flooring, garage door, general contractor, gutter, handyman, hvac, irrigation, junk removal, landscaping, locksmith, moving, painting, pest control, plumbing, pool service, pressure washing, remodeling, roofing, septic, snow removal, solar, tree service, waterproofing, window cleaning.