Landscaping contract template for lawn care maintenance
A landscaping maintenance contract should state the services and how often each is done by season, the service day and what happens when it rains, what is excluded, the price and billing schedule, how the agreement renews and how either side cancels, and who is responsible for access, damage and irrigation. The template below lists each clause with sample wording, plus a seasonal scope table you can copy. Alvin fills the agreement from your price sheet and tracks renewal dates, and a person approves it before it goes to the customer.
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This template is general information, not legal advice. Contract, auto-renewal, cancellation and pesticide rules vary by state. Have an attorney in your state review your agreement before you use it.
The lawn care contract template, clause by clause
Scroll sideways to see every column.
| Clause | What it should state | Sample wording |
|---|---|---|
| Parties and property | Your company, the customer, the service address, the areas covered | "Services cover the front, side and back lawn and all planting beds at 14 Oak Lane." |
| Term | Start date, end date, season length | "This agreement runs from March 1 to November 30, 2027." |
| Services and frequency | Each service and the number of visits, by season | "See Schedule A." (the scope table below) |
| Service day and weather | Normal day, and what happens after rain or a holiday | "Service is normally on Tuesday. If weather prevents service, we will come on the next workable day." |
| Exclusions | What is not included unless quoted | "Not included: tree work above 10 feet, irrigation repair, pest and disease treatment, storm cleanup, plant replacement." |
| Price and billing | Total, payment schedule, due date, late terms | "The season price is $2,520, billed in 9 equal payments of $280 on the 1st of each month." |
| Extra work | How added work is approved and priced | "Work outside Schedule A is quoted separately and done only after your written approval." |
| Renewal | Whether it renews, the notice you send, how to opt out | "We will send renewal terms at least 30 days before the end date." |
| Cancellation | Notice period, and what is owed for work already done | "Either party may cancel with 30 days' written notice." |
| Access | Gates, pets, vehicles, locked areas | "Customer will keep gates open and pets inside on service day." |
| Damage | What you cover, what you do not, how to report it | "Report damage within 5 days. We repair damage caused by our crew." |
| Irrigation | Who runs and repairs the system, marking heads | "Customer is responsible for watering and for the irrigation system unless listed in Schedule A." |
| Signatures | Names, dates, signature of both parties |
The price in the sample is an example. For how to arrive at yours, see the landscaping pricing guide.
Seasonal scope table you can copy
This is Schedule A. Change the months and counts for your climate and grass type. Visit counts are examples.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
| Service | Spring (Mar to May) | Summer (Jun to Aug) | Fall (Sep to Nov) | Winter (Dec to Feb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mow, trim, edge, blow | Weekly | Weekly | Weekly, then every other week | Not included |
| Bed weeding | Every other visit | Every other visit | Monthly | Not included |
| Shrub pruning | 1 visit | 1 visit | 1 visit | Not included |
| Spring cleanup | 1 visit | |||
| Mulch, 2 inches | 1 application | |||
| Fertilizer and weed control | 2 applications | 1 application | 2 applications | |
| Aeration and overseeding | 1 visit | |||
| Leaf removal | 3 visits | 1 visit if needed | ||
| Irrigation start-up and shut-down | Start-up, quoted separately | Shut-down, quoted separately |
State counts, not "as needed." "Pruning as needed" means three visits to you and twelve to the customer. If a service is not in the table, it is not in the price.
Applying fertilizer with weed control or any pesticide for hire requires a license in most states. If you do not hold it, leave those lines out or name the licensed subcontractor.
Price and billing schedule
Pick one billing method and write it down exactly.
- Equal monthly payments. The season total divided across the months of the term. Easy for the customer and steady for you. State that the payment is the same in a month with five mowing days and in a month with a cleanup.
- Per visit. Billed after each visit or monthly in arrears. Simple, but your income drops in a dry month.
- Prepaid season. Paid in full before the first visit, sometimes at a small discount.
Also state the due date, accepted payment methods, whether a card is kept on file, any late fee your state allows, and that service may pause on accounts past due. Equal payments need a true-up clause for early cancellation: if the customer cancels in June after the spring cleanup and mulch, they owe for work done beyond what they have paid. More on this in recurring billing for landscapers.
Service days and weather delays
Most complaints on maintenance accounts are about days, not quality. Cover these:
- The normal service day, stated as a target and not a guarantee.
- Rain: service moves to the next workable day, and the rest of the week may shift.
- Skipped visits: if growth stops in drought or the ground is too wet, a visit may be skipped. Say whether the price changes (with equal monthly billing it usually does not).
- Holidays you do not work.
- How the customer hears about a change: a text or email the day before or the morning of.
Access, damage and irrigation responsibilities
Access. The customer keeps gates open, pets in, and toys, hoses and furniture off the lawn. If the crew cannot get in, say whether the visit is charged.
Damage. Say what you fix: damage your crew causes, reported within a set number of days. Say what you do not: sprinkler heads set too high or not marked, shallow cable and invisible dog fence lines, existing cracks in edging, rocks thrown from beds with loose stone.
Irrigation. Unless you have priced it, the customer runs and repairs the system and is responsible for watering new seed and plants. If your crew notices a broken head or a dry zone, they report it and you quote the repair.
Plants. State that the agreement does not guarantee plant health against drought, pests, disease or weather.
Auto-renewal and cancellation
Auto-renewal keeps routes full and saves re-signing every customer each winter. It is also regulated in many states, with rules on how clearly the term must be shown, when you must send a reminder and how easy cancelling must be. Have your attorney write this clause.
A workable yearly routine:
- 60 days before the end date: rerun your costs and set next season's price for each property.
- 30 to 45 days before: send the renewal notice with the new price, any scope changes and how to opt out.
- 14 days before: send one reminder to customers who have not answered.
- At renewal: update the price and schedule in your field service app and in QuickBooks on the same day.
- First invoice: check it against the signed agreement before it goes out.
For cancellation, state the notice period, that work done to date is owed, and that prepaid amounts for work not yet done are returned.
What Alvin handles and what stays with you
| Alvin does | You do |
|---|---|
| Fills your agreement template with the customer, property, scope table and price from your price sheet | Have an attorney review the template once, and after any change to the terms |
| Sends the agreement by email from your account once approved | Walk the property, set the scope and approve the agreement |
| Tracks every renewal date and puts upcoming ones in the morning briefing | Decide next season's price for each account |
| Drafts renewal notices and reminders, and rain-day messages for a route | Approve customer messages, or set limits for who on the team can |
| Checks that the recurring invoice in QuickBooks matches the signed price | Handle disputes, damage claims and cancellations |
Alvin does not give legal advice or write contract terms. Alvin fills in and tracks the agreement your attorney has approved.
Frequently asked questions
What should a landscaping contract include?
The parties and property, the term, each service with its frequency by season, the service day and weather policy, exclusions, price and billing schedule, how extra work is approved, renewal and cancellation terms, and responsibilities for access, damage and irrigation. Both parties sign and date it.
Is there a simple lawn care contract template I can copy?
Yes. Use the clause table in this article as the body and the seasonal scope table as Schedule A. Fill in your own services, visit counts and price, then have an attorney in your state review it before you send it to customers.
Should a lawn care contract auto-renew?
Auto-renewal saves re-signing every account each year, and many companies use it. Many states regulate automatic renewals, including how the term is disclosed and how customers cancel. Have an attorney write the clause and send a renewal notice before each term ends.
How do I handle rain delays in a lawn maintenance agreement?
State that the service day is a target and that weather moves service to the next workable day. Say whether a skipped visit changes the price. Tell customers how you will notify them, such as a text or email that morning.
Who is responsible for sprinkler damage in a landscaping contract?
That depends on what the contract says. Many agreements make the contractor responsible for damage the crew causes and the customer responsible for heads that are unmarked or set too high. Put the rule and a reporting deadline in writing.
Agreements out, renewals tracked.
Alvin fills your maintenance agreement from your price sheet, tracks renewal dates and checks the billing against what was signed. See what Alvin handles for landscaping companies.