Lawn care contract template
A complete lawn care service agreement you can print or save as a PDF, with notes on what every clause is for. The exclusions and the weather clause are the two that prevent most arguments — and the two most people leave out.
Fill in the bracketed fields, then print or save as PDF.
LAWN CARE SERVICE AGREEMENT
Agreement no. [____] · Dated [DD Month YYYY]
Provider
[YOUR BUSINESS NAME]
[Address] · [Phone] · [Email]
[Licence # / Insurance carrier]
Client
[Client name]
[Billing address]
Service address: [Property address]
[Phone] · [Email] · Gate code: [____]
1. Services
Provider will perform the following at the service address: [mowing / edging / string trimming / blowing of hard surfaces / other]. Service will occur [weekly / fortnightly] on [day], between [start date] and [end date], weather permitting.
2. Price and payment
Client agrees to pay [$____] per [visit / month / season]. Invoices are issued [monthly in arrears / per visit] and are due within [__] days. Amounts unpaid after [__] days incur a late fee of [$____ or __%]. Provider may suspend service on accounts more than [__] days overdue.
3. Term and renewal
This agreement runs from [start date] to [end date] and renews automatically for a further season unless either party gives written notice at least [30] days before the end date.
4. Not included
The price above excludes: leaf removal, storm damage cleanup, irrigation repair, tree and shrub work beyond routine trimming, pest and disease treatment, fertilisation, aeration, and any service not listed in section 1. These are available and quoted separately.
5. Weather and access
Provider may reschedule for weather or unsafe ground conditions and will attend within [__] days of the scheduled visit. If Provider cannot access the property — locked gate, obstructed area, animals loose — the visit is treated as [completed and billable / rescheduled]. Client is responsible for providing access.
6. Property conditions
Client will identify in writing any irrigation heads, invisible fencing, lighting, cabling, pet stakes or other concealed items before the first visit. Provider is not liable for damage to unmarked concealed items. Provider will repair or make good damage caused by negligence.
7. Insurance
Provider carries general liability insurance and, where required, workers’ compensation cover. Evidence is available on request.
8. Cancellation
Either party may cancel with [30] days written notice. Client remains responsible for services performed up to the cancellation date. [Optional: seasonal contracts cancelled mid-term are payable at __% of the remaining balance.]
9. Limitation of liability
Provider’s total liability under this agreement is limited to the amount paid by Client in the [12] months preceding the claim. [REVIEW WITH A LAWYER — enforceability varies by state.]
10. Entire agreement
This document is the whole agreement between the parties and replaces any prior discussion. Changes must be in writing and signed by both parties.
Client signature · Date
Provider signature · Date
This is a starting structure, not legal advice. Contract law varies by state and the liability, insurance and auto-renewal clauses in particular should be reviewed by a lawyer before you use this on real accounts.
What each clause is doing
A contract is a list of arguments you have already settled.
Scope and schedule
Exactly which services, how often, and on what day. "Weekly maintenance" is not a scope — mowing, edging, trimming and blowing on a stated day is. Ambiguity here is where most disputes start.
Term and renewal
Season dates or a rolling monthly term, and whether it auto-renews. Auto-renewal is legitimate and useful, but it has to be disclosed clearly or it becomes the thing the client is angry about in March.
Price and payment
Per visit, monthly, or seasonal — plus when payment is due and what happens when it is late. A stated late fee you actually enforce is worth more than a threatening one you do not.
What is not included
Leaf removal, storm cleanup, irrigation repairs, pest treatment, tree work. Every service you do NOT provide under this price needs naming, or the client will assume it is covered.
Weather and access
What happens when the ground is too wet, the gate is locked, or the dog is out. State whether a skipped visit is rescheduled, credited, or billed — before the first wet week, not during it.
Property and damage
Irrigation heads, invisible fencing, low-voltage lighting and pet stakes are the things crews hit. Ask the client to flag them in writing, and say what happens when something unmarked gets damaged.
Cancellation
Notice period on both sides. Thirty days is common. Without it, you lose an account mid-season having already bought the fertiliser for it.
Insurance and liability
Confirm you carry liability cover and workers’ compensation, and cap your exposure. This is the clause most worth paying a lawyer to get right for your state.
Five habits that prevent most disputes
- Name the specific services, not a category like "maintenance"
- List the exclusions — that is what prevents most arguments
- State the auto-renewal in plain language, near the price
- Agree what a weather-skipped visit costs before the season starts
- Get it signed. An email reply saying "yes, go ahead" is far better than a verbal agreement
Working out the price before you write it in? Use the mowing price calculator to build up from mower output, crew cost and drive time.
Common questions
- Do I really need a written lawn care contract?
- For a one-off cut, no. For a recurring account you are planning a season around, yes. The contract is what lets you buy materials, schedule crew and turn down other work with some confidence that the account will still exist in July.
- Should the contract auto-renew?
- It is common and it saves everyone re-signing every spring. The requirement is that it is disclosed clearly — near the price, in plain language, with the notice period stated. Auto-renewal buried in small print is how you end up in a dispute you deserve to lose.
- What happens if it rains on a scheduled visit?
- Whatever your contract says. The usual approaches are to reschedule within a set window, or to bill the month as a flat fee regardless of exact visit count. Both work; not deciding does not.
- How do I handle a client who stops paying?
- The contract should already say: late fee after a stated period, service suspension after another, and who covers collection costs. Suspending service is far more effective than a strongly worded email, but only if the client agreed to it in advance.
- Is this template legally binding?
- A signed agreement between two parties generally is, but the wording below has not been reviewed for your state and contract law varies. Treat it as a structure to take to a lawyer, not a substitute for one — particularly the liability and insurance clauses.