Landscaping bid template: plant materials, labor breakdown, and per-service pricing. Typical residential install and maintenance rates. Free, no sign-up.
Landscaping bids fail in two ways: they're too vague ("install plants and mulch") or too complicated (a 12-page spec that the homeowner won't read). The right format is specific about materials, clear about labor costs, and explicit about what triggers a change order. The sample below is for a mid-size residential backyard project — the kind of design-build job that runs $8,000–$18,000 and requires a signed proposal before any work starts.
Bid from
Terrain Landscaping Co.
Prepared for
The Nakamura Residence
April 2026
Backyard Landscape Installation Bid
Backyard redesign: remove existing lawn (1,800 sq ft), install decomposed granite patio (600 sq ft), plant mixed drought-tolerant border (18 plants), lay bark mulch (4 cubic yards), install drip irrigation for planted areas.
Decomposed granite, compacted (600 sq ft): $840 Drip irrigation parts and fittings: $380 Plant material (18 plants, 5-gal containers): $810 Bark mulch (4 cu yd): $220 Misc. edging, staples, weed fabric: $160 Materials subtotal: $2,410
Lawn removal and haul-off (1,800 sq ft): $1,200 Site grading and prep: $600 DG patio installation and compaction: $1,100 Irrigation installation: $900 Planting and mulching: $780 Cleanup and debris removal: $300 Labor subtotal: $4,880
Materials: $2,410 Labor: $4,880 Total: $7,290 50% deposit required to schedule. Balance due on completion. Estimated duration: 3–4 days.
All plant material warranted for 12 months against installation failure. Warranty void if plants are damaged by drought, overwatering, frost (not covered by irrigation), or physical damage. One replacement per plant, same species.
HOA approval (client's responsibility before start date), utility locating for irrigation trenches (required by law — client must call 811), landscape design or revisions after materials are ordered, and annual maintenance after completion. Ongoing maintenance available under separate agreement.
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These ranges reflect common pricing in mid-tier U.S. markets. Rates vary by region, crew size, and job complexity.
| Service | Typical Rate |
|---|---|
| Basic lawn maintenance (mow/edge/blow), weekly | $45–$85/visit |
| Mulch installation (delivery + labor) | $75–$100/cubic yard installed |
| Lawn aeration (per 1,000 sq ft) | $50–$90 |
| Sod installation (per sq ft, installed) | $1.50–$3.00/sq ft |
| Landscape design-build projects (mid-size residential) | $8,000–$25,000 |
| Irrigation installation (residential drip system) | $1,500–$4,500 |
Separate material costs from labor in every bid. Clients who see a flat $7,200 number wonder what they're paying for. A split between materials ($2,400) and labor ($4,800) reads as honest and gives them something to anchor on.
Photo-document the site before work starts. One photo of an existing crack in the patio or a dying tree in the corner saves hours of arguments when the client wonders if it was there before you started.
Include a 50% deposit requirement in the bid, not the contract. Clients who see it in the proposal before signing don't push back. Those who see it on a separate invoice after agreeing to a price sometimes do.
List plant materials by common name and botanical name if selling to detail-oriented clients. It looks professional and prevents substitution disputes if a plant is backordered.
Specify irrigation responsibility clearly. Who's watering during the establishment period? If you install drought-tolerant plants and the client waters them wrong for the first month, you need a clear record that watering instructions were provided.
Most landscape bids break into three categories: materials (plants, stone, mulch, irrigation parts), labor (install, prep, cleanup), and overhead/markup. A common target: materials at cost plus 20–30% markup, labor at $45–$85/hour depending on crew and region, and a 10–15% contingency for large projects. For maintenance contracts, pricing by square footage or by the hour both work — just be consistent so you can compare jobs over time.
Project scope (what you're doing, in plain terms), materials list with quantities and species, labor breakdown by task, total with payment schedule, plant warranty terms, HOA/permit responsibility, and what is not included. The 'not included' section is where most disputes start — be specific about what you won't do under this bid.
For projects under $5,000, usually no — the site visit is part of winning the job. For projects over $5,000, a paid design consultation ($150–$400 credited toward the project if they hire you) filters out tire-kickers and compensates you for real design time. Clients who won't pay for design work on a $12,000 project often aren't serious buyers.
Put it in writing that HOA approval is the client's responsibility before work begins. This protects you if the HOA rejects the design after materials are ordered or installation has started. Offer to provide drawings or material specs for the HOA submission, but make it an add-on service if it requires your time.
50% deposit to schedule, 50% on completion is standard for residential installs. For larger projects ($15,000+), a three-payment structure works: 30% to start, 40% at a defined milestone, 30% on completion. Never start a project without a deposit — materials cost is real and there's no guarantee a client shows up at completion.
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Need a proposal template instead?
Bids are great for straightforward price quotes. For longer engagements or new client relationships, a full proposal with scope narrative and terms is more persuasive.
Landscaping proposal template →Describe the job, and BidMaker writes a complete bid for you in under 2 minutes. Send it as a link or PDF and get notified when your client accepts.
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