Landscaping contract template
A landscaping contract covers a project, not a mowing route: new beds, a paver patio, a retaining wall, sod or an irrigation system. The arguments come later, when a shrub dies in August or the patio holds water. This template sets out the design, the materials, the site work and a plant warranty that depends on watering. Read it below, then send it from SignMaster.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 4 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Client
- Landscaper
Landscaping Contract
This Landscaping Contract (the "Contract") is made on Contract date between Landscaping company name (the "Contractor") and Client name (the "Client").
1. The property
The work will be done at Project address. The Client confirms they own the property or have the owner's permission for this work.
2. Design and scope
The work follows the design titled Design name and date, if any. The Contractor will supply the labor, equipment and materials for:
- Site preparation: Site preparation.
- Planting: Planting.
- Lawn: Sod or seed work.
- Hardscape: Hardscape work.
- Irrigation and lighting: Irrigation and lighting.
- Mulch, edging and finish: Mulch and edging.
The Contractor will haul away its debris and leave paved areas swept. Work not described here is not included.
3. Materials and substitutions
Plants and materials will be as listed above or shown on the design. If a plant isn't available in the listed variety or size, the Contractor may substitute a similar plant of equal size and value after telling the Client. Natural stone and wood vary in color, veining and grain, and that variation is not a defect.
4. Utility locates and private lines
Before digging, the Contractor will request a utility locate through the 811 call-before-you-dig service and wait for the lines to be marked. Locates don't mark private lines. The Client will mark, or tell the Contractor about, sprinkler lines, landscape lighting, pet fences, septic systems and any other private lines. The Contractor is not responsible for damage to private lines that weren't marked or disclosed.
5. Site conditions and drainage
The price assumes ordinary soil that can be dug by hand or with small equipment. Rock, buried concrete or debris, large roots or unusable soil found during the work will be shown to the Client and priced as extra work before the Contractor deals with them. Grading will direct surface water away from buildings where the site allows, but existing drainage problems are not fixed unless they are listed in section 2.
6. Access and lawn repair
Equipment and deliveries will use this route: Access route. Some compaction and ruts along that route are normal. When the work is done, the Contractor will repair them as follows: Turf repair included.
7. Schedule
Work is expected to start on or about Estimated start date and take about Estimated working days working days. Rain, frozen or saturated ground, late deliveries and plant availability can move these dates, and the Contractor will keep the Client informed.
8. Warranties and plant care
The Contractor guarantees plants it supplies and installs for Plant warranty period from installation. A plant that dies or is in serious decline during that time will be replaced once at no charge. This guarantee applies only if the Client follows the written watering and care instructions given at completion. It does not cover plants lost to watering restrictions, freezes beyond the plant's hardiness, flooding, animals, pests or disease outside the Contractor's control, mechanical damage, or plants the Client supplied or moved. Sod and seed are covered for Sod and seed warranty.
Hardscape workmanship is warranted for Hardscape warranty in years year(s) against settling or loosening caused by the Contractor's installation.
9. Price and payment
The Client will pay a total of Total price:
- A deposit of Deposit when this Contract is signed, used to order materials.
- A progress payment of Progress payment when Progress payment milestone.
- The balance at the final walk-through.
Accepted payment methods: Payment methods.
10. Changes
Changes to the design, plants, materials, price or schedule must be agreed in a written change order signed by both parties before the changed work begins.
11. Insurance, cancellation and general terms
The Contractor carries general liability insurance and will show proof on request. If this Contract was signed at the Client's home and the law gives the Client a right to cancel, the Contractor will provide a written notice explaining how. This Contract is the whole agreement for the project, may be changed only in writing signed by both parties, and is governed by the laws of the state of State. Electronic signatures count as original signatures.
Client contact details
Phone: Client phone Email: Client email
I have read section 8 and understand that the plant guarantee depends on following the watering and care instructions.
Client
Landscaper
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
Install contracts versus maintenance contracts
Landscaping companies usually sell two different things: one-time installation projects and ongoing maintenance. They need different paperwork. An install has a design, a materials list, a deposit and a finish date; maintenance has a season, a visit schedule and a monthly price. This template is for the install. For weekly mowing and bed care, use the lawn care service agreement.
Installs carry more unknowns, too. A patio and planting job can stretch over weeks and depends on deliveries, weather and whatever is under the soil. Writing those unknowns down before the excavator arrives keeps the conversation about extra charges friendly.
What the template covers
- Design and scope: the plan by name and date, then each element on its own line: site prep, plants, lawn, hardscape, irrigation and lighting, mulch and edging.
- Materials and substitutions: your right to swap a similar plant of equal size and value when one isn't available, after telling the client.
- Utility locates: you request an 811 locate before digging, and private lines like sprinklers, lighting cables and pet fences are the owner's to mark.
- Site conditions: rock, buried debris, roots and poor soil found while digging are shown to the client and priced as extra work.
- Access and lawn damage: the route your equipment takes and how you'll repair ruts and compacted turf afterward.
- Plant warranty: how long plants are guaranteed, one free replacement, and the watering the client must do to keep the guarantee.
- Payment: a deposit for materials, a progress payment at a milestone you name, and the balance at the final walk-through.
Common landscaping contract mistakes
- Guaranteeing plants with no watering terms. Many first-summer losses come down to watering, so tie the warranty to the care instructions you hand over.
- Digging before the locate marks are down. Request the locate a few business days ahead and wait; a cut gas or fiber line is far worse than a late start.
- Leaving drainage unspoken. If you grade near the house, say where the water will go and that existing drainage problems aren't fixed unless they're in the scope.
- Ordering stone or specimen trees without a deposit. Natural stone and large trees are hard to return, so collect the deposit before you place the order.
- Promising a finished look on day one. New sod shows seams and young plants look sparse for a season; say so before the client does.
Name the design in the contract
If you drew a plan, put its name and date in section 2 and send the drawing in the same envelope. When a client later says the maple was meant to go on the other side of the walk, the signed plan settles it in a minute.
How to send it with SignMaster
- 1
Open the template
Choose Use this template. The client and your company are set up as the two signers, with the client signing first.
- 2
Fill in the project
Use the gray blanks for the design name, each part of the scope, the plant warranty period and the payment schedule. The long blanks hold a full sentence, so be specific about species, sizes and stone.
- 3
Send it to the client
Enter the client's name and email. They fill in their phone and email, check the box saying they've read the watering terms, and sign from their phone or laptop.
- 4
Let reminders do the chasing
Set a sign-by date that matches your crew schedule. If the client hasn't signed, automatic reminders follow up so you don't have to call.
- 5
Countersign and order
When your signature lands, both sides get the signed PDF and its certificate of completion. That's your cue to collect the deposit and place the nursery and stone orders.
Spring rush: one package, many addresses
A builder or an HOA may order the same planting package for a whole street. List each address, its plan and its price in a spreadsheet and bulk send one contract per row. Name the columns after the gray blanks, such as Project address, Planting and Total price, and save from Excel as CSV UTF-8 before you upload it.
Questions? Answers.
What should a landscaping contract include?
The design or scope, materials and plant sizes, utility locates and site conditions, access and lawn damage, the plant warranty and its watering terms, the schedule and the payment plan. This template has a section for each.
How long should a plant warranty last?
Many installers guarantee plants for one growing season or one year, and only when the client follows the watering instructions. Set your period in section 8, and give sod and seed their own shorter period if you cover them at all.
Who is responsible for underground sprinkler lines?
Under this template, the owner. An 811 locate marks the utilities' lines, not private ones like irrigation, low-voltage lighting or pet fences, so the owner marks those or the contractor isn't liable for hitting them.
Can I use it for a hardscape-only job?
Yes. Leave the planting lines empty, describe the patio or wall in the scope, and put the hardscape warranty in section 8. For poured slabs, the concrete contract covers curing and cracking.
Sources
- Common Ground Alliance: Call 811 before you dig · call811.com