Landscaping estimate template

Download the Landscaping estimate template

The same sample document in two formats. The PDF is what a finished estimate looks like; the spreadsheet has live formulas, so change a quantity or a rate and the totals follow.

No signup, no email, no watermark. Sample figures — edit everything. Opens in Excel, Numbers and Google Sheets.

See this estimate filled in, in the builder — the same sample, editable.

What a Landscaping estimate needs on it

Estimate installs where grade, drainage or soil condition are unknown. Buried debris, hardpan and a drainage problem the client thinks is a plant problem are the classic findings, and they change both scope and price once the machine is on site.

• Plant sizes by container, since a 3-gallon and a 15-gallon shrub are different jobs
• Soil amendment, drainage and grading — the below-ground work customers cannot see
• What the walkthrough could not establish: buried debris, hardpan, an existing drainage problem
• Access constraints: gate width, machine access, spoil removal
• Plant warranty term and the watering requirement it depends on

And what every estimate needs

Use an estimate when the scope is clear but the final number can still move — concealed damage, a substrate you cannot see until demo, or material prices that change between bid and start date.

• An expiry date, so a months-old number cannot be held against you
• Scope written plainly enough that a homeowner knows what is excluded
• A deposit or payment schedule if you need money before mobilising
• A signature line, so acceptance is recorded rather than remembered

Landscaping line items included in this template

These load into the builder ready to edit. Prices are starting points, not our opinion of what you should charge — set your own and they save to your price book.

Rates are illustrative US figures and vary widely by market. Price your own work.

Questions

How long should a plant warranty be?

One growing season is the common default, and it should be written as conditional on the customer watering per your instructions. Unconditional plant warranties are how landscapers end up replacing shrubs that died in an August with no irrigation, so state the watering requirement on the estimate rather than mentioning it at handover.

How do I price a job the machine cannot reach?

As its own line. Wheelbarrowing material through a 36-inch gate can double the labor on a bed install. Note the access constraint on the estimate with the added hours priced separately, so the customer understands what their fence is costing them before the crew arrives.

What should an estimate say about drainage?

That you have not opened the ground. Buried debris, hardpan and a drainage problem the client believes is a plant problem are the classic landscaping findings, and they change both scope and price once the machine is on site. Naming them turns a discovery into something the customer was already expecting.