How do I price a landscaping job?

Add materials at cost plus your markup, crew hours at your rate, equipment and disposal, and a margin for the unknown, such as roots or rock. Quote by stage so the client can see where the money goes. The figures here are examples to replace.

Should a landscaping proposal include a plant guarantee?

Only if you can honour it. A replacement period for plants that fail under proper care builds trust, but it has a cost. State the period, what counts as proper care, and that damage from frost, pets or neglect is excluded.

How long should a landscaping proposal stay valid?

Two weeks is a sensible default, because plant and material prices change with the season. Put the date on the proposal.

Landscaping proposal template

Landscape clients buy a picture of their yard, then wonder where the money goes. This template turns the picture into a plan they approve first, then prices the job in the order it is built: design, ground preparation, plants and hardscape, irrigation and cleanup. The materials are listed so a client can see that most of the cost is in the ground, not the flowers.

Use this template free All templates

What your client receives

This is the page your client opens from your email, drawn exactly as PropoBox sends it. Your name, logo and client replace the placeholders; the prices are examples to replace with your own.

Your Studio

Proposal

Landscape design and installation

Prepared for Client company

A planted, paved and irrigated outdoor space built from a design plan you approve first, with materials and plant counts listed so you can see what the price covers.

Proposal no.: PROP-SAMPLE
Issued: November 2, 2026
Valid until: November 16, 2026
Delivery: November 30, 2026
Total: $14,050

Prepared by

Your Studio

Your name

you@example.com

Prepared for

Client company

Client name

client@example.com

Services and pricing

Site survey and design plan
Measured site survey, a planting and layout plan, and one revision before work begins.
$650
Grading, soil and bed preparation
Rough grading for drainage, topsoil and compost, and edging for the planting beds.
$2,400
Plants, trees and mulch (materials)
Trees, shrubs and perennials from the plan, delivered and planted, with 3 inches of mulch.
$3,850
Paver patio, 200 sq ft
Compacted base, bedding sand, pavers and polymeric sand, cut and edged to the plan.
$4,600
Irrigation, 4 zones
Drip and spray zones with a controller, installed and tested for coverage.
$2,100
Cleanup and haul-away
Remove spoil and packaging and leave the site tidy.
$450

Total$14,050

Terms

Payment: 35% on signing to schedule the crew and order plants, 35% when materials are on site, and 30% on completion.
Revisions: Plant substitutions for availability are agreed with you first. Design changes after the plan is approved are quoted separately.
Additional terms: Plants carry a replacement period if they fail when watered and cared for as instructed; set the period you can honour (12 months here). Underground utilities are marked before digging. Rain and frozen ground can move the dates.

How to scope and price it

Sell the design plan as its own line. It makes the client commit to a layout before you order plants, and you can credit it against the job if they go ahead.
State quantities for hardscape (200 sq ft here). A patio priced by area lets you price a larger one by a rule they have already seen.
List the plants or attach the plan. Substitutions for availability are normal, so say you will agree them with the client first.
Plant prices move with the season, so keep the proposal short-lived. Two weeks stops a nursery price change from eating your margin.

The terms, and why

A 35% deposit lets you order plants, which are perishable stock you cannot easily return. A second payment when the materials arrive keeps the crew paid on progress, and a final 30% on completion keeps the walkthrough meaningful. The replacement period is a promise only you can size: set it to what you will honour, and tie it to the client watering as instructed.

Payment: 35% on signing to schedule the crew and order plants, 35% when materials are on site, and 30% on completion.
Revisions: Plant substitutions for availability are agreed with you first. Design changes after the plan is approved are quoted separately.

Quick math before you quote

Rules of thumb for the quantities that most often go wrong. Confirm against your supplier and your site.

Quick math before you quote
Material	Rule of thumb	Note
Mulch and topsoil	One cubic yard covers about 324 sq ft at 1 inch deep, or about 108 sq ft at 3 inches	Divide the bed area by the coverage to get cubic yards
Pavers	Order 5 to 10% extra for cuts and breakage	Curves and patterns need more than straight runs
Gravel base	A patio base is commonly 4 to 6 inches, compacted	Depth depends on soil and local practice
Irrigation	Zone count depends on water pressure and plant type, not area alone	Test pressure before you promise a number of zones

Landscaping proposal template: common questions

More templates

All templates

Send it as a page your client can sign.

Start from this template, set your prices, and send it. The client opens it from your email, signs online and pays the deposit if you added your payment link, and you see every visit.

Use this template free See pricing

Free plan · No credit card · 14 days of Pro