Glossary

Commercial landscaping terms

What the words in your landscape contract and proposals mean. For longer answers, see our guides.

Account manager

The one person at your landscape company you call about your property. A good one knows the site, answers the same day and doesn't make you explain things twice.

Amenity center

The shared spot in a community, like a pool, pavilion, playground or clubhouse, plus the landscape and hardscape around it. More

As-builts

Drawings showing how an irrigation system or landscape was actually installed, including valve, zone and controller locations. Ask for them when a project is handed over. More

Backflow preventer

The valve assembly that stops irrigation water from flowing back into the drinking water supply. It sits above ground, which is why it's the part that breaks most often in a freeze. More

Bed prep

Clearing out old plants, loosening the soil and adding fresh soil or compost before planting. Skipping it is the most common reason seasonal color fails. More

Broadcast bait

Fire ant bait spread over a whole area instead of on single mounds. Worker ants carry it back to the queen, so it reaches colonies you can't see. More

Cast stone

Concrete made to look like cut stone. Often used for caps, lettering panels and trim on brick or stone entry monuments. More

Certified Arborist

A tree care professional certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). Worth having on a property with a lot of mature trees.

Common area

Land an HOA or property owner maintains for everyone: entries, medians, parks, trails, ponds and amenity centers.

Corten steel

Weathering steel that rusts to a stable brown finish on purpose, so it needs no paint. While it weathers, runoff can stain stone or concrete below it. More

Cycle and soak

Splitting an irrigation zone's run time into two or three short cycles so water soaks in instead of running into the street. More

Drip irrigation

Low-flow tubing that puts water right at the roots of beds and shrubs. Most DFW cities allow it outside the normal watering days. More

Drought stage

A level of water restriction a city or water supplier declares when supply runs low. Each stage cuts watering days further. More

Enhancement

Landscape work outside the regular maintenance contract, like a bed renovation or new plantings. It should be quoted and approved before it starts.

Entry monument

The sign wall or structure at a community or development entrance, usually with the beds, lighting and irrigation around it. More

ET controller

A "smart" irrigation controller that adjusts watering to the weather using evapotranspiration data. Some cities, like McKinney, give registered ET controllers more flexibility on watering days. More

Evapotranspiration (ET)

The water lost from soil and plants to heat, sun and wind. It's what a smart controller uses to decide how much to water.

Full-service contract

A landscape maintenance agreement with a set scope and frequency for each task, paid in equal monthly amounts. More

Hardscape

The built, non-plant parts of a landscape: walls, walks, pavers, entry monuments, fencing, bridges and pergolas. More

Isolation valve

The shutoff that cuts water to the irrigation system without cutting it to the building. Someone on site should know where it is. More

Licensed Chemical Applicator

In Texas, someone licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture to apply pesticides, including weed and fire ant products, on someone else's property for pay. More

Licensed Irrigator

A TCEQ license required in Texas to install or repair irrigation systems for someone else. More

Line-item proposal

A landscape bid that prices each task separately instead of giving one total, so you can see what you're paying for and compare bids fairly. More

Mound treatment

A fast-acting fire ant product applied to a single mound. Good near playgrounds and walks, but on its own the colony usually just moves. More

Pergola

An open-roofed structure of posts and beams, often cedar or steel, used for shade at amenity centers and parks. More

Pre-emergent

A weed control applied before weed seeds sprout. Timing matters: once the weeds are up, it's too late.

Rain sensor

A device that shuts off irrigation when it rains. Texas rules require a rain or moisture shut-off on systems installed since 2009, and some cities also require freeze sensors. More

Retaining wall

A wall that holds back soil where the ground changes level. On commercial sites they're usually stone, block or concrete. More

Scope of work

The list of every task in a landscape contract and how often it happens. Without one, two bids can't be compared. More

Seasonal color

Annual flowers planted in rotations, usually spring, summer and fall in North Texas, to keep entries and beds looking fresh. More

Softscape

The living parts of a landscape: turf, shrubs, trees, groundcover and seasonal color.

Stacked stone

Natural stone laid in layers. The most common material for long-lasting entry monuments and walls in DFW. More

Termination clause

The part of a landscape contract that says how much notice you need to give to end it. Read it before you switch contractors. More

Test cocks

Small valves on a backflow preventer. Opening them drains water out of the device before a long freeze. More

Watering variance

Permission from a city to water new sod, seed or plantings outside the normal schedule, often for about 30 days. More

Zone

A section of an irrigation system that runs on one valve. Beds, turf and drip lines are usually on separate zones.