Hiring a Commercial Landscape Contractor: Look Beyond the Price

The lowest proposal—or the biggest contractor—doesn’t tell you whether the team can actually maintain your property to the standard you expect.

Originally published December 18, 2012. Updated October 2026.

Hiring a commercial landscape contractor can look like a straightforward procurement exercise. Define the property, solicit proposals, compare prices and select a vendor.

The problem is that two contractors can price what appears to be the same landscape-maintenance scope while planning to deliver very different levels of service.

Before comparing numbers, the owner needs to understand exactly what is being bought.

Define the Service Before You Bid It

What do you expect the property to look like?

That question should be answered before proposals arrive.

Basic mowing may be only one part of the requirement. Depending on the property, the scope might include fertilization, weed control, pruning, seasonal cleanup, irrigation support, planting-bed maintenance, pest management, aeration, overseeding or seasonal color.

Frequency matters too.

A contractor visiting once a week with a defined crew and scope is providing something different from a contractor whose proposal simply says the property will be maintained “as needed.”

If the service expectation is vague, the proposals may look comparable when they aren’t.

Understand How They Will Staff the Property

Price tells you what the contractor intends to charge.

It does not tell you how the work will actually be performed.

Ask about the crew expected to service the property. How many people? How frequently? How long are they expected to be on site? Is there a working supervisor? Who is responsible for quality control?

And ask what happens when the normal crew is unavailable.

The objective is not to dictate the contractor’s staffing plan. It is to understand whether the proposed resources are consistent with the service level being promised.

A low number based on insufficient labor rarely becomes a bargain after the contract begins.

Look at the Equipment and Operating Approach

The equipment used on a commercial property matters.

Is it appropriate for the site? Is it maintained properly? Could the size or weight of the equipment damage turf, curbs, paving or other property features?

Operating practices matter as well.

Where will crews stage? How will clippings and debris be handled? What happens around parked vehicles, entrances and pedestrian areas? How will the contractor work around tenants or customers without creating unnecessary disruption?

These details may seem operational, but they affect both the appearance of the property and the owner’s exposure to complaints and damage.

Check Comparable References

A long client list is not necessarily the same as relevant experience.

Ask for references from properties that resemble yours in size, complexity and service expectations.

Then call them.

How long has the contractor serviced the property? Is the same team still assigned? Does management respond when something goes wrong? Are recurring problems actually corrected, or does the client have to raise the same issue repeatedly?

References are most useful when you understand what you are trying to verify.

Fifteen names on a proposal are less valuable than a few comparable clients willing to explain how the contractor actually performs.

Bigger Isn’t Automatically Better

There can be advantages to a large landscape company: staffing depth, specialized equipment, purchasing power and the ability to support multiple locations.

There can also be advantages to a smaller contractor: direct management involvement, local knowledge and continuity of personnel.

Neither model is inherently better.

The question is whether the contractor has enough capability to support your property without your account becoming insignificant inside a much larger operation.

That is why contractor selection should be based on fit, not simply company size or brand recognition.

Manage the Contract After Award

Selecting the contractor is only the beginning.

Establish who will inspect the work, who communicates with the contractor and how deficiencies will be documented and corrected.

Seasonal requirements should be reviewed before the season begins rather than after something has been missed.

The same applies when conditions at the property change. Construction, tenant activity, irrigation problems, weather, new plantings or changes in use may affect what the landscape contractor needs to do.

A well-written scope helps establish expectations.

Active management makes sure those expectations are met.

Leadership takeaway: Define the service level before comparing proposals, evaluate how each contractor intends to deliver it, and manage performance after award. A commercial landscape contract needs to be managed—not just mowed.