How to start a landscaping business

How to start a landscaping business, step by step

1. 01

   Pick the projects you'll install

   Landscaping is project work: you design a yard and build it. Planting beds, sod, mulch, edging, small retaining walls, paver patios and drip irrigation are all landscaping jobs. Weekly mowing and blowing is lawn care, a different business with a different rhythm.

   Start with two or three project types you can do well with a small crew. Planting and bed renovations need little equipment. Hardscape like patios needs a compactor and more skill, so add it after your first season of smaller jobs.

2. 02

   Find your state's license line

   Some states license landscape contractors above a dollar amount. In California, the Contractors State License Board lets an unlicensed person take jobs under $1,000, counting labor and materials, only if the work needs no permit and they hire no workers. Ads for that work must say you're not licensed.

   Above that, you need a C-27 Landscaping license. CSLB charges a $450 application fee, then a $200 initial license fee for a sole owner after you pass the exam, and the license needs a $25,000 contractor's bond. Most real install projects clear $1,000, so plan for this early.

3. 03

   Quote by the project, not the hour

   Visit every site before you quote. Measure the beds, note slopes, sun, drainage and access for a wheelbarrow or machine, and photograph the before. Then build the price from plants and materials, hours for your crew, equipment rental, disposal and a markup on materials.

   Send a written quote with a simple plan sketch and what's included. Clients compare landscapers on what they'll get, so a sketch often wins over a cheaper number with no picture.

4. 04

   Learn the design rules clients notice

   You don't need a design degree for small residential jobs, but you need a few rules. University of Missouri Extension advises planting shrubs in odd numbers, such as three and five, so a group reads as one mass. Place plants for their mature size, not the size in the pot.

   Match plants to sun and water on the site, and repeat a few plants across the yard instead of using one of everything. Those choices are what make a finished yard look designed in your photos.

5. 05

   Own hand tools, rent the machines

   Buy the tools you'll use on every job: a steel wheelbarrow, round point shovels, a bow rake for spreading soil and mulch, pruners and a tape measure. Rent sod cutters, plate compactors and mini excavators by the day and put the rental in the quote.

   Buying a machine makes sense only once you're renting it most weeks. Until then, rentals keep your cash free for plants, payroll and the deposit on your next truck or trailer.

6. 06

   Build a portfolio site

   People hire landscapers from photos. Your site needs before-and-after pairs from every job, the project types you take on, the towns you serve, reviews, and a quote request form that asks for the address, yard size, budget range and a photo of the space.

   Replo builds that site from a description of your business and puts it live on your domain, and you add each new project by chatting or clicking. Replo doesn't schedule crews or send invoices, so keep those in a tool like Jobber.

7. 07

   Win the first three projects

   Your first projects are small: a front bed, a mulch refresh, a strip of sod. Offer them to neighbors and friends at a fair price in exchange for photos and a review. Real estate agents need yards fixed before listings go up, and lawn care companies get asked for install work they don't do.

   Ask every client for a review and permission to post the after photos. Leave a small yard sign for a week if they agree. Each finished yard sells the next one on the same street.

What it costs to start a landscaping business

Hand tools and setup for small install jobs in California. Stay under the $1,000 line at first and the license rows can wait.

Your first 30 days

1. Week 1

   Choose work and paperwork

   • Pick two or three project types you can install well this season.
   • Read your state contractor board's rules on license dollar limits.
   • Get your EIN and start a license application if you need one.
   • Open accounts at a local nursery and an equipment rental yard.

2. Week 2

   Do a project for photos

   • Install one small bed for a friend or neighbor at cost.
   • Shoot before and after photos from the same spot.
   • Write a quote template with materials, labor, rental and disposal lines.

3. Week 3

   Launch and quote

   • Launch your portfolio site with the first project and a quote form.
   • Introduce yourself to three real estate agents and two lawn care companies.
   • Visit every inquiry's site within two days and send a written quote.

4. Week 4

   Finish and collect reviews

   • Complete your first paid project and walk the client through it.
   • Ask for a review and permission to post the photos.
   • Add the project to your site and quote the next street over.

Build your landscaping portfolio site

Frequently asked questions

What makes the most money in landscaping?

Install projects usually bring in more per job than routine upkeep, because each one includes materials, a markup and a full crew day. Patios and walls are the biggest tickets but need skill and equipment, so most new landscapers start with beds and sod.

What is the rule of 3 in landscaping?

It's the habit of planting in odd-numbered groups, like three or five of the same shrub. University of Missouri Extension says odd numbers improve the balance and look of a planting, because the group reads as one mass instead of pairs.

How do landscapers find clients?

Mostly through photos and referrals. Post before-and-after pictures of every job on your site, ask each client for a review, and introduce yourself to real estate agents and lawn care companies, who both get asked for install work they can't do.

Do I need a license to start a landscaping business?

It depends on your state and job size. In California you need a C-27 Landscaping license for any job of $1,000 or more, or any job that needs a permit or workers. Check your own state's contractor board before you quote.

How much does it cost to start a landscaping business?

About $465 for basic hand tools, a domain and your EIN, using rented machines. In California, adding the C-27 application and initial license fee brings it to about $1,115, plus the cost of a $25,000 license bond.