Landscaping estimate template
A complete landscaping estimate you can print or save as a PDF, with a worked example and notes on what each section is for. The exclusions block is the one most people leave off and the one that prevents the most arguments.
Edit the figures on paper, or print this to PDF from your browser.
[YOUR BUSINESS NAME]
[Street address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Phone] · [Email]
[Licence # if applicable]
ESTIMATE
No. 2041
Date: [DD Month YYYY]
Valid until: [30 days later]
Prepared for
[Client name]
[Billing address]
[Phone] · [Email]
Work site
[Property address]
[Access notes, gate code]
Scope of work
Full front-bed renovation: clear and reshape existing beds, install new edging, plant fourteen 3-gallon shrubs to the agreed layout, mulch all beds to a 3-inch depth, adjust existing irrigation to suit new planting, and remove all resulting debris from site.
| Description | Qty | Unit | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site preparation and clearing | 1 | ea | $450.00 | $450.00 |
| Bed reshaping and edging | 180 | lin ft | $3.20 | $576.00 |
| Premium hardwood mulch, installed | 12 | cu yd | $68.00 | $816.00 |
| Shrub planting — 3 gal | 14 | ea | $62.00 | $868.00 |
| Irrigation adjustment | 3 | hr | $95.00 | $285.00 |
| Haulage and disposal | 1 | ea | $175.00 | $175.00 |
Not included
Tree removal or stump grinding · irrigation repairs beyond adjustment · permits · remediation of unsuitable soil or buried debris · replacement of plants lost to weather or client watering.
Terms
- [X]% deposit on acceptance, balance due on completion.
- This estimate is valid for 30 days from the date above.
- Any change in scope will be quoted as a written change order before work proceeds.
- Prices assume normal access for crew and equipment.
Client signature
Date
What goes on a landscaping estimate, and why
Who it is for and who it is from
Your business name, licence number if your state requires one, and full contact details. The client’s name, the site address if it differs from the billing address, and the date. An estimate without a site address causes trouble the moment a client owns two properties.
An estimate number and an expiry date
Number every estimate so you can find it later. Give it a validity window — 30 days is common — because material prices move and you should not be held to a mulch price from last spring.
Scope of work in plain language
A short paragraph describing what you are actually going to do, before the line items. This is the part the client reads. It is also the part that settles arguments about what "cleanup" meant.
Itemised lines with quantities and units
Each service with quantity, unit and rate. Itemising protects you: when a client asks to trim the price, you can remove a line instead of discounting the whole job.
Explicit exclusions
What is NOT included. Tree removal, irrigation repairs found once you dig, permits, unsuitable soil, rock. Most estimate disputes are about something nobody wrote down either way.
Terms and acceptance
Deposit, payment schedule, how change orders are handled, and a signature line. A signed estimate is a far better position than a verbal yes if the job goes sideways.
Five habits that prevent most estimate disputes
- Write the exclusions down — most arguments are about something nobody put either way
- Give the estimate a number and an expiry date
- Put the site address on it, not just the billing address
- Say how change orders will be handled before you need one
- Get it signed, even by email reply — a verbal yes is worth very little in March
Not sure what the number should be? Work it out with the pricing calculator before you fill the template in.
Common questions
- What should a landscaping estimate include?
- Your details and the client’s, the site address, an estimate number and expiry date, a plain-language scope of work, itemised lines with quantities and rates, explicit exclusions, payment terms and a signature line. The exclusions are the part most people leave off and the part that prevents most disputes.
- What is the difference between an estimate and a quote?
- In everyday use an estimate is an informed approximation and a quote is a fixed price. The distinction matters legally in some places, so say which one you mean on the document and set out what happens if the work turns out to be different from what you could see.
- How long should an estimate stay valid?
- Thirty days is common and reasonable. Materials and fuel move enough over a season that an open-ended estimate is a risk you are carrying for free.
- Should I show my hourly rate on the estimate?
- Usually not. Pricing by service rather than by hour keeps the conversation on the outcome instead of on how fast your crew works, and it stops clients comparing your hourly rate to a neighbour’s cousin.