Landscapers provide different types of services to clients. They maintain lawns, grade gardens, control weed, or install irrigation fixtures. Beyond their contracts, they also establish good relationships with their clients. Due to this, landscapers must develop excellent contract negotiation skills. They should also have a workable landscaping contract template in place. The landscaping contract gives them several advantages.


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What is a landscaping contract?

Every time a landscaper offers services to a client, they need to have a signed agreement. The client must sign the agreement before the work commences. It is a legal document that provides information on the type of services a landscaping contractor and a client has agreed upon.

The landscaping contract contains payment details, work timelines, work details, and how to handle legal disputes. To help protect the landscaping contractor’s interests, the landscaping contract should contain as many details as possible.

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Benefits of a landscaping contract

Customers and landscaping contractors should have an enforceable agreement before the start of a new project. The agreement should address all issues that may arise when the contract is ongoing. If you are dealing with a large contract, it is necessary to involve a contract lawyer near you. Here are the benefits of using a landscaping contract.

It is a legal document

The landscaping contract is a legal document that can be used to provide proof. Some issues may arise while the contract is ongoing or later. Due to this, you may require to seek the services of a lawyer. You must provide proof that there was an agreement between yourself and your client. The landscaping contract will be used as proof.

It eliminates confusion

Verbal agreements can create confusion while the project is ongoing. You might have agreed on the scope of work, but the client demands more in the middle of the project. They may also claim you didn’t do the work you had agreed to. By assigning the contract agreement, it will help eliminate confusion.

It serves your interests

The landscaping agreement gives details on when the work commences, the scope, payments, and dispute resolutions. If there is a change in services agreed upon, the agreement will be used as the basis for renegotiation.

Questions to answer when preparing a landscaping contract 

It is not easy to prepare a workable landscaping contract. However, you can search for a landscaping contract example to help you include the right details. The most important part is to answer the main questions of a contract. When you answer them correctly, it will be easy to get inspired by the landscaping contract example and prepare a detailed, customized contract template.

Who are you agreeing with?

The first question to ask yourself is who you are entering into a contract agreement with. It could be an individual client or corporate. The client could be a homeowner, and they might have several properties. They could be a landlord, property manager, or real estate developer. This question will help you set the terms of your landscaping contract.

What are you agreeing to?

This is the scope of work the client expects you to do. The details of the work should be as specific as possible. Do not write a general sentence such as lawnmower services or garden maintenance.

Instead, write specific details such as removing weed, trimming the grass, pest control, trimming the hedge, etc. The terms and conditions should be clear. If one party fails to do its part, the contract should state what happens. You should not overlook any minor detail when answering this question.

When will the work be done?

When the contract must commence is very important. It helps you register details on the date the work shall start. When you know the date and time, you will be able to plan your work well.

You will not sign two contracts that have the same date and time unless you have more workforce. If your landscaping company is still small, you may want to take one contract at a time.

Where will the work be done?

Get answers about the location of the contract. It helps you plan for the right work equipment. This question will help you know whether you are dealing with a small garden, a big one, etc.

How will the work be done?

This question defines the processes to be followed from the start to work completion. It details the services that will be provided and the expectations of each party. If there are approvals required, they should be detailed at this point. The contractor should also indicate how they will be paid.

Landscaping Agreements

What should be in a landscaping contract?

To help protect your interests, you should know what to negotiate instead of what you deserve. Get a landscaping agreement sample to know what must be included. If you miss some details, your agreement will be weak, and you could easily lose a court case if the need arises. Check every detail in the landscaping agreement sample for better ideas. The following details must be included in the agreement.

The parties involved

You must sign the agreement with the person directly involved with the project. If you sign with the wrong party, you will do the work, but there will be no one to pay you. You may also get into legal issues immediately you start.

For example, a son or daughter in a family may ask you to maintain their law without first getting permission from the parents. Even if they are over 18 years, they are not directly responsible for the work. In this section, include the names of the two parties, their addresses, and contacts.

Identify the services to be offered

Keep referring to the landscaping agreement sample when preparing your contract form. There are different types of landscaping services a client may request. For each service, include every detailed description.

Understand exactly what you are required to do. If there are additional services expected, put them into writing. The amount you charge should be proportional to the services offered. Include the material you require and at what phase you need them. If there is anything that should not be included, write it down.

Calculate the cost of the service

You must ensure you get the right compensation for your work. Do not overcharge for the services because the client might cancel the contract. If they agree that you go ahead, they may never call you again for more work.

Charge something reasonable and give room for negotiation. In this section, provide clear guidelines on the payment breakdowns. Be very specific on the deadlines and methods of payment.

Project timelines

Project timelines should indicate when the project should start to the time it ends. In between, indicate the progress milestones as expected by the client. This is particularly practical when you are dealing with a large contract. When dealing with one-day contracts, you may not need such details.

The start date should be specific, but the end date should be an estimate. You may underestimate the work and end up taking more time than anticipated. If there might be a need for an extension, talk with your client in advance instead of waiting until the final date.

Dealing with obstacles

You should hope that the project will run smoothly to the end. However, give an allowance for situations where the project might face obstacles. If some things go wrong, you must be ready to handle them. Include a clause that takes care of such issues. It could be project cancellation, postponement, or delay. The weather may change and affect work delivery.

How do I write a landscaping contract?

Your first step is to search for a free landscaping contract. Make sure the template contains all the details that will be beneficial to you. Professionals who develop the free landscaping contract templates understand every detail that must be included. When writing a landscaping contract, follow these steps.

Names of the parties

Write the names of the parties (the client and contractor names). Write the following details.

Client details

  • Name
  • Addresses – email, postal
  • Physical address – road, city, state, code
  • Telephone contact

Contractor details

  • Business name
  • Addresses – email, postal
  • Physical address – road, city, state, code
  • Telephone contact

Work location

Work location is the place where the work will be done. You require the exact physical address of the property. Write the following details: 

  • Property number
  • Street
  • City
  • State

Scope 

These are the services that will be provided. Write every detail of the types of services the contract will cover. These are services like:

  • Mulching
  • Fertilizer application
  • Removing weeds
  • Pest control
  • Grass trimming
  • Irrigating
  • Tree pruning
  • Hedge trimming

Work start date

Indicate the date and time when the contract will start.

Payment details

  • Total cost
  • Deposit required
  • Further payments before the contract end
  • Final payment
  • Payment method/s acceptable

Materials required

  • Manure
  • Fertilizer
  • Pesticides
  • Soil
  • Plants

Indicate who is responsible for supplying the materials. If it is the contractor, the cost of the materials should be included in the agreement. If the client will provide the materials, be specific by when they must be available.

Contract modifications/termination

Agree on the conditions for modifications or termination of the contract. Either party may terminate or request modifications, but there should be a predefined process that must be followed.

Liability limitations

The agreement should protect each party from liabilities. They should hold each other harmless during the contract period. Liability limitation should be extended to the party’s affiliates, workers, successors.

Legal issues

In the process of the contract, legal issues may arise. They will attract legal fees and penalties. The parties should agree on who will be responsible for taking care of the legal fees. They should also agree on how they will handle legal issues that may arise. They may agree to arbitration or to go directly to courts.

Free Landscaping Contracts

Mistakes you must avoid when writing your landscaping contract

Mistakes may occur when writing the landscaping contract. They could lead to disputes and costly legal battles. Be very keen to follow every detail in your free landscaping contract to avoid issues later. Ensure you avoid these mistakes.

Failure to include contract termination details

The client or contractor may decide to terminate or postpone the contract. If you fail to include termination procedures, you might suffer losses. The client can terminate the contract after you have already started and bought the items required. The clause gives details of the obligations for each party if the contract is terminated.

Failure to include details of work scope

Never use a generalized description of the scope. It leaves loopholes for more work to be added, which you cannot claim payment. Make sure you include a detailed description of the services the client is expecting from you.

If the spaces in your free landscaping contract are not enough, it would be better to write the details in a separate sheet and attach it to the contact form. This is the only way you can protect yourself from extensive legal issues later.

Failure to address issues of contract modifications

The need to modify your landscaping contact might arise. Once the work commences, you might realize the amount of work needed on the ground is more. If you continue with the work without modifying the contract, you will only claim the money that you quoted originally.

The client may also want to include more work. That means the two parties need to sit and renegotiate. If no clause allows you to modify the contract, it might be difficult to make changes. Refer to a landscaping contract example to understand how to write this clause.

Failure to account for issues beyond your control

It is possible to sign a landscaping contract today and get ready to start work three days later. On the day the work commences, storms might start the very day. It will be impossible to work outdoors during storms.

You could also fall sick or unavoidable things beyond your control could happen. These are issues that you must account for in the landscaping contract. If you ignore them, it can be termed as contract termination without notice which could attract penalties.

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TemplateLab September 30th, 2023