Landscaping Estimate Template

A landscaping estimate is a priced proposal for a design or installation project you haven't started yet. It might be a new planting bed, a patio and walkway, an irrigation system or a whole front yard. It tells the client what you'll build, with what materials and plants, what it costs, and when you plan to do it, so they can compare it with other bids before they commit.

An estimate isn't a bill. Nothing is owed on it, and on its own it isn't a signed contract. For other kinds of outdoor work, other documents fit better:

• Recurring maintenance. For mowing, edging, seasonal cleanups and other visits priced per season, use the lawn care estimate.
• Single-trade jobs. For a fence or a concrete slab on its own, use the fence estimate or the concrete estimate.
• Billing. When the client approves the work and you bill the deposit or the balance, send a landscaping invoice. In Billed's estimating software, you can convert an approved estimate into an invoice instead of retyping it.

The template is set up for a project where the design already exists. Its Design block records the plan you priced from ("Planting plan LP-2, revised Nov 6, 2026" in the sample) and the style, and the priced sections cover installation. If you're also charging for the design, add it as its own line, for example in the blank row of the labor section, so the client can see what the plan costs. Then add a project note saying what happens to the design fee if they don't go ahead with the installation; for example, you might credit it against the installation if they book within a set time. If the client brings a plan from a landscape architect or designer, name it and its date, so it's clear which drawings you priced from.

Plant warranty. A warranty on plants is a business term you choose, and the template has no warranty line. If you offer one, add it to the project notes and spell it out:

• how long it lasts and which plants it covers;
• whether it's a one-time replacement, and whether labor is included;
• what the client must do, such as watering as instructed;
• what it excludes, such as drought restrictions, pests, animals, storms or plants the client moved.

If you don't offer a warranty, say that too.

Seasonal timing. Plant availability, weather and your crew schedule all affect when the work can happen. The template has no start-date field, so add a start window to the project notes, rather than a single date, and say what happens if weather delays it. If your prices depend on ordering nursery stock or materials by a certain date, set the "Valid until" date to match. The sample is dated Nov 9, 2026 and is valid for a month, as a placeholder.

Deposit. The estimate shows a proposed deposit, which is a proposal, not a payment received. The sample's 10% of the estimated total ($1,609.40) is a placeholder, and its note says the deposit is to schedule the work and order plants and pavers. Deposit limits can apply to landscape work. In California, the Contractors State License Board's guidance on landscaping projects tells homeowners never to pay more than 10% down or $1,000, whichever is less, unless the contractor has a blanket performance and payment bond on file with CSLB (CSLB: Gardener or landscaping contractor). On the sample's $16,094.00 total, that guidance would mean no more than $1,000, less than the sample's 10%. Check the rules where you work before you set the rate.

1. Add your business details and license number (if one is required where you work), the estimate number, the date and the "Valid until" date.
2. Enter the client and the site: address, project area and the site conditions that affect the price. Name the design plan and its revision date.
3. Price each section. Plants go one line per plant and size, with the quantity and price each. Bulk materials go by the cubic yard, hardscape by the square or linear foot, irrigation by zone or item, and labor by the hour.
4. Enter the green-waste disposal fee, set the tax rate if tax applies, and set the deposit percentage. In the Excel file, each line amount, the section subtotals, the subtotal, the tax, the estimated total and the proposed deposit are calculated by formulas, and the tax and deposit rates sit in their own cells (0% and 10% in the sample). The tax applies to the subtotal, not to the disposal fee. To leave out the tax or the deposit, set its rate to 0%; to leave out the disposal fee, set it to 0.00. Don't delete those rows, because the totals refer to them. To add a line, use the blank row in a section, or insert a row between two existing lines of that section and copy the amount formula into it from the row above. The section subtotal and the overall subtotal then include it. In Word or on the PDF, work out the amounts and enter them.
5. Edit the project notes and the exclusions. Add your design fee terms, plant warranty and start window if they apply. Then send the estimate and keep a copy.