What a landscaping proposal is for
Customers often call a landscaper with a vague idea and a budget they will not say. Three priced designs for the same space find the budget for you. The first fixes what is tired, the second makes it look finished, the third adds the outdoor living piece people love. Each option should describe what it will look like in words.
What to put on a landscaping proposal
- The same space and measurements in each design.
- What each design adds, described visually.
- Plant counts and sizes in each.
- Hardscape and lighting where included.
- One deposit rule for whichever design is chosen, and a line to mark the choice.
A worked example
The same front yard. Every option clears the old shrubs and mulches; the mulch line uses the lawn care calculator's typical price.
Option 1: Good: clean refresh. Old shrubs out, new shrubs in the same spots, fresh mulch.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remove overgrown shrubs | 8 | each | Your price | |
| Shrubs, 3 gallon | 8 | each | Your price | |
| Mulch, delivered and spread (cu yd) * | 2.8 | each | $161.11 | $451.11 |
Option 2: Better: layered beds. Deeper beds with shrubs, perennials and steel edging.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remove overgrown shrubs | 8 | each | Your price | |
| Compost tilled into beds | 2 | cu yd | Your price | |
| Shrubs, 3 gallon | 10 | each | Your price | |
| Perennials, 1 gallon | 18 | each | Your price | |
| Steel bed edging | 90 | ft | Your price | |
| Mulch, delivered and spread (cu yd) * | 2.8 | each | $161.11 | $451.11 |
Option 3: Best: beds, patio and lighting. Layered beds plus a small paver sitting area and path lights.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remove overgrown shrubs | 8 | each | Your price | |
| Shrubs and perennials | 28 | each | Your price | |
| Steel bed edging | 90 | ft | Your price | |
| Paver sitting area | 100 | sq ft | Your price | |
| Path lights and transformer | 6 | each | Your price | |
| Mulch, delivered and spread (cu yd) * | 2.8 | each | $161.11 | $451.11 |
Describe the look in each option's note, such as layered beds or a sitting area by the door. People choose landscapes by picture, not by line item.
* Typical price from our free lawn care cost calculator, which lists its sources. Your own costs and market come first.
Line items landscapers use
| Line item | Unit | How to write it |
|---|---|---|
| Remove existing plants and turf | sq ft | Say whether debris is hauled away. |
| Bed edging, steel or stone | ft | Material and height of the edge. |
| Shrubs, installed | each | Container size and variety, with a guarantee period if you give one. |
| Trees, installed | each | Caliper or container size, staking, and who waters. |
| Perennials and groundcover | each | Flat or pot size. |
| Soil amendment or compost | cu yd | Tilled in before planting. |
| Mulch, delivered and spread | cu yd | Type and depth. |
| Sod, installed | sq ft | Grass type, plus grading and starter fertilizer. |
| Paver patio | sq ft | Paver style, base depth and edge restraint. |
| Retaining wall block | sq ft | Face area, with drainage stone and fabric behind it. |
| Drainage, French drain or dry creek | ft | Pipe, stone and fabric; where it discharges. |
| Landscape lighting fixtures | each | Fixture type and transformer. |
| Grading and soil | hour | Machine or hand grading. |
| Utility locate | each | Call before you dig; say that it is done before work starts. |
Terms and deposit language for landscaping
- Deposit. Install and hardscape jobs take a deposit at signing to order plants, stone and block and hold the crew. Some states limit deposits on landscape and home improvement contracts, so look yours up.
- Payment. Progress payments on larger hardscape jobs at set stages, with the balance due when the work is complete and walked with the customer.
- Warranty. Plant guarantees usually depend on proper watering, so say who waters and for how long. Hardscape workmanship is covered separately, for a stated period.
- Underground utilities are located before digging; private lines such as irrigation or lighting the locate service does not mark are not your responsibility unless the customer flags them.
- Plant substitutions of equal size and value may be made if a variety is unavailable, with the customer told first.
- Equipment access may mark the lawn; say how ruts are repaired.
How to fill it in
- Fill in the customer and the job.
- Check each option's name, its one-line difference and its lines.
- Add your prices; each option totals on its own.
- Set tax, the deposit and the good-until date.
- Print it, download it, or send it from Koira so the customer can pick and sign on the phone.
Free tools for landscaping
- Lawn care cost calculator
- Lawn square footage calculator
- Artificial turf cost calculator
- French drain cost calculator
- Land clearing cost calculator
The same proposal 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, lawn care, locksmith, moving, painting, pest control, plumbing, pool service, pressure washing, remodeling, roofing, septic, snow removal, solar, tree service, waterproofing, window cleaning.
More for landscapers: how landscapers run on Koira.