How to make a landscaping maintenance contract

A solid landscaping contract protects both your business and your clients. It lays out what services you’ll provide, how often you’ll show up, and how payments will work — so there’s no confusion when it comes time to renew or invoice.

Here’s why the best landscape professionals never skip this step:

• Makes business attractive to fund: want to sell your business one day? Or secure better terms on your loans? The more documented clients you have the better.
• Predictable cash flow: Maintenance contracts turn unpredictable seasons into steady, year-round income.
• Clarity and trust: Homeowners and property managers know what they’re paying for, from mowing to fertilization, and when to expect it.
• Legal protection: Written terms safeguard against property damage claims, missed payments, or disputes about warranties.
• Professional image: A clean, branded service agreement tells clients you run an organized, trustworthy business.

Whether you’re maintaining a few residential lawns or managing commercial landscaping accounts across multiple sites, a written contract builds credibility — and it’s often required by insurance carriers and HOAs.

Every property has different needs, but most lawn care contracts share the same foundation. Your agreement should clearly define what’s included, and just as importantly, what’s not.

Here are common services to list in your landscaping maintenance contract:

• Lawn care and mowing: Regular mowing, edging, and clippings removal.
• Fertilization and weed control: Seasonal treatments to keep grass healthy.
• Tree and shrub maintenance: Pruning, trimming, and removal of dead limbs.
• Mulching and soil care: Replenish mulch beds, adjust pH, and improve soil quality.
• Irrigation system maintenance: Sprinkler checks, repairs, and winterization.
• Seasonal cleanup: Leaf removal, aeration, and spring or fall preparation.
• Hardscape upkeep: Pressure washing patios, driveways, and walkways.

Tip: Offer tiered maintenance plans, like Basic Lawn Care vs. Full Property Maintenance, so clients can choose the right level of service and you can easily upsell additional landscaping jobs when needed.

1. Contact information

List the name, address, phone, and email of both the landscaping company and the client (or property manager). Accuracy matters for invoices and warranties.

2. Scope of work

Spell out your scope of work in plain English. Include everything covered, even things like pruning seasons. Example:

“ABC Landscaping will provide weekly mowing, edging, and pruning from March through October, including debris cleanup and driveway blowing.”

Avoid vague terms like “general lawn maintenance.” Be specific.

3. Service schedule

Define how often services occur (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly) and how you’ll handle inclement weather or holiday delays.

4. Pricing, payment schedule, and terms

Clients care about pricing so be transparent. Outline how you charge (monthly fee, per visit, or seasonal rate), list accepted payment methods (check, ACH, or credit card), and include a clear payment schedule.

→ If you use Duranta, you can automate invoices, late-payment reminders, and renewals, saving hours of admin work every month.

5. Contract duration, renewal, and cancellation

Note the start and end date, renewal options, and how much written notice is required for cancellation. This keeps both parties accountable.

6. Warranties, liability, and insurance

Detail your warranties, like 30-day plant replacements or irrigation workmanship guarantees, and list your insurance coverage. This reassures clients you’re covered for any property damage or on-site injury.

7. Deliverables and cleanup

Clarify expectations for waste removal and clippings cleanup after each visit. Clients love coming home to a freshly mowed, spotless lawn.

8. Signature and approval

Get your customer’s John Hancock, ideally with an e-signature for speed and convenience. Duranta’s built-in digital signing tools let you close deals faster and store everything in one place.

Even experienced landscapers sometimes lose clients over contract errors. Here are a few pitfalls to avoid:

• Forgetting to update pricing when material or fuel costs rise.
• Using the same template for residential and commercial landscaping jobs.
• Leaving warranties, insurance, or cancellation terms out.
• Not specifying how weed control, aeration, or winterization are handled.
• Overpromising — like guaranteeing “perfect grass” without factoring in weather or soil conditions.

Your contract doesn’t have to be long, but it should be specific enough to prevent confusion later.

Writing your first maintenance contract? Here’s how to do it right:

Step 1: List your recurring services

Include mowing, pruning, fertilization, edging, and seasonal tasks. This becomes your base scope of work.

Step 2: Set your service schedule

Decide how often you’ll visit and communicate it clearly — weekly for lawns, monthly for shrubs, quarterly for fertilization.

Step 3: Establish payment terms

Do you charge monthly or per service? If you charge monthly, what happens if you skip a service? Do you have late payment fees? Spell it out in plain language.

Step 4: Add terms, warranties, and liability details

Include insurance information, property damage coverage, and any warranties you offer on materials or installation.

Step 5: Attach visuals or maps

Add a simple diagram or photo showing which areas you’ll maintain — it helps prevent misunderstandings.

Step 6: Get signatures and file digitally

Use Duranta’s CRM to send contracts, collect signatures, and automatically schedule follow-ups or renewals.

Residential clients care most about consistency — they want their lawns to look great without thinking about it. A simple, friendly lawn care contract works best here.

Commercial landscaping clients, however, often represent large properties with multiple sites, driveways, and hardscape areas. They need more detail — things like insurance certificates, milestone reports, and proof of warranties.

If you manage HOA or property management accounts, include specifics about response time, emergency procedures, and how you’ll communicate during weather delays or equipment issues.

Manually tracking 20 or 50 maintenance contracts can be a nightmare. Between renewals, payment terms, and follow-ups, it’s easy for details to slip through the cracks.

That’s where Duranta helps. You can:

• Upload any existing landscaping contract template directly into the software
• Automate invoices, renewals, and reminders
• Collect e-signatures instantly
• Manage client data and service schedules in one place
• Customize it with dynamic text which will pull information from your CRM directly into the proposal.

For a growing lawn care business, automation means less paperwork — and more time spent delivering high-quality landscaping services.

A well-written landscaping maintenance contract is more than a formality, it’s the foundation of a thriving landscaping business. It protects you, clarifies expectations, and turns seasonal work into predictable revenue.

By defining your services, setting fair pricing, and keeping communication transparent, you’ll stand out as a trusted landscape professional clients want to keep long-term.

And with Duranta, you can take it a step further — automating every step from proposal to signature to renewal.