A lawn care contract is a service agreement between a property owner and a lawn or yard maintenance company that sets out what gets done, how often, for which season, and at what price. Solo mowers, small landscaping crews and property managers use one so nobody argues about skipped weeks or surprise invoices in August. Our free lawn care contract template is a seasonal agreement you can download as Word or PDF and adapt for residential or small commercial properties.
When do you need a lawn care contract?
You need one as soon as the work is recurring. A one-off cleanup can live on an invoice. A season of weekly mowing, edging and leaf removal is a relationship with a lot of small decisions in it, and the contract is where those decisions get made once instead of every week.
Take a hypothetical: Priya runs a two-truck lawn service and quotes a homeowner $55 a visit for weekly mowing from April through October. In a dry July the grass barely grows, she skips two weeks, and the customer wonders if they’re still paying. In a wet May she mows every five days and wonders if she should charge extra. A written lawn maintenance agreement answers both before the season starts.
If the job is a one-time build (a patio, a retaining wall, new sod and irrigation), use a construction contract instead. If a customer adds work mid-season, a short written add-on or change order keeps the record clean.
What should a lawn care contract include?
Our template covers the sections below. Here’s what each one does, so you can fill it in with real numbers instead of guesses.
Property and service area
The address and a plain description of which areas are included: front and back lawn, side strips, the area behind the fence or not. If there’s a gate code or a dog, it goes here too.
Services and frequency
A checklist of services (mowing, edging, trimming, blowing hard surfaces, leaf removal, hedge trimming, fertilizing, weed control, aeration, seasonal cleanups) with how often each happens. Being specific is the best protection against scope creep. “Yard maintenance” invites a request to clean the gutters.
Season and term
A start and end date for the season, and whether the agreement renews automatically. Auto-renewal is convenient, but if you use it, say how to opt out, send a reminder before the new season, and check whether your state has rules on automatic renewal for consumer contracts.
Price and billing
Per visit, per month, or a flat seasonal price, plus when invoices go out and when payment is due. The template also covers extras priced separately (a one-time cleanup, debris hauling) so they don’t get absorbed into the base price.
Weather, skipped visits and growth
What happens when rain cancels a visit (reschedule within a set number of days), and whether visits may be skipped during drought or dormancy, with the price adjusted. This is the clause that keeps July friendly.
Chemicals and pesticides
If you apply fertilizer, herbicide or insecticide, say so, say who’s licensed to do it, and agree to give the client product information on request. The EPA’s advice to consumers hiring a pest control service is to confirm the company has a certified, licensed commercial applicator in the right category and to ask for copies of the labels for the pesticides used and the rates they’ll be applied. Expect that question from careful clients.
Access, damage and insurance
The client keeps the yard clear of toys, hoses and pet waste; the provider is responsible for damage it causes and carries insurance. Hidden sprinkler heads and invisible dog fences are a classic source of disputes, so the template asks the client to mark them.
Cancellation
Either side can end the agreement with written notice, and the client pays for visits already done. Simple, and fair.
What should you check for your state?
Two things. First, if you sell seasonal plans at people’s front doors, read the FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR Part 429). It covers many sales of $25 or more made at the buyer’s home. The buyer can cancel until midnight of the third business day, and the seller has to give them a written cancellation notice and tell them about the right when they sign. Some states have their own rules on top of that.
Second, commercial pesticide application is licensed by the states, and the EPA points consumers to the state department of agriculture to check an applicator’s credentials. Ask your county or town about any local rules on fertilizer or posting notices, too, before you add chemical treatments to the services list.
How do you fill it in and get it signed?
- Walk the property with the client and note the service areas, obstacles and anything off-limits.
- Fill in the lawn care contract template in Word: services, frequency, season dates and price.
- Decide how skipped visits and extras are handled, and write the numbers in.
- If you apply chemicals, fill in the pesticide section and the applicator’s license number.
- Send it for signature. The client signs first, then you countersign, and both keep the signed PDF.
Lawn care is a phone business, and most clients would rather sign a seasonal agreement on their phone than find a printer. The federal ESIGN Act says a contract can’t be denied legal effect just because it’s electronic; our guide on whether electronic signatures are legally binding covers the details, and is a typed name a legal signature answers the “can they just reply I agree” question.
Download it, fill in the blanks, and send it for e-signature with any tool you like. (We’re building SignWren for small-business paperwork like this, and the waitlist is open.)
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.
If you sell this agreement at the client's home, the FTC Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR Part 429) may require you to give the client a written notice of the right to cancel. Check the rule and your state's rules and attach any required notice.
LAWN CARE SERVICE AGREEMENT
This Lawn Care Service Agreement ("Agreement") is made on [date] between:
Client: [Client's full legal name], of [Client's mailing address], phone [phone], email [email]
Service Provider: [Service Provider's full legal name or business name], of [business address], phone [phone], email [email]
1. Property
The Service Provider will perform the services at: [property address] ("Property").
Areas included: ☐ Front lawn ☐ Back lawn ☐ Side yards ☐ Parkway/curb strip ☐ Beds ☐ Other: [describe]
Areas excluded: [describe, or write "None."]
Access notes (gate code, pets, parking): [notes]
2. Services and frequency
The Service Provider will perform the following services ("Services"):
| Service |
Frequency |
| ☐ Mowing |
[weekly / every 10 days / every 2 weeks] |
| ☐ Edging of walks and driveway |
[frequency] |
| ☐ String trimming around obstacles |
[frequency] |
| ☐ Blowing clippings off hard surfaces |
Each visit |
| ☐ Hedge and shrub trimming |
[frequency] |
| ☐ Leaf removal |
[frequency or dates] |
| ☐ Fertilizing |
[number] applications per season |
| ☐ Weed control |
[number] applications per season |
| ☐ Aeration / overseeding |
[dates] |
| ☐ Spring cleanup / fall cleanup |
[dates] |
| ☐ Other: [describe] |
[frequency] |
Mowing height: [height] inches, unless the parties agree otherwise. Clippings will be ☐ mulched ☐ bagged and removed ☐ bagged and left at the curb.
Any service not listed above is extra work and will be done only if the Client agrees to it in writing (email is fine) at the price quoted.
3. Season and term
The service season runs from [start date] to [end date]. This Agreement:
☐ Ends at the end of the season.
☐ Renews for the next season on the same terms unless either party gives written notice at least [number] days before the season ends. The Service Provider will send a reminder, including any price change for the next season, at least [number] days before renewal.
4. Price and billing
The Client will pay:
☐ [$ amount] per visit
☐ [$ amount] per month for [number] months
☐ [$ amount] for the full season, payable [describe schedule]
Extra services (for example one-time cleanups or hauling) will be billed at [$ amount or rate].
The Service Provider will invoice ☐ after each visit ☐ monthly ☐ other: [describe]. Payment is due within [number] days of the invoice by ☐ check ☐ card ☐ bank transfer ☐ other: [describe]. If an invoice is more than [number] days overdue, the Service Provider may pause Services after giving written notice.
5. Weather and skipped visits
If weather prevents a scheduled visit, the Service Provider will reschedule within [number] days. During drought, dormancy or slow growth, the Service Provider may skip a mowing visit after telling the Client. Skipped visits ☐ are not billed (per-visit pricing) ☐ are credited at [$ amount] each (monthly or seasonal pricing) ☐ Other: [describe].
6. Fertilizer and pesticides
☐ This Agreement includes no fertilizer or pesticide applications.
☐ This Agreement includes the applications listed in Section 2. They will be made by or under the supervision of an applicator licensed as required by state law. License number: [license number]. On request, the Service Provider will give the Client the product names, copies of the product labels, and the application rates. The Service Provider will follow the product label and any state or local notice rules. The Client will tell the Service Provider about any areas that children or pets use heavily, wells, ponds or gardens that need to be avoided.
7. Client responsibilities
The Client will give access to the service areas on scheduled days, keep them reasonably clear of toys, hoses, furniture and pet waste, and mark sprinkler heads, low-voltage lighting, invisible fences and other hidden objects. The Service Provider is not responsible for damage to unmarked hidden objects that could not reasonably have been seen.
8. Damage and insurance
The Service Provider will take reasonable care and will repair or pay for damage it causes to the Property. The Client must report damage within [number] days of the visit. The Service Provider carries general liability insurance with limits of at least [$ amount] and will provide a certificate on request.
9. Independent business
The Service Provider is an independent business, controls how the Services are performed, and supplies its own equipment, workers and materials.
10. Cancellation
Either party may end this Agreement at any time by giving [number] days' written notice. The Client will pay for Services performed up to the end date. If the Client prepaid for the season, the Service Provider will refund the unused portion within [number] days, calculated as [describe method, e.g. price per visit times visits not performed].
11. General terms
Entire agreement. This Agreement is the entire agreement between the parties about the Services and replaces any earlier discussions or quotes.
Amendments. Changes to this Agreement must be in writing and signed or confirmed in writing by both parties.
Notices. Notices must be in writing and sent by hand delivery, mail or email to the addresses above.
Governing law. This Agreement is governed by the laws of [State].
Severability. If any part of this Agreement 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]
Service Provider
Signature: ______________________________
Name: [full name]
Date: [date]