What a lawn care service agreement is for
A season agreement is the backbone of a lawn care business: it fixes the route for the year and sets how billing, skipped weeks and cancellations work. Without one, every rain week and every price change is a negotiation. Keep it to one page that a homeowner will actually read.
What to put on a lawn care service agreement
- Season start and end.
- Mowing frequency and treatments.
- Rain days, droughts and skipped weeks.
- Billing and card on file.
- Renewal and cancellation.
A worked example
The quarter-acre customer signs for the full program. Prices are the calculator's typical figures.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mowing, trimming and blowing * | 26 | each | $46.75 | $1,215.50 |
| Fertilizer applications * | 4 | each | $130.75 | $523.00 |
| Weed control applications * | 2 | each | $92.50 | $185.00 |
| Core aeration * | 1 | each | $166.50 | $166.50 |
| Total before tax | $2,090.00 |
Say in the terms how a skipped week is billed. This is a template, not legal advice; some states have rules on automatic renewal, so check your state's rules.
* 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
- Fill in the customer and the start and end dates.
- List what each visit includes and how many visits a year.
- Add your price per line; the plan shows a yearly total, and a monthly figure if billed monthly.
- Fill in what is not covered and the renewal and cancellation terms.
- Check your state's rules, then print it for signatures.
Free tools for lawn care
- Lawn care cost calculator
- Lawn square footage calculator
- Satellite measuring tool
- Landscaping business name generator
The same service agreement 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.