Free landscaping estimate template (mulch, plants, sod, beds)

A fill-in estimate for one-time landscape install jobs: new beds, mulch or rock, shrubs and trees, sod or seed, and edging. It has lines for materials by the cubic yard, plants by size, removal and haul-away, and delivery fees. Type it in on this page, then print it or save it as a PDF to send. The gray hints in each line are only suggestions and don't print. Quoting recurring mowing visits instead? Use the lawn care estimate template.

Nothing leaves your device. Everything you type into the estimate stays in this browser tab. It isn't uploaded, saved, or sent anywhere, so refreshing or closing the page clears it. Save as PDF before you close it.

What a landscaping estimate should spell out

"Redo the front beds" leaves a lot open: how much mulch and how deep, which plants and what size, what comes out first, and what happens to the sprinklers. Writing those down keeps quotes comparable and avoids an argument after the install. A few habits help:

• Mulch and rock by the cubic yard, and say how you measured. Write the bed area (length x width, measured on site with a tape or wheel), the depth you'll spread (for example 3 in, if that's what you use), and the cubic yards that works out to. To convert: square feet x depth in inches ÷ 324 = cubic yards (made-up example: 300 sq ft at 3 in deep = about 2.8, so 3 cu yd). Name the material and color (for example brown hardwood mulch or river rock), say whether weed fabric goes under rock, and say whether spreading is included.
• Plants by count and container size. Put each kind of plant on its own line with the count and size (for example 1-gallon or 3-gallon pots; for trees, the container size or height). Say whether the price is installed (plant plus planting) or the plant and the labor are on separate lines, and that you'll check with the customer before swapping in a different plant if one isn't available.
• Sod or seed: say which, priced by the square foot. Write the area and how you measured it, and what prep is included (for example removing old grass, grading, or topsoil). For seed, say what goes down with it (for example straw) and say plainly what the customer will see when you leave: a seeded area is bare soil until the seed comes up.
• Bed edging by the linear foot. Write the length you measured and the type (spade-cut edge, plastic, metal, or stone border), with each type on its own line.
• Site prep, removal, and haul-away on their own lines. Taking out old shrubs, sod, weeds, or old mulch or rock is real work with its own disposal cost. Price it per square foot, per plant, or flat, say whether haul-away and dump fees are included, and say that stump grinding or digging out large roots isn't included unless it's on a line.
• Soil amendment and delivery fees. If you add compost, topsoil, or another amendment, put it on its own line by the cubic yard or bag and say how it goes in (spread on top or worked into the bed). If your supplier charges a delivery fee for bulk mulch, rock, soil, or sod, put it on its own line and say where the load gets dropped (for example on a tarp in the driveway).
• Sprinkler and drip changes: a separate line, or stop and price. Moving, capping, or adding sprinkler heads or drip lines for new beds isn't included unless it's on a line of its own. Say that if you find a line or head in the way, you'll stop, show the customer, and price the change before going on. Ask the customer to show you where lines and heads run before you start.
• Hardscape is out of scope unless it's listed. Say that patios, walkways, pavers, retaining walls, steps, and drainage work aren't included unless they're on their own lines. For a poured patio or walk, the concrete estimate template has lines for that.
• Plant warranty: your terms, in writing. If you offer a plant warranty, write your own terms: which plants it covers, for how long, what you'll do (replace the plant, with or without labor), and what it doesn't cover (for example storm damage or plants that were moved). If you don't offer one, say so. Either way, say that watering after the install is the customer's job, and leave written watering instructions.
• Weather and scheduling. Write your own rule for when you won't plant or lay sod (for example soaked or frozen ground) and how rescheduling works. If sod or plants are ordered for a set day, say what happens to the order if weather pushes the job.
• Call 811 before digging. Say that buried utility lines will be marked before you dig planting holes, set edging, or prep beds. 811 is the free national before-you-dig service: contact 811 or your state 811 center's website a few business days before digging, and wait until the utilities have marked their lines; see call811.com. Also ask the customer where any private lines run (for example sprinklers, lighting, or a line to a shed), since those may not be marked.
• Permits and HOA approval are the owner's job. HOA rules on plants, rock, and front-yard changes, and any city or county rules, vary by neighborhood and place. Say that the customer gets any HOA approval or permit unless you've agreed to handle it, and put any fee you handle on its own line.
• Valid-until date, deposit, and payment terms. How long the price holds (plant and material prices can change), any deposit to schedule the job and order plants, when the balance is due, and how you take payment, including your own payment link if you use one.

For the longer walk-through (scope wording, exclusions, change orders, sign-off), see how to write a contractor estimate.

This is a general template, not legal or tax advice. Contractor licensing, permit and HOA rules, and sales tax on landscaping labor and materials vary by state, county, and city. Some states license landscape contractors, and applying fertilizer, weed control, or pesticides for paying customers may require a state license, so check your state's rules (your state's contractor licensing board or department of agriculture can tell you).

Your estimate

Job done? Use the free printable invoice template to bill for it. Need a plain version without landscaping hints? Use the general estimate template. Taking on mowing and upkeep after the install? Use the lawn care estimate template. Pouring a patio or walk next to the new beds? Use the concrete estimate template. Adding a fence along the yard? Use the fence estimate template.

Doing this from your phone

Pencilslip is in development: it will build landscaping estimates like this from your phone, with job photos and your own payment links. Want to hear when it's ready?

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