What to bring to the conversation
- Property, dimensions or quantities you know
- Existing condition and items to retain
- Access, occupancy and scheduling constraints
FREE PREPARATION RESOURCE
Landscaping site brief and service-scope comparison worksheet
Free fillable landscaping worksheets to organize site goals, existing conditions, access, design and installation roles, maintenance handoff, and comparable scopes.
View the checklist and download the fillable PDF ↗FIND HELP. COMPARE OFFERS. YOU CHOOSE.
Recurring maintenance
Tell us what you need. Pros can review your request and send you offers. You decide who to hire.
Set visit frequency and seasonal tasks.
Start my requestFree to request. No need to hire anyone.
What information helps?
Share what you know. You do not need to know every detail.
- The problem or the result you want
- Where you need the service
- When you would like help
- Your budget, if you have one
Do not guess measurements or costs. You can ask a pro to check them.
Want to learn more before you start?
Open the guide for costs, useful questions and planning tools. You can start your request without reading it all.
Home · THE PROJECT GUIDE
Recurring maintenance.
Get the details right.
Set visit frequency and seasonal tasks.
Separate design, installation and ongoing care. A shared plan makes plant quantities, grading assumptions and irrigation changes easier to compare.
Explore freely · Compare thoughtfully · You choose the professional
THE WORK BEHIND THE WORDS
Make this particular service clear.
Start with the distinction below, then define the deliverables and boundaries. If something is unknown, ask the provider to assess it.
Recurring maintenance · the key conversation
Set visit frequency and seasonal tasks.
What to ask for in return
A written description of recurring maintenance, the assumptions behind the price and which items need further assessment. Ask the provider to explain site plan, plant and material schedule, irrigation changes, establishment care in the context of your request.
| Detail | Get this in writing | Keep the comparison fair |
|---|---|---|
| Plan and quantities | List planted areas, plant schedule and surfaces. | Compare species, size and quantity rather than pictures alone. |
| Site preparation | Define removal, soil preparation, grading and drainage work. | Identify retained plants and protection areas. |
| Irrigation | Specify zones, devices, controls and commissioning. | Distinguish repairs from a system redesign. |
| Establishment and care | Assign watering, maintenance and replacement conditions. | Compare duties and time periods explicitly. |
UNDERSTAND THE PRICE
See the parts. Then compare the total.
A useful budget explains what the money covers. Keep these cost areas visible rather than relying on a package name or headline figure.
Preparation and investigation
Products and installation
Access, disposal and reinstatement
Approvals, testing and handover
What changes the scope?
Separate design, installation and ongoing care. A shared plan makes plant quantities, grading assumptions and irrigation changes easier to compare.
Ask providers to explain how site plan and plant and material schedule affect their assumptions. Separate confirmed information from items still awaiting assessment.
What does the chart show?
The planning tool compares amounts you enter over the same period. Fixed charges, rate × quantity, monthly charges and extras stay separate. Its cumulative-cost graph makes different upfront and recurring arrangements easier to understand.
Published references, where available below, show their own units, source and period. They remain separate from your calculator inputs. Employee wages and producer-price indexes are context, not the price a provider will charge. Ask for current proposals for your actual scope.
Explore employee wages by state
Related occupation: Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. These are employee wages, not contractor billing rates, business fees or an installed-project estimate.
$14.98U.S. · 10th percentile
$18.82U.S. · Median hourly wage
$27.28U.S. · 90th percentile
The median divides employees into two equal groups. The percentile figures describe the wage distribution; they are not minimum and maximum prices. Unpublished or suppressed estimates remain “Not published.”
Mean wages and interpretation
| Area | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. | $18.82 | $20.33 |
A provider’s charge also covers costs such as nonbillable time, supervision, vehicles, equipment, insurance, administration and profit. The selected occupation may cover only part of a multitrade project. OEWS does not measure self-employed contractors’ fees. No wage-to-quote multiplier is applied, and these snapshots do not establish a current labor-price trend.
BLS national and state source tables ↗ · SOC 37-3011 · Reviewed October 8, 2026.
YOUR PLANNING DESK
A clearer brief. A better starting point.
Build your request, compare entered costs and download a branded planning pack. Your selections stay here until you choose to continue.
Start with the details that matter.
No account needed to plan. Keep private documents, account numbers, credentials and sensitive case details out of this brief.
Also consider: Access, occupancy and scheduling constraints. Leave unknown details for the provider to assess.
Review your starting brief
Review before continuing. You can edit the wording below. Manual edits stay in place until you choose to regenerate from your answers.
365 characters
Next, review the request in PickYourPro.ai. An account is required to complete it. This step does not send invitations or commit you to a provider. Service availability and provider participation vary.
Opt-in saves form answers only. Manual brief edits, comparison values and checklist selections are not saved. Download a copy to keep them; avoid saving on shared devices.
FROM FIRST QUESTION TO HANDOVER
Know what happens next.
- 1
Define
Describe the outcome and current condition. Mark unknown measurements rather than guessing.
- 2
Assess
Agree any visit or diagnostic fee. Ask what must be checked before the price can be final.
- 3
Compare
Use the same drawings, selections and boundaries for each proposal.
- 4
Complete
Approve changes in writing and collect the agreed completion records.
A planning sequence, not a promised duration. Actual timing depends on the service, the information available and the provider's agreed scope.
WHEN YOU WANT THE DEEPER VIEW
The details worth resolving early.
Separate design, construction and ongoing care. An attractive concept does not explain plant quantities, soil preparation, drainage, irrigation or the work needed to keep the landscape established. Ask every provider to price the same plan.
For this particular project
Specify visit frequency and how often each task happens. Separate mowing, edging, pruning, weed management, seasonal work and irrigation checks. Ask how missed visits, weather and extra work are handled. Compare a complete annual scope rather than a monthly price that leaves seasonal tasks undefined.
Use these questions to write my brief ↗- 01Describe use
- 02Assess site
- 03Agree plan
- 04Install & adjust
- 05Establish & maintain
A design or an installed landscape?
Confirm whether the deliverable is a concept, a detailed planting plan, construction documentation or completed work. Ask which revisions are included and who owns or can use the drawings. Avoid comparing a design fee with an installation estimate as though they cover the same service.
Plants suited to the site
Discuss sun, soil, water availability, mature size and the amount of upkeep you want. Compare plant names, quantities and container sizes. Ask how substitutions are approved and what establishment care is required for any replacement coverage.
Water and drainage together
Ask how irrigation zones and controller settings match the planting plan. Discuss existing drainage concerns separately from irrigation. A new surface or bed can change where water goes; have the provider explain the proposed drainage responsibility and any specialist assessment needed.
Installation versus recurring maintenance
Separate removal, grading, soil preparation, delivery and installation from ongoing mowing, pruning and irrigation checks. For a recurring contract, list visit frequency and task frequency separately. Not every task necessarily happens at every visit.
What changes with location and conditions?
- Choose plants and watering plans for local conditions and site exposure. A plant described as low-water still needs an establishment plan.
- Water restrictions and utility arrangements vary. Ask who verifies the local rules and sets the irrigation schedule.
- Seasonality, soil and delivery access affect installation sequencing. Request a realistic schedule for your property.
Documents to collect at completion
- Plant and material schedule
- Irrigation zone plan and controller instructions
- Establishment watering and maintenance plan
- Replacement conditions and completion photos
Compare these promised records before choosing a provider. Keep the originals alongside your planning pack.
PICKYOURPRO.AI · YOUR NEXT STEP
Explain it once.
Compare with more clarity.
Turn what you have learned into a focused request. Give providers the same starting information, review their responses and ask questions about differences in scope, timing and fees.
- 1
Build a clear brief
Describe the service, your priorities and what needs assessment.
- 2
Review responses
Compare what each provider proposes and clarify open questions.
- 3
Choose your provider
Consider relevant experience, scope and terms—not just the lowest number.
Requesting and comparing proposals is free for clients. Provider participation, availability and response times vary. Confirm any separate consultation or inspection charge. Review project unlock terms for later project stages.
GOOD QUESTIONS, CLEARER CHOICES
Before you choose.
What should I include in a recurring maintenance request?
Set visit frequency and seasonal tasks. Include site plan, plant and material schedule, irrigation changes, establishment care where known. Leave unknowns for the professional to assess.
Can I compare prices before an assessment?
You can compare the stated assumptions, scope and fee basis. Ask what must be checked before an offer is final and whether a consultation, inspection or diagnostic visit has a separate charge. For this service, start by clarifying site plan.
How should I handle a lower price?
Ask which tasks, deliverables and terms differ. Use the cost tool to compare the same period and quantities, then review exclusions and professional fit. The smallest calculated number is not a recommendation.
Does the planning pack create an agreement?
No. It records your brief and entered scenarios. You still need to review and agree the provider’s actual proposal and terms. Keep original documents and approvals.
What happens after I continue to my request?
Your reviewed brief enters the existing PickYourPro.ai request process. You will need an account and can confirm the remaining details before completing the request. Provider participation and availability vary.
Are these live market prices?
The planning calculator uses your entered figures. Published references elsewhere on the page are separate, dated observations with their own sources and limitations. Neither is a live provider quote. Employee wages are not billable labor rates, and a producer-price index is not an installed project price.
TRANSPARENT BY DESIGN
Sources and editorial notes.
Prepared by PickYourPro.ai with AI assistance · Framework published October 7, 2026. Expanded research review: October 8, 2026. These service-planning questions have not been independently reviewed by a licensed specialist. Local requirements and professional suitability need individual verification.
- FTC: hiring a contractor ↗
Background on written estimates and checking a contractor. This resource does not endorse PickYourPro.ai. See any price-reference chart for the exact unit, scope and observation date.
- EPA WaterSense: landscaping tips ↗
Background on matching landscapes to local water and site conditions. This resource does not endorse PickYourPro.ai. See any price-reference chart for the exact unit, scope and observation date.
- EPA WaterSense: irrigation controllers ↗
Explains weather-based and soil-moisture-based controller types. This resource does not endorse PickYourPro.ai. See any price-reference chart for the exact unit, scope and observation date.
Methodology and updates
Scope questions are organized by service and buying process. The planning calculator uses only entered values. Separately labelled reference charts use public source observations; no private PickYourPro project history is used. A permanent page address does not make a dated reference permanently current. Substantive changes should update the editorial record.
October 7, 2026: initial guide, service-specific scope, planning worksheet and cost-comparison tools published.
October 8, 2026: expanded option comparisons, project-specific buying questions, regional considerations and completion records.
KEEP EXPLORING
More landscaping guides.
Landscape design
Ask for the drawings, revisions and specifications included.
Explore ↗New landscaping
Compare installation quantities and site preparation.
Explore ↗Yard renovation
Identify what stays and what must be removed.
Explore ↗Sod installation
Confirm measured area, soil preparation and irrigation readiness.
Explore ↗Drought-tolerant landscaping
Discuss site conditions and establishment needs.
Explore ↗Seasonal cleanup
List pruning, debris, beds and haul-away.
Explore ↗