Quick answer
A usable landscaping quote separates labor, plants, soil, mulch, hardscape, irrigation, disposal, permits and profit. If it is a single lump sum with no plant list or square footage, it is not a quote you can compare.
The one-page test
A landscaping quote should let you answer five questions without calling the company:
- How many square feet of beds and hardscape are included?
- Which plants, at what size and quantity?
- How much soil, compost and mulch?
- What is excluded?
- When is each payment due?
If any answer is missing, the quote is not finished.
The line items that should be there
Site protection and demolition
Removal of old shrubs, edging, sod and debris. Disposal is a real cost: a truckload of green waste and rubble can run several hundred dollars. A quote that omits it will add it later.
Grading and drainage
The finished slope away from the house, any regrading, French drains, dry wells or swales. Drainage is the most commonly omitted item and the most expensive to retrofit.
Soil preparation
Compost, topsoil, aeration of compacted areas and the depth of amendment. “Planting” without soil prep is planting into builder fill.
Plant list
Botanical name, cultivar, container size, quantity and spacing. “Assorted shrubs” is not a plant list. Ask what happens if a plant is unavailable.
Hardscape
Base depth, material, edge restraint, drainage and workmanship. Pavers need a compacted base, not a layer of sand on dirt.
Irrigation
Zones, heads, controller, backflow, trenching and permit. If irrigation is excluded, say so explicitly.
Labor, equipment and profit
You do not need every hour, but you should see crew days or a labor line. A quote with no labor is either a material-only price or a number someone made up.
Cleanup and warranty
Final grade, washing, haul-away and the plant warranty period. Ask who replaces a tree that dies in the first season and who pays for the replacement.
A sample structure
| Section | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Scope summary | Areas, dimensions, what stays and goes |
| Demolition | Cubic yards or truckloads, disposal included |
| Soil | Amendment type, depth, volume |
| Plants | List with size, quantity, price each |
| Hardscape | Square feet, base, material, edge |
| Irrigation | Zones, heads, controller, permit |
| Labor | Crew size and days, or a labor line |
| Exclusions | Permits, rock, tree removal, electrical |
| Schedule | Start window, duration, weather clause |
| Payments | Deposit, progress, final, retainage |
| Warranty | Plants, workmanship, irrigation |
Comparing two quotes
Put both quotes into the same table. If one includes irrigation and the other does not, the totals are not comparable. If one plants 15-gallon shrubs and the other 3-gallon, the plant count may be the same and the landscape completely different.
Ask each company to quote the same written brief. A brief costs you an hour and saves a week of confusion.
Red flags in the numbers
- A plant allowance instead of a plant list. The allowance is a placeholder; the final bill moves.
- No disposal line. Debris has to go somewhere.
- “Drainage included” with no detail. Ask for linear feet and outlet.
- A deposit above 30%. Common for custom materials, but unusual for a standard install.
- A price that expires today. Plants do not expire in an afternoon.
- No exclusions section. Every project has something it does not include.
What to do with the quote
Mark it up. Ask what the second phase would cost, what happens if the scope shrinks, and what the change-order rate is. A company that answers clearly is easier to work with than one that only talks about the total.
Next: the landscaping contract checklist.
FAQ
What should be included in a landscaping estimate?
A written scope with square footage, a plant list with botanical names and sizes, soil and mulch volumes, hardscape dimensions, irrigation zones, disposal, permit responsibility, a payment schedule and a warranty. Labor and profit do not have to be itemized, but the scope does.
Why do landscaping quotes vary so much?
Different measurements, different plant sizes, different soil prep, and different assumptions about disposal and irrigation. A 40% gap usually means the scopes are not the same, not that one contractor is cheating.
Is a lump-sum quote bad?
Not automatically, especially on a design-build contract. But you should still get the scope and plant list in writing. A lump sum without a scope is a blank check with a number on it.