How to Price Landscaping Jobs the Right Way

1. Understand the scope of work

To determine the most accurate pricing for your landscaping services, you’ll need to know exactly what the job entails.

Start by scheduling a site assessment with your client and consider these questions:

• What is the job location? The more remote the job site, the more you’ll have to charge to cover fuel costs.
• How big is the yard or space? Measure the area you’ll be working in so that you have an accurate understanding of the materials you need to order.
• Is there any existing property damage, safety hazards, or accessibility issues? Do a thorough walkaround and take photos of the property. You can save these photos to your client’s profile for future reference.
• Is there a time constraint? If the client absolutely needs the work done within a tight timeframe, you can charge more for the service.
• What services am I providing? Is it something standard like removing sod or more complex such as building a retaining wall? The more specialized the service, the more you will charge.
• Does my client have any special requests? You need to know ahead of time if your client wants something your usual supplier can’t provide. For example, a unique lighting fixture that costs more than the one you’d usually buy from Home Depot.
• What types of materials will I need for the job? The cost of materials will depend on your client’s stylistic preferences. For example, river rocks typically cost $15 – $35 per bag, while Mexican beach pebbles cost between $25 – $60 per bag.

Once you understand your full scope, you’ll have a much better understanding of what your landscaping pricing should look like.

2. Estimate your labor costs

Calculate your labor cost for the landscape service by multiplying the number of hours needed to complete the job by your hourly labor rate. Here’s how:

1. Start by estimating the number of labor hours it will take to complete the job based on the scope of work. Then, multiply by the number of people you’ll have working on the job to get the labor hours.

For example, if you expect that a job will take 40 hours and will have six landscapers working at one time, that’s 240 hours total.

Pro Tip: If you or your team is just starting out, use time tracking software to track exactly how long each crew member takes on each job. You can use the results as a benchmark for estimating future landscaping jobs.

2. Next, calculate your hourly labor cost. Factor in employee wages, plus extras for taxes, worker’s compensation, and other employee-related expenses.

3. Finally, multiply the labor hours by the hourly labor cost 

The total labor cost for the job is: 240 x $16.47 = $3,952.80 USD

3. Pick the right pricing strategy

The two most common pricing strategies for landscape jobs are hourly rate and fixed rate. Here’s how each one works, including how to price your services for each model.

4. Estimate your material costs

List all the materials you need for the job, figure out the quantities for each, and calculate the total cost (including taxes). Then add all of your material costs together for the grand total. 

Common landscaping materials include:

• Compost – Enriches soil for healthier plant growth
• Floodlights – Enhances nighttime visibility and security
• Cement – Essential for pathways, patios, and retaining walls
• Lawn turf – Provides an instant, lush green lawn
• Gravel – Improves drainage and adds decorative texture
• Boulders – Creates natural focal points in landscape design
• Landscaping rock – Adds structure and reduces soil erosion
• Timber – Used for garden beds, edging, and outdoor structures
• Fertilizer – Promotes strong, healthy plant growth
• Trees – Provides shade, beauty, and environmental benefits
• Plants – Adds color, texture, and life to landscapes
• Mulch – Retains moisture, prevents weeds, and protects roots

5. Calculate your overhead costs

Your overhead includes all of the things you need to run your business, like advertising, phone bills, insurance, and landscaping software like Jobber.

Here’s how to calculate your overhead costs for a landscaping job:

1. Calculate your weekly overhead fees (let’s assume it’s $1,000).
2. Determine the number of weekly labor hours worked (for example, 100).
3. Divide weekly overhead cost into hours worked for an hourly overhead cost ($1,000/100=$10 ). This means that for every labor hour, you need to charge $10 to cover that cost.
4. Multiply the hourly overhead cost by the number of man hours for the job ($10 x 240=$2400).

6. Total your costs

Add your labor, material, and overhead costs to get the total cost for the job:

• Labor: $3,952.80 
• Material: $3,500.00 
• Overhead: $2,400.00 
• Total costs: $9,852.80 

You can also use Jobber to track all your costs in one place. You’ll get a real-time view of your job’s profitability as you add and change costs for each job.

When you understand your past profitability on similar jobs, you can improve your pricing and costing accuracy for future landscaping projects.

7. Determine your profit margin

To make sure you turn a profit on your landscaping job, you’ll first need to set a healthy profit margin. Let’s take a closer look at what that means and how you can start calculating in no time.

8. Add your markup

Now that you know your desired profit margin, you’re ready to add your markup to your total costs. Markup helps you cover your costs and profit margin to give the most transparent price to your potential customers.

Here’s the formula you would use to calculate your markup:

Total Price = Cost ÷ (1 – Profit Margin)

Let’s say your total costs (labor, materials, and overhead) add up to $9,800, and you want a 20% profit margin.

1. Convert 20% to a decimal: 1 – 0.20 = 0.80
2. Divide your total costs by 0.80, so $9,800 ÷ 0.80 = $12,250

This means that to achieve a 20% profit margin, you should charge $12,250 for the job.

9. Create a landscaping quote

A quote is a professional document that shows your client the cost and pricing breakdown of their landscaping project before they hire you.

Your landscaping quote should include:

• Your landscaping business name and logo
• Your business contact information, including email and phone number
• Your client’s name and contact details
• A breakdown of the landscaping services you’ll be providing, including materials and costs
• The total cost for the service, including taxes
• How long the quote is valid for
• Your terms and conditions (e.g., deposit amount or payment terms)

You can write out your quote by hand, fill in a landscaping estimate template, or use quoting software like Jobber. 

Quotes in Jobber are professionally designed and interactive. You can suggest optional products or services, and add images of each, directly on the quote.

Your customers can select the services they want and approve the updated total.