A landscaping contract is a project agreement between a property owner and a landscaping contractor for a defined job: installing beds and plants, laying sod, building a patio or retaining wall, or putting in irrigation. It sets the scope, the materials, the price and payment schedule, and what happens when the plan changes halfway through. This landscaping contract template is free in Word and PDF, and it’s built for install work, not weekly upkeep.
When do you need a landscaping contract?
You need one whenever the job has a beginning and an end and real money changes hands before it’s finished. That’s most install work: a front-yard redesign, a paver patio, a dry creek bed, a drip system for new beds.
A hypothetical: Marcus runs a three-person landscaping company and quotes a homeowner $14,200 for a paver patio, two new planting beds and a drip line. He needs $3,000 up front to order pavers and plants, the job takes eight working days, and on day three the client asks for the patio to be two feet wider. Without a written contract, every one of those points (the deposit, the timeline, the extra cost of the wider patio) is a conversation from scratch. With one, it’s already settled, or there’s a clear process for settling it.
Landscaping contract or lawn care contract?
Use this landscaping contract for a project and the lawn care contract template for recurring maintenance. If you install a new yard in April and then mow it every week through October, that’s two documents: this one for the build, the lawn care agreement for the season. Keeping them separate means the project can close out cleanly while the maintenance relationship carries on.
For a big hardscape or structural job (a large retaining wall, an outdoor kitchen with gas and electric), a general construction contract may fit better, because it goes deeper on permits and subcontractors.
What should a landscaping contract include?
Our sample landscaping contract walks through the sections below. Here’s what each one is for.
Scope of work
A specific description of what’s being built and where, ideally with a drawing or plan attached. “Install landscaping” is too vague to be useful. “Remove existing turf in the front yard (about 600 sq ft), install three beds per the attached plan, 4 inches of hardwood mulch, steel edging” is something both sides can check against when the job is done. The template has checkboxes for the common categories (planting, sod, hardscape, irrigation, lighting, drainage, grading) and a line for exclusions, which matters just as much.
Materials
Who supplies what, and how substitutions work. Nurseries run out of things. The template says the contractor can substitute a plant or material of similar size, type and quality only with the client’s approval, and records any client-supplied materials so nobody is blamed for a pallet of the wrong stone.
Site access and conditions
Where the crew can park and stage materials, which gates they can use, and what the client needs to move or protect. It also covers what happens when the crew hits something nobody expected, like buried concrete, rock or a drainage problem. That’s handled as a change, not an argument.
Utility marking before digging
Planting trees, trenching irrigation and setting posts all involve digging. The national 811 service is free and asks anyone planning to dig to contact 811 or their state 811 center a few business days before starting, so utilities can mark the approximate location of buried lines with paint or flags. The template says who makes the request (usually the contractor) and has a blank for the ticket number. Utility marking may not cover private lines the client installed, like sprinkler pipes or low-voltage lighting, so the template makes pointing those out the client’s job.
Price, deposit and payment schedule
A total price, a deposit, and progress payments tied to milestones rather than dates: materials delivered, hardscape complete, final walkthrough. The template ends with a final payment due after the walkthrough, so the client pays the last portion once they’ve seen the finished work.
Change orders
Any change to the scope, price or timeline goes in writing and gets signed before the work changes. Marcus’s wider patio is the textbook case. Our change order form is built for exactly that, and the contract refers to it.
Plant warranty (optional)
Many landscapers replace plants that die within a set period, and many clients expect it. The template makes the warranty a choice: none, or a period you fill in, with what it covers and what voids it (lack of watering, irrigation turned off, pests, storms, client changes to the beds). Workmanship on hardscape gets its own optional warranty period.
Schedule, weather and cleanup
A start date, an estimated completion date, and a weather clause, because nobody lays sod in a downpour. Cleanup and hauling of debris are spelled out so the client knows whether the old turf leaves with the crew.
What should you check for your state?
Three things before you rely on any landscaping contract example, ours included.
First, licensing and deposits. Look up your state’s contractor licensing board and ask three questions: does landscaping, irrigation or hardscape work need a license here, is there a limit on how much deposit you can take, and does a home improvement contract need any required wording. The answers vary, and they decide some of the blanks in this template.
Second, door-to-door sales. The FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule gives buyers until midnight of the third business day to cancel many sales of $25 or more made at their home, and the seller must tell them about that right and give them cancellation forms. It doesn’t cover sales needed to meet an emergency. If you sign clients at their kitchen table, read the rule and attach the notice.
Third, lien and notice rules. If you’re worried about getting paid on a big job, find out what your state’s law says about contractor liens and any notices you’d have to send before or during the work. Check them before the job starts, not after an invoice goes unpaid.
How do you fill it in and get it signed?
- Walk the site with the client, take photos, and agree on the plan. Attach the drawing or plant list.
- Fill in the landscaping contract template in Word: scope, exclusions, materials, price, deposit and milestones.
- Choose the warranty options and fill in the periods, or tick “no warranty.”
- Note who calls 811 and leave space for the ticket number.
- Send it for signature. The client signs first, then you countersign, and both keep the signed PDF.
Landscaping clients are rarely sitting at a desk, so signing on a phone is the easy path. Under the federal ESIGN Act, a contract or signature can’t be denied legal effect solely because it’s electronic. Our guide on whether electronic signatures are legally binding explains the details.
Download it, fill in the blanks, and send it for e-signature with any tool you like. (SignWren is built for paperwork like this; start free and send it from your browser.)
This template is general information, not legal advice. For a specific contract or dispute, talk to a lawyer licensed where you are.
Template from signwren.com. General information, not legal advice. Check your state's rules and adapt it before you use it.
Check whether your state requires a contractor license for this work, limits deposits, or requires specific wording in home improvement contracts. If you sell this job at the client's home, the FTC Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR Part 429) may require a written notice of the right to cancel. Check your state's rules and attach any required notice.
LANDSCAPING CONTRACT
This Landscaping Contract ("Contract") is made on [date] between:
Client: [Client's full legal name], of [Client's mailing address], phone [phone], email [email]
Contractor: [Contractor's full legal name or business name], of [business address], phone [phone], email [email], license number (if any) [license number]
1. Property
The work will be done at: [property address] ("Property"). The Client confirms they own the Property or have the owner's permission for this work.
2. Scope of work
The Contractor will do the following work ("Work"), as described here and in any attached plan, drawing or plant list (each signed or initialed by both parties):
☐ Site preparation and removal of existing turf, plants or materials: [describe]
☐ Grading and drainage: [describe]
☐ Planting (trees, shrubs, perennials): [describe, or see attached plant list]
☐ Sod or seed: [area in sq ft, type]
☐ Beds, edging and mulch: [describe]
☐ Hardscape (patio, walkway, wall, steps): [materials, size, location]
☐ Irrigation (new system, extension or repair): [describe]
☐ Outdoor lighting: [describe]
☐ Other: [describe]
Not included: [describe, e.g. permits, tree removal, electrical work beyond low-voltage lighting, ongoing maintenance]
Ongoing maintenance after completion is not part of this Contract unless the parties sign a separate maintenance agreement.
3. Materials
☐ The Contractor supplies all plants and materials listed in the scope or plan.
☐ The Client supplies these materials: [list]. The Contractor is not responsible for the quality, quantity or warranty of Client-supplied materials.
If a specified plant or material isn't available, the Contractor may substitute one of similar size, type and quality only with the Client's approval in writing (email or text is fine). Any price difference will be handled as a change order.
4. Site access and conditions
The Client will give the crew access to the Property on working days between [time] and [time], including access through [gates, driveway] and space to stage materials at [location]. Parking: [describe].
Before work starts, the Client will move or protect belongings in the work area and tell the Contractor about pets and anything fragile.
If the Contractor finds conditions that couldn't reasonably have been seen before work started (such as buried concrete, rock or a drainage problem), the Contractor will stop work in that area, tell the Client, and propose a change order. The Contractor won't do the extra work without the Client's written approval.
5. Utility marking before digging
☐ The Contractor ☐ The Client will contact 811 or the state 811 center a few business days before any digging, so utilities can mark buried lines. Ticket number: [ticket number]. Digging won't start until the marking is complete.
Utility marking may not cover private lines. Before work starts, the Client will point out or mark private underground lines, such as sprinkler pipes and heads, low-voltage lighting, invisible pet fences, septic systems, and private gas or electric lines to outbuildings. The Contractor will dig carefully around marked lines and isn't responsible for damage to private lines the Client didn't point out and that couldn't reasonably have been seen.
6. Permits
☐ No permits are expected for this Work.
☐ The ☐ Contractor ☐ Client will get these permits or approvals (including any homeowners' association approval): [list]. Permit fees are ☐ included in the price ☐ paid by the Client.
7. Price and payment schedule
The total price for the Work is [$ amount], which ☐ includes ☐ does not include sales tax.
The Client will pay:
| Payment |
Amount |
Due |
| Deposit |
[$ amount] |
On signing |
| Progress payment |
[$ amount] |
[milestone, e.g. materials delivered to site] |
| Progress payment |
[$ amount] |
[milestone, e.g. hardscape complete] |
| Final payment |
[$ amount] |
Within [number] days after the final walkthrough |
Payment by ☐ check ☐ card ☐ bank transfer ☐ other: [describe]. If a payment is more than [number] days late, the Contractor may pause work after giving written notice, and the schedule will be extended by the length of the pause.
8. Change orders
Any change to the scope, materials, price or schedule must be in a written change order signed by both parties before the changed work is done. Each change order will describe the change, the price difference and any effect on the schedule. Small changes with no price difference may be agreed by email or text.
9. Schedule and weather
Work will start on or about [start date] and is expected to be complete by [estimated completion date]. The schedule will be extended for weather, frozen or saturated ground, material delays outside the Contractor's control, change orders, or Client delays, and the Contractor will keep the Client updated.
10. Cleanup
The Contractor will keep the site reasonably tidy and, at completion, remove debris and excess materials. Removed turf, soil and plants will be ☐ hauled away ☐ left on site for the Client.
11. Final walkthrough
When the Work is finished, the parties will walk the site together. The Client will list any items that don't match this Contract in writing within [number] days, and the Contractor will fix them within a reasonable time. Final payment is due as set out in Section 7, less the reasonable value of any listed item that remains unfinished.
12. Plant warranty (optional)
☐ No plant warranty is offered.
☐ The Contractor will replace, once, any tree, shrub or perennial installed by the Contractor that dies or is in clear decline within [number] months of completion. The Client pays ☐ nothing ☐ [$ amount or percentage] for each replacement. Annuals, sod, seed and Client-supplied plants are ☐ covered ☐ not covered.
The plant warranty does not cover losses from lack of watering, irrigation turned off or changed, care instructions not followed, severe weather, animals, pests or disease outside the Contractor's control, vandalism, or changes by others. The Contractor will give the Client written watering and care instructions at completion.
13. Workmanship warranty (optional)
☐ No workmanship warranty is offered.
☐ The Contractor warrants that the hardscape, irrigation and lighting Work will be free from defects in workmanship for [number] months after completion and will repair any such defect at no charge. This doesn't cover normal settling, wear, damage by others, or manufacturer defects in materials.
14. Insurance and damage
The Contractor carries general liability insurance with limits of at least [$ amount] and will provide a certificate on request. The Contractor will take reasonable care and will repair or pay for damage it causes to the Property, other than the expected disturbance of the work area described in the scope.
15. Independent contractor
The Contractor is an independent business, controls how the Work is done, and supplies its own workers and equipment. The Contractor remains responsible for any subcontractors' work.
16. Ending this Contract
Either party may end this Contract by written notice if the other party seriously breaks it and doesn't fix the problem within [number] days of written notice. If the Contract ends early, the Client will pay for Work done and for materials ordered for the job that can't be returned, and the Contractor will refund any deposit or payment beyond that amount within [number] days.
17. General terms
Entire agreement. This Contract, with any attached plan, plant list and signed change orders, is the entire agreement between the parties about the Work and replaces any earlier quotes or discussions.
Amendments. Changes to this Contract must be in writing and signed by both parties, including by change order.
Notices. Notices must be in writing and sent by hand delivery, mail or email to the addresses above.
Governing law. This Contract is governed by the laws of [State].
Severability. If any part of this Contract is found unenforceable, the rest stays in effect.
Signatures. The parties agree this agreement may be signed electronically and in counterparts, and an electronic signature has the same effect as a handwritten one.
Signatures
Client
Signature: ______________________________
Name: [full name]
Date: [date]
Contractor
Signature: ______________________________
Name: [full name]
Date: [date]