How to Invoice as a Landscaper
Billing installs and upkeep, step by step: price hardscape and planting jobs by the unit, take a deposit, pass on the materials you bought, keep maintenance on a recurring invoice, and add seasonal extras as they come.
Grounds maintenance workers, as described in a Bureau of Labor Statistics (US) profile last modified September 14, 2026, include some who "grade and install lawns or construct hardscapes such as walkways, patios, and decks." It also says: "Some workers use their experience to start their own business, such as a landscaping company." This guide is for that business: billing the installs you build and the upkeep you do through the season.
The landscaping industry page shows how Billed fits the trade, and the landscaping and lawn care invoice templates give you a layout. If your work is the design itself, see the landscape designer guide.
Worked example, with sample figures: a paver patio. Pavers are 240 square feet at 14.50, or 3,480.00; base gravel is 6 tons at 52.00, or 312.00; labor is 3 crew for 8 hours at 45.00, or 1,080.00. The estimate comes to 4,872.00, split into 2,436.00 due on approval and 2,436.00 due on completion. The same client's mowing is 4 visits in October at 55.00, or 220.00, on a monthly recurring invoice, and an October leaf cleanup at 180.00 goes on a separate invoice, so that client is billed 400.00 for the month.
Step-by-step invoicing guide
- 1
Price the install by the unit
Billed's estimating page says you can "customize units and quantities for each product," so pavers go by the square foot, gravel by the ton and labor by the hour.
- 2
Get approval, then convert
Billed's features page says "your clients can approve or reject your estimates online." Once it's approved, Billed's invoice software page says you can "convert an approved estimate into an invoice."
- 3
Take a deposit and a balance
Billed's help center says "A payment schedule lets you add a payment plan to the invoices." You "Choose a suitable option among percentage or flat amount" and "Fill out the payment amount and due date of each payment."
- 4
Pass on the materials you bought
If you record plants, mulch or stone as that client's expenses, then according to Billed's help center, "If there are any unbilled expenses of a particular client, you can add these expenses to the client's next invoice." It adds: "The expense will appear as a line item in the invoice."
- 5
Put maintenance on a recurring invoice
Billed's invoice software page says: "For clients you bill on a schedule, set up a recurring profile once. Choose the billing frequency (daily, weekly, monthly or yearly) and how many invoices to send, or keep sending until you stop." Its FAQ adds: "You can choose to send them automatically or save them as drafts to check first."
- 6
Bill seasonal extras as they happen
Send a cleanup or an extra visit on its own invoice. Billed's help center says: "Click 'Add a Line Item' and fill this section to charge against new items and services."
- 7
Chase what's overdue
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 landscaper invoicing
- Save the services you sell every week, such as mowing or edging; Billed's features page says you can "Save products and services in Billed App and pull these products quickly in your invoices."
- Note the property address and visit dates on the invoice. Billed's help center points to the notes for "additional details related to the transaction."
- Attach before and after photos of an install; Billed's help center says "You can add attachments in the form of photos, PDFs, spreadsheets, or files in an invoice."
- Check your state's rules on licenses for applying pesticides or fertilizer, and on sales tax for materials, or ask an accountant.
Common invoicing mistakes to avoid
- Starting an install before the estimate is approved
- Materials bought for a job and left off the invoice
- Billing each mow on its own invoice when the visits and price never change from month to month
- Seasonal extras done without a price set first
How this works in Billed
Estimates by the unit
Price pavers, gravel and labor with their own units and quantities.
Deposit and balance
Collect an install in two payments, each a percentage or a flat amount.
Materials from expenses
Add the materials you recorded as a client's expenses to their next invoice.
Recurring maintenance invoices
Bill mowing on a schedule, sent automatically or saved as drafts to check first.
Card, PayPal, checks and cash
Once Stripe or PayPal is connected, clients can pay from the invoice; a check or cash payment is logged as an offline payment.
Frequently asked questions
Start Invoicing With Billed
Set up your account and send your first invoice with Billed.
At a glance
| Job | How it's invoiced |
|---|---|
| Patio or planting install | Estimate by the unit, then deposit and balance |
| Materials you bought | Expenses added to the client's next invoice |
| Weekly mowing | Monthly recurring invoice |
| Leaf cleanup | A separate invoice |
When this isn't for you
If your lawn and install clients are billed in a way that suits you now, there's no need to switch.