How to Invoice as a Landscape Designer
Billing garden and landscape design, step by step: invoice the first consultation, put the design fee on an estimate with your plans attached, collect it phase by phase, and bill extra revisions by the hour.
A US government profile of landscape architects, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics last modified on August 27, 2026, states: "All states require landscape architects to be licensed." If you design gardens and outdoor spaces without that license, check your state's rules on the titles and services you can offer before your first invoice goes out. This guide covers billing the design itself: the consultation, the fee for each phase and the hours outside it.
If you or your crew also build the design, quote the installation separately; the landscaper guide covers installs and maintenance. Billed's landscaping industry page and the landscaping invoice template are linked below.
Worked example, with sample figures: a backyard design. The first site consultation is billed at 150.00 on its own invoice. The design fee of 3,200.00 sits on one invoice with three scheduled payments: 25% (800.00) on approval, 50% (1,600.00) when the concept plan is presented and 25% (800.00) with the final planting plan. The client asks for a third round of revisions beyond the two included; at 85.00 an hour, 3 hours come to 255.00, invoiced from the hourly project. In all, the client pays 3,605.00, before any sales tax.
Step-by-step invoicing guide
- 1
Invoice the first consultation
If you charge for the first site visit, bill it on its own invoice. Billed's invoice software page says: "Set a due date on each invoice so your client knows when to pay."
- 2
Put the design fee on an estimate
List the design phases and attach the site plan. Billed's estimating page says: "Attach important files and images with your estimates."
- 3
Get the design approved and convert it
Billed's features page says "your clients can approve or reject your estimates online." Then Billed's invoice software page says you can "convert an approved estimate into an invoice."
- 4
Collect the fee phase by phase
Billed's help center says "A payment schedule lets you add a payment plan to the invoices." You "Fill out the payment amount and due date of each payment." Time each payment to a design milestone, such as the concept plan.
- 5
Bill extra revisions by the hour
Billed's time tracking page says: "Create an hourly rate project, set its hourly rate, and Billed tracks the charge for each task as you log it." It adds: "From the project dashboard you can invoice one task or several at once."
- 6
Quote any installation separately
If you also build the design, send the install as a new estimate so the design fee and the build stay on separate documents. Billed's estimating page says you can "customize units and quantities for each product," so plants and stone can be priced by the unit.
- 7
Follow up until each payment is in
Billed's help center says: "Turn on the 'Payment Reminders' option while creating or editing an invoice." It also says "You can set a schedule of payment reminders before and after the invoice's due date."
Tips for landscape designer invoicing
- Say in the estimate's notes how many rounds of revisions the design fee covers; Billed's help center says "You can also add any terms and conditions in this section."
- Attach the concept plan and planting plan to the matching invoices; Billed's help center says "You can add attachments in the form of photos, PDFs, spreadsheets, or files in an invoice."
- Use one site address and project name on every document for the job, so a client with more than one property can tell them apart.
- Ask an accountant whether your state taxes design fees or any plants you sell.
Common invoicing mistakes to avoid
- Giving the first site visit away without saying whether it's billed
- Starting the concept plan before the fee is approved
- Revision rounds left open in the estimate
- The design fee and the installation on the same invoice
How this works in Billed
Estimates with your plans
Attach the site plan or a sketch to the estimate that carries the design fee.
Approval before you design
The client approves the estimate online before any design work starts, and you convert it.
Phase payments
Spread the design fee over a payment schedule, with an amount and due date for each payment.
Hourly revisions
Extra revision time goes in an hourly rate project, ready to invoice.
Due dates and reminders
Give every invoice a due date and schedule reminders around it.
Frequently asked questions
Start Invoicing With Billed
Set up your account and send your first invoice with Billed.
At a glance
| Stage | On the invoice |
|---|---|
| First consultation | Its own invoice with a due date |
| Design fee | Estimate, then a payment schedule by phase |
| Extra revisions | Hours from an hourly rate project |
| Installation | A separate estimate |
When this isn't for you
If your design clients pay promptly under your current setup, there's no need to switch.