How to Bid Landscaping Jobs: The Complete Guide for Landscapers in 2026

Before you dive into numbers, you need a clear picture of how the bidding process works. Most landscape contractors follow three stages:

1. Initial contact and a detailed site visit
2. Cost estimating (also called job costing)
3. Proposal preparation and follow up

When you approach each stage with a system, you eliminate guesswork and create landscaping bids that feel professional and trustworthy.

This is also where software like Duranta can help. Duranta gives you built-in templates and workflows so everyone on your team follows the same process from first contact to proposal. Tools like the Duranta CRM also help you track new leads, organize client details, and follow up quickly so you never miss a bid opportunity.

A landscaping bid is more than a price. It represents your business name, your expertise, and the care you put into your work. Accurate bidding ensures you:

• Cover labor costs, material costs, and overhead costs
• Avoid underpricing landscaping services
• Stay competitive while still earning a healthy profit margin
• Win more landscaping contracts and expand your client base

When bids are inaccurate, you either lose the job or win it and lose money. Neither helps your long-term profitability.

Many landscape contractors struggle not because they cannot do the work, but because they misjudge the numbers. Here are the biggest pitfalls:

Underestimating costs

Never guess at mulch, sod, pavers, plants, or hardscape quantities. Always measure and calculate precisely. Tools like Duranta’s AI Site Analysis can help you capture accurate measurements before you even step foot on the property.

Overlooking overhead

Your business operations cost money every day. Insurance, phone, software, marketing, fuel, tools, and admin time all belong inside the bid.

Ignoring profit

A bid without built-in profit is simply unpaid labor. Your profit margin should be intentional.

Vague scope

If your proposal lacks clear specs, clients will compare it to cheaper bids even if the scope is not the same.

Weak communication or slow follow up

Clients often choose the landscaping company that responds fast, communicates clearly, and stays engaged throughout the bidding process.

Underpricing your expertise

Do not lower your prices simply to win. Confidence in your value leads to better clients and stronger long-term revenue.

This stage sets the tone for the entire bidding process. The way you respond, ask questions, and conduct your site visit makes a lasting first impression.

Step 1: Respond promptly to inquiries

Speed matters. When homeowners or property managers reach out, they usually contact several landscaping companies at once. A quick response increases your chance of winning the bid.

• Send an immediate acknowledgment
• Analyze the property to understand the scope of work and price range. AI can help with that.
• Give a rough estimate to make sure you and the customer are on the same page
• Include your phone number to keep communication simple

Your responsiveness alone creates more bid opportunities.

Step 2: Conduct a thorough site visit

A detailed site visit is the heart of the bidding process. This is where you turn vague ideas into clear numbers.

During your walkthrough:

• Arrive on time and be friendly
• Walk every part of the job site
• Take notes, and photos
• Look at grading, drainage, soil, and access points
• Verify material staging areas
• Identify anything that might affect timelines or labor hours

A strong site visit ensures your estimate is accurate and reduces surprises during the landscaping project.

Step 3: Ask essential discovery questions

Better questions lead to better bids. Ask the client:

• What is your vision for the space?
• What problems are you hoping to solve?
• Do you have a budget range?
• What is your ideal timeline?
• Any materials or plants you prefer or want to avoid?
• Who will be the main point of contact?

Listening closely will help you craft a bid that reflects their priorities and sets clear expectations.

Accuracy here directly affects your profitability. Take your time and follow the same process for every bid.

Step 1: Accurately calculate material costs 

Create a detailed material list including:

• Plants, shrubs, and trees
• Mulch and topsoil
• Gravel, base rock, and sand
• Pavers
• Sod
• Irrigation components and fittings

Get updated pricing from suppliers. Include delivery fees and add a waste factor. If you apply markup on materials, keep it consistent across all landscaping jobs. Tools like Duranta Job Costing help track these numbers over time so your estimates become more accurate with every project.

Step 2: Determine labor costs accurately

Break the job into tasks and estimate the number of hours needed for each one. Use production rates to stay consistent.

Examples:

• Mulch installation: 1 to 2 hours per cubic yard
• Sod installation: 1 to 2 hours per pallet
• Paver installation: 1 to 2 days for 200 sq ft

Multiply hours by your blended hourly rate. Review past landscaping projects to refine your estimates over time. 

Step 3: Account for equipment and overhead

Charge for equipment rentals, internal equipment usage, and fuel. For overhead costs, calculate a consistent allocation based on your annual expenses. Overhead includes:

• Office space
• Admin time
• Insurance
• Marketing
• Software
• Business operations

Overlooking overhead costs is one of the fastest ways to lose money on landscaping jobs.

Step 4: Factor in your desired profit margin

Most landscaping companies target a 15 to 30 percent margin depending on complexity.

Example:

Total cost: $10,000

Profit margin (25 percent): $2,500

Final bid price: $12,500

Profit should always be included on purpose, never by accident.

A well-crafted proposal and consistent follow up often matter just as much as the number you quote.

Step 1: Create a professional proposal document

Your proposal should be easy to read and include:

• A brief project overview
• A clear scope of work
• Material specs
• Timelines and expected start dates
• Payment terms
• Warranty details
• Your business name and contact info

Once approved, tools like Duranta Invoicing and Payments let you send a branded invoice, collect deposits, and streamline payment collection.

Step 2: Clearly communicate your value

Your bid should help clients understand why you are the right choice. Highlight:

• Experience and certifications
• Quality of your materials
• Your approach to landscape design or problem-solving
• Testimonials and referrals
• Clear communication practices

Clients are not only buying landscaping services. They are choosing someone to trust with their property.

Step 3: Discuss project timeline and expectations

Explain what affects timelines such as weather, material availability, or on-site challenges. Clients appreciate transparency.

Step 4: Follow up consistently and professionally

Following up is part of the bidding process, not an optional task.

• Confirm they received the proposal
• Offer to walk them through it
• Send gentle reminders
• Ask for feedback if you lose the bid

Most clients appreciate consistent, polite follow up. It signals reliability.

Differentiate your services

Clients often compare landscaping bids simply because they cannot see meaningful differences between companies. When you specialize, you make those differences obvious and memorable.

Some effective ways to stand out include:

• Focus on high-value specialties such as drainage solutions, outdoor living builds, tree trimming, retaining walls, or irrigation troubleshooting.
• Offer simple landscape design packages so clients can visualize the final product before committing.
• Provide maintenance-friendly solutions for homeowners who want long-term ease, not just a one-time install.
• Highlight commercial landscaping experience if you work with property managers who want reliability, reporting, and predictable schedules.

When clients see expertise that matches their needs, your bid becomes more than a price. It becomes the safest option.

Build strong client relationships

Landscaping is a relationship business. Strong relationships lead to repeat work, long-term landscaping contracts, and consistent referrals.

Some practical ways to strengthen client relationships include:

• Communicate proactively before, during, and after the project. Even simple updates build trust.
• Be reliable by showing up on time, keeping your word, and being honest about timelines or challenges.
• Ask thoughtful questions during the site visit so clients feel heard and understood.
• Follow up after the project to make sure the client is happy and to address small issues quickly.
• Make referrals easy by thanking clients when they send you new potential clients or neighbors.

Great communication and reliability give clients confidence in your landscaping company and make them eager to work with you again.

Refine your system over time

The most successful landscaping businesses treat estimating and bidding as a system, not a guess. Your system should improve a little each month.

Here are simple habits that make your bids more accurate and profitable:

• Track estimated hours versus actual hours for every landscaping project. Use this to adjust production rates.
• Review material costs quarterly so your bids match current supplier pricing.
• Update your pricing templates as you learn what works and what slows down crews on the job site.
• Record overhead costs yearly so you understand what it truly costs to run your business.
• Experiment with pricing models for lawn care, recurring landscape maintenance, or seasonal cleanups.
• Use tools or software to streamline proposals, track profitability, and avoid miscalculations.

As your systems improve, your bids will become faster, more accurate, and more competitive, and your profit margin becomes much easier to protect.

When you use a consistent system and present your bids professionally, you will win more of the right jobs and grow your landscaping business with confidence. Accurate estimates, strong communication, and clear proposals are the foundation of profitable, long-term success. Tools like Duranta help you bring all of this together in one place so you can bid faster, stay organized, and protect your margins on every project. Start growing your landscaping business with better bids. Sign up for Duranta for free!