How to start a landscaping business in 2025: A practical guide
Learn how to start a landscaping business the right way. Equipment, licensing, pricing, and proven strategies to get clients fast.
- By
- Micah HedrickCo-founder and software engineer, Business Genie
- Published
- Updated
- Length
- 1,586 words · 8 min
Landscaping is one of those businesses where you can start small with a truck and a mower and build something substantial. The barrier to entry is low, but the businesses that thrive are the ones that treat it like a real company from the start.
Here's a practical, honest guide to starting a landscaping business.
What kind of landscaping business?
Choose where to start: lawn maintenance (mowing, fertilization, cleanups), which brings recurring revenue with low equipment costs, or landscape design and installation (planting, hardscaping, irrigation, lighting), which pays higher margins but takes more skill and equipment. Most landscaping companies start with maintenance and add installation as they grow. The options:
Lawn maintenance
- Mowing, edging, and blowing
- Fertilization and weed control
- Leaf removal and seasonal cleanup
- Aeration and overseeding
ProsRecurring revenue, low equipment cost, easy to learn
ConsSeasonal in northern climates, lower margins, lots of competition
Landscape design and installation
- Garden design and planting
- Hardscaping (patios, retaining walls, walkways)
- Irrigation system installation
- Outdoor lighting
ProsHigher margins, more creative, less price-sensitive clients
ConsRequires more skill, higher equipment costs, longer sales cycles
Specialty services
- Tree care and removal
- Irrigation repair
- Snow removal (winter revenue)
- Commercial grounds maintenance
Maintenance creates recurring revenue while installation provides higher-margin project work.
Step 1: Legal setup
Set up a landscaping business by registering its name with your state, getting an EIN, forming an LLC and getting a local business license. Check licensing too, since some states license landscape contractors and pesticide application, irrigation and tree removal often need their own, and insure for liability, your truck, your equipment and, once you hire, workers' comp.
Business registration
- Register your business name with the state
- Get an EIN from the IRS
- Form an LLC (recommended for liability protection)
- Get a local business license
Licensing
Landscaping licensing varies significantly by state and city:
- Some states require a landscape contractor license for any work beyond basic mowing
- Pesticide and fertilizer application typically requires a separate applicator license
- Irrigation work may require a plumbing or irrigation-specific license
- Tree removal often needs an arborist certification
Check with your state's Department of Agriculture and contractor licensing board.
Insurance
- General Liability: $800–$2,000/year. Covers property damage (e.g., a rock from your mower breaks a window)
- Commercial Auto: $1,500–$3,500/year. Covers your truck and trailer
- Workers Compensation: Required once you have employees
- Equipment Insurance: $300–$800/year for your mowers and tools
Step 2: Equipment
A lawn maintenance business needs a commercial walk-behind mower, string trimmer, backpack blower, edger, hand tools and a trailer: $5,000 to $12,000 if you already have a truck, $20,000 to $40,000 with one. Buy commercial-grade equipment, consider used mowers from dealers, skip the zero-turn until you need it, and keep a backup trimmer and blower.
Starter equipment for lawn maintenance
| Equipment | New Price | Used Price | On one scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial walk-behind mower (36–48") | $3,000–$5,000 | $1,500–$3,000 | |
| String trimmer (commercial) | $250–$400 | $100–$200 | |
| Backpack blower | $300–$500 | $150–$250 | |
| Edger | $200–$350 | $100–$200 | |
| Hand tools (rakes, shovels, etc.) | $200–$400 | -- | |
| Truck (used) | -- | $15,000–$25,000 | |
| Trailer (open, 6x12 minimum) | $1,500–$3,000 | $800–$1,500 |
Minimum startup budget: $5,000–$12,000 (assuming you already have a truck) Realistic budget with truck: $20,000–$40,000
Equipment tips
- Buy commercial-grade equipment, not residential. The upfront cost is higher but they last longer and handle daily use.
- Used commercial mowers from dealers are often a great value. Look for well-maintained trade-ins.
- Don't buy a zero-turn mower until you need one. A quality walk-behind handles most residential lawns just fine.
- Have a backup trimmer and blower. If your only one breaks mid-day, you can't finish your route.
Step 3: Pricing your services
Price residential mowing as a flat rate per visit by yard size, from $30 to $50 for a small yard up to $90 to $150 or more for over 20,000 sq ft; commercial work per man-hour at $35 to $65; and recurring clients as a monthly contract. Price installation as materials plus labor and equipment, targeting a 40% to 60% gross margin. The full guide is how to price landscaping services.
Lawn maintenance pricing
There are three common approaches:
Per-visit flat rate (most common for residential)
- Small yard (under 5,000 sq ft): $30–$50
- Medium yard (5,000–10,000 sq ft): $45–$75
- Large yard (10,000–20,000 sq ft): $65–$100
- Extra large (20,000+ sq ft): $90–$150+
Per-man-hour (better for commercial)
- $35–$65 per man-hour depending on your market
Monthly contract (best for recurring)
- Take the per-visit rate, multiply by visits per month, and offer a slight discount for commitment
Landscape installation pricing
- Calculate materials cost (get quotes from your supplier)
- Add labor at $40–$75 per man-hour
- Add equipment rental costs
- Target a 40–60% gross margin on the total project
How to estimate a lawn
- Drive by or visit the property
- Estimate the time to mow, trim, edge, and blow
- Factor in drive time between properties
- Apply your per-hour target rate
- Round to a clean number
Over time you'll be able to price properties just from Google Maps satellite view. But walk them in person when you're starting out.
Step 4: Get customers
Win landscaping customers neighborhood by neighborhood, because clients close together cost you less driving. Door hangers, a Google Business Profile, Facebook and Nextdoor groups, yard signs and a $20 to $25 referral credit all work. For your first 10 to 20 clients, be fair on price, be very reliable, and ask every one for a Google review.
Route density matters
This is the most important concept in lawn care profitability. The closer your clients are to each other, the less time you waste driving between them.
Target specific neighborhoods rather than scattering across town. When you land a client in a new area, canvas the surrounding homes.
Marketing that works
Door hangers and flyersWalk the neighborhoods you want to serve. Target homes with overgrown lawns or basic landscaping that could be improved. Spring and early summer are the best times.
Google Business ProfileSet up with photos of your work, service descriptions, and your service area. This is how people search for "landscaping near me."
Facebook and NextdoorJoin local community groups. Many homeowners ask for landscaper recommendations in these groups.
Yard signsPut a small sign in the yard while you're working (with client permission). Neighbors notice a lawn that looks great.
Referral incentivesOffer $20–$25 off a client's next service for every new customer they refer.
First clients strategy
Your first 10–20 clients are the hardest to get. Be willing to:
- Price competitively (not cheap, but fair)
- Be extremely responsive and reliable
- Ask every single client for a Google review
- Do slightly more than expected (pull a visible weed, straighten a border)
Step 5: Build efficient routes
Organize clients into daily routes by geographic zone from Monday to Friday, with Saturday for weather makeups and one day a week for equipment maintenance, estimates and admin. A solo operator can aim for 8 to 12 lawn stops a day, a two-person crew 12 to 18. Business Genie's route optimization orders each day's stops automatically and re-routes when a job is added. A typical week:
- Monday-Friday: Service clients by geographic zone
- Saturday: Overflow or makeup day for weather delays
- One day per week: Equipment maintenance, estimates, and admin
Track your time on each property. If a lawn consistently takes longer than your estimate, you need to raise that client's price or find efficiency gains.
Step 6: Manage the business side
Run the business side from the first job: record revenue and time per client, fuel, equipment maintenance and materials so you know which clients are profitable; invoice on the day of service and take card payments on the spot; and plan for the off-season with snow removal, cleanups and 20% to 30% of peak-season income saved.
Track everything
From the first job, keep records of:
- Revenue per client
- Time per property
- Fuel costs
- Equipment maintenance
- Material expenses
This data tells you which clients are profitable and which are costing you money.
Invoicing and payments
Don't chase payments with handwritten invoices. Use software to send professional invoices the day of service and accept card payments on the spot.
Business Genie lets you invoice from your phone right after a job and collect payment before you leave the property. It also handles scheduling, so clients can book services online without the back-and-forth texting.
Plan for seasonality
In northern climates, lawn care is a 6–8 month business. Plan for the off-season:
- Offer snow removal and salting
- Do fall cleanups and winter pruning
- Use downtime for equipment maintenance and business planning
- Save 20–30% of peak-season income for winter months
Common mistakes
- Buying too much equipment too soon: Start with the basics and add as revenue justifies it
- Underpricing: Know your costs. A $30 lawn that takes 45 minutes including drive time might be losing you money
- Not having contracts: Use simple service agreements for recurring clients
- Ignoring the numbers: If you don't track profitability per client, you're guessing
- Saying yes to everything: It's okay to turn down clients who are too far from your route or who consistently demand more than they pay for
Earning potential
The real money comes from running crews and adding installation services. Maintenance builds the base; design and installation build the profit.
Key takeaways
- Start with lawn maintenance for recurring revenue, then add installation services
- Invest in commercial-grade equipment from the start
- Focus on route density — clients close together means more profit per hour
- Price based on your actual costs, not what the guy down the street charges
- Track your time and expenses from day one
- Plan for seasonality, especially in northern climates
Keep reading
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