How-to
What belongs in a landscape maintenance contract
Updated · Glossary
A good commercial landscape maintenance contract lists every task, how often it happens in each season, what’s included in the monthly price and what gets billed as extra. If yours says “maintain grounds as needed,” you can’t hold anyone to it, and you can’t compare it with another bid.
Scope and frequency
| Task | What the contract should say |
|---|---|
| Mowing, trimming, edging | Visits per month in the growing season and in winter |
| Bed weeding | How often, and whether it’s hand pulling, pre-emergent or both |
| Blowing and litter pickup | Which areas: walks, curbs, parking lots, common areas |
| Shrub pruning | How many times a year, and the shape or height |
| Tree pruning | Height limit included, for example lower limbs for clearance; anything above is extra |
| Turf fertilization and weed control | Number of applications per year |
| Fire ant control | Broadcast bait, mound treatment, or both, and how often |
| Seasonal color | Number of rotations, how many beds or flats, and bed prep |
| Mulch | Once or twice a year, and which beds |
| Irrigation | Inspection frequency, controller adjustments, and how repairs are billed |
| Leaf removal | Included in fall or billed separately |
| Reporting | What you get after each visit |
Where contracts differ most
Irrigation repairs are the big one. Most contracts include inspections and controller changes, but parts and repair labor are often extra. Ask for the hourly rate and how repairs get approved.
“Seasonal color included” can mean two rotations of full beds or one small bed at the sign. Ask how many plants or flats go in per rotation.
Most maintenance contracts cover low pruning for clearance. Large trees, removals and storm cleanup are usually quoted separately. Also find out how cleanup after a storm or freeze is handled and billed before you need it. Sage and Stone Landscapes handles tree work, fertilization, storm cleanup and leaf removal, so none of it needs a second vendor.
Terms to check
- How long the contract runs and how much notice either side has to give to end it
- Whether the price can change mid-term, and with how much notice
- That extra work is quoted and approved before it starts
- How fast they answer a service request
- A certificate of insurance, a TCEQ Licensed Irrigator for irrigation work, and a Texas Department of Agriculture licensed applicator for treatments
- One named account manager, not a general phone line
Common questions
What should be included in a commercial landscape maintenance contract?
Every task with its frequency by season, what’s in the monthly price, what’s extra, how irrigation repairs are billed, the term and notice period, response time, and proof of insurance and licenses.
Are irrigation repairs usually included?
Inspections and controller adjustments usually are. Parts and repair labor are often billed separately, so check the contract for the rate and the approval process. We quote irrigation repairs from an inspection, so you approve the price before the work.
How much notice do I need to give to cancel a landscape contract?
It depends on the contract, so check the termination clause. Many commercial contracts require written notice ahead of time, and a new contractor can line up a start date with it.
Our proposals list each task and its frequency, so you can hold them up against your current contract. See our maintenance services or request a proposal.