Landscaping estimate template
A landscaping estimate prices an install job zone by zone, with materials by the square foot, cubic yard, or plant, crew hours, and equipment. Download this template as a CSV or print it.
A landscaping estimate template prices an install job one zone at a time: front beds, backyard, side yard. Each line carries the material quantity in the unit you buy it in (square feet of sod, cubic yards of mulch, plants by the each, square feet of pavers), the crew hours to install it, and any equipment like a skid steer or plate compactor. Add the lines, then overhead and profit, and you have a price the customer can follow on a walk of the property. The template below is for installs; recurring maintenance is priced differently and billed with the landscaping invoice template.
Zones help sell the job too. When a homeowner balks at the total, you can show what the backyard patio costs on its own and phase it to spring.
What the landscaping estimate is for
It is your internal cost build and the backbone of the proposal. Keep every measurement here, along with the assumptions that change price: soil conditions, access for equipment, how far the crew has to wheelbarrow material, and whether irrigation already exists. Those are the details that turn a profitable install into a long week.
How to fill in each column
- Zone: the area of the property. It makes the estimate easy to walk and easy to phase.
- Description: the task and material, such as "shredded hardwood mulch, 3 in depth."
- Quantity and unit: SF for sod and pavers, CY for mulch, soil, and stone, EA for plants, LD for haul-off loads, LS for small systems.
- Material unit cost: your nursery or supply yard price, including delivery if you price it that way.
- Crew hours: total labor hours for the line, from your own production on similar jobs.
- Labor rate: a burdened rate per crew member hour. See labor burden.
- Equipment: rental or owned equipment cost charged to the line.
- Line total: quantity times material unit cost, plus crew hours times labor rate, plus equipment.
Landscaping pricing tips
Access and haul-off are the hidden costs. A backyard reachable only through a 36 inch gate means hand work instead of a machine, and every load of sod and debris has a dump fee. Price both explicitly. Plant warranties are another one: if you guarantee plants for a season, build in the cost of replacements and say what voids the guarantee, such as the customer not watering.
Sales tax on landscaping materials and services varies by state, so check your state tax agency before you set up your estimate summary. For overhead, crew cost, and margin targets, see how to price landscaping jobs.
Common landscaping estimate mistakes
- Guessing bulk material quantities instead of calculating cubic yards from area and depth.
- Leaving out equipment rental, delivery, or dump fees.
- Ignoring access, slope, and soil conditions when setting crew hours.
- No plant guarantee terms, so every dead shrub becomes a free replacement.
- Pricing install and maintenance on the same sheet, which hides what each one earns.
Related forms
Bill completed installs and monthly service with the landscaping invoice template. For tools that schedule crews, estimate, and invoice, read landscaping software. For pricing small jobs without losing money, see how to price small construction jobs profitably.
Smart Business Automator turns a signed estimate into a job with its zones, hours, and materials attached. See estimate to project handoff automation.
Landscaping install estimate worksheet
| Zone | Description | Quantity | Unit | Material unit cost | Crew hours | Labor rate | Equipment | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front beds | Remove sod and fine grade beds | 850 | SF | 0.00 | 10 | 48.00 | 225.00 | 705.00 |
| Front beds | Shredded hardwood mulch, 3 in depth | 8 | CY | 42.00 | 6 | 48.00 | 0.00 | 624.00 |
| Front beds | Shrubs, 3 gal, plant and water in | 24 | EA | 28.00 | 8 | 48.00 | 0.00 | 1,056.00 |
| Backyard | Tall fescue sod, prep and lay | 2,400 | SF | 0.55 | 14 | 48.00 | 0.00 | 1,992.00 |
| Backyard | Paver patio 12 x 16, incl. base and sand | 192 | SF | 6.25 | 40 | 48.00 | 120.00 | 3,240.00 |
| Side yard | Drip irrigation zone with timer | 1 | LS | 380.00 | 6 | 48.00 | 0.00 | 668.00 |
| All | Haul off debris, dump fees | 2 | LD | 85.00 | 0 | 48.00 | 0.00 | 170.00 |
- Sample data only. Quantities, prices, rates, and fees are made up for illustration.
- Line total = (Quantity x Material unit cost) + (Crew hours x Labor rate) + Equipment.
- Bulk material: cubic yards = square feet x depth in inches / 324.
- Subtotal by zone so the customer can phase the work.
- Add overhead, profit, plant guarantee terms, and sales tax as your state requires.
Frequently asked questions
What should a landscaping estimate include?
Each zone's tasks with material quantities and units, crew hours, equipment, delivery and dump fees, plant guarantee terms, overhead, profit, and any tax your state requires.
How do I calculate mulch for a landscaping estimate?
Multiply the bed area in square feet by the depth in inches, then divide by 324 to get cubic yards. Round up to what the supplier delivers.
Should maintenance be on the same estimate as an install?
Keep them separate. Installs are one-time projects; maintenance is recurring and priced per visit or per month. Separate sheets show what each one earns.
Can I open this landscaping estimate template in Excel?
Yes. Download the CSV, open it in Excel or Google Sheets, and add formulas for line totals and zone subtotals.
