Practical guides for owners, estimators and operations managers who price landscape work for a living. Every article works through real arithmetic: square feet, cubic yards, man-hours, overhead recovery and target margin, so you can check the method against your own numbers and use it on the next bid. When you want the same math done for you on a traced property, the landscape estimating software runs it from your own cost library.
Guides
Pricing guides worked through with real arithmetic.
A step-by-step way to price a mowing visit for a company, not a solo operator: measure the turf, apply an obstacle factor, add trimming and edging, allocate drive time, cost the crew and equipment, recover overhead and set a target margin. The worked example takes a 9,000 sq ft lawn from man-hours to a per-visit price and a season total.
Read the guideWhat belongs on each line of a landscape estimate (quantity, unit, waste factor, production rate, labor, material, disposal) and why an estimate that skips any of them leaks margin. Includes a worked mulch-and-edging estimate laid out as a table, from bed areas to cubic yards to the final price.
Read the guideThe structure of a quote a property owner can read, compare and sign: a clear scope of work, good / better / best options, optional add-ons, explicit exclusions, payment terms and a signature block. Includes a copyable outline you can adapt to your own proposals.
Read the guideHow to turn direct costs into a price that actually pays for the business: recovering overhead per man-hour, costing labor from production rates, and the difference between target margin and markup. A worked sod installation example shows what the wrong formula costs on a single job.
Read the guideHow to build production rates from the hours your crews actually log, why a weighted rate beats a simple average, how job size and site conditions move the number, and how often to review the library. Starting points are framed as numbers to replace with your own measured data.
Read the guideFive satellite measuring tools compared by what happens after the measurement: pricing from your own rates, proposals, e-sign and saved properties. Includes which tool fits a solo mowing company, a maintenance route, a lawn treatment company selling online and a commercial contractor, plus how slope and tree cover affect accuracy.
Read the comparisonSix Jobber alternatives compared by estimating, satellite measurement and job costing, from full replacements such as LMN and Aspire to keeping Jobber for scheduling and adding an estimating tool. Includes a worked mulch example showing what a typed quote misses and which landscape companies should actually switch.
Read the comparisonFive satellite measuring tools compared with SiteRecon by who draws the map, how the measurement becomes a price and how each one charges (seats and takeoff credits versus measurements included per plan). Includes a worked residential bid in both workflows and which landscape companies should stay with SiteRecon.
Read the comparisonSix Service Autopilot alternatives compared by contract terms, satellite measurement and install estimating, from Jobber and QuoteIQ for small crews to LMN and Aspire for commercial firms, plus when to keep Service Autopilot for routes and add an estimator. Includes a priced spring cleanup and mulch example.
Read the comparisonSingleOps is now Granum's tree care product, so landscape companies on it are comparing options. Six SingleOps alternatives compared by estimating, satellite measurement and job costing, from LMN and Aspire for commercial firms to Jobber and QuoteIQ for small crews, plus when to keep your scheduling tool and add an estimator. Includes a worked mulch, edging and sod bid.
Read the comparisonAspire quotes every company after a demo and publishes no prices. What its plans include, what is billed separately (payments, payroll, GPS fleet, PropertyIntel), the cost items to get itemized on a quote, and published-price alternatives, with a worked example of what estimating software costs a 12-person company in a year.
Read the pricing guideJobber's four plans with monthly and prepaid prices, which plan a landscape company actually needs, and the costs beyond the plan (card fees, extra users, add-ons, measuring). Includes a worked example of what a six-person company pays in a year, and where Jobber leaves the install estimate. If you are leaving a tree care platform instead, see the Arborgold alternative for landscapers.
Read the pricing guideLMN by Granum lists Starter from $297 and Professional from $648 a month after a one-time onboarding fee. What each plan includes, where job costing starts, the costs beyond the plan (licenses, onboarding, payments, measuring) and a worked first-year example for a 14-person design-build company.
Read the pricing guideService Autopilot lists Startup at $49, Pro at $199 and Pro Plus at $499 a month on an annual subscription, plus a sign-up fee, with Elite quoted. Which plan a landscape company needs (mobile licenses decide it), the add-ons and fees beyond the plan, and a worked first-year example for a three-crew maintenance company. Office teams on QuickBooks can see how signed jobs reach the books on the lawn care software QuickBooks page.
Read the pricing guideQuoteIQ lists Essentials at $29.99, Beginner at $74.99, Pro at $149.99, Elite at $299 and Max at $699 a month, with yearly billing at ten months. Which tier a landscape company needs (satellite measuring starts on Beginner, job costing on Pro), the costs beyond the plan and a worked first-year example for a five-person design-build company. To see how a satellite trace becomes a priced line, read about our landscape measuring software.
Read the pricing guideGorillaDesk lists Basic at $49, Pro at $99 and Growth at $149 a month for the first schedule, plus $50 for each extra route, with yearly billing at eleven months. How the per-route billing works for crews, the texting and phone costs beyond the plan, and a worked year for a three-crew lawn care company. To see a season contract priced per visit from a satellite trace, read about our lawn care contract software.
Read the pricing guideHousecall Pro lists Basic at $79, Essentials at $189 and MAX at $329 a month, or $59 to $299 billed yearly. Which plan a lawn care company needs (users and recurring service plans decide it), the card fees and add-ons beyond the plan, and a worked year for a five-person mowing company. Design-build firms weighing a CAD suite can compare our DynaScape software alternative.
Read the pricing guideSiteRecon lists Growth at $250, Teams at $400 and Partner at $500 a month, each with creator seats and $200 in takeoff credits, and 5% off billed yearly. What seats and credits add to the real cost, where estimating starts, and a worked year for a four-person estimating team.
Read the pricing guideSynkedUP lists Standard at $399 and PRO at $599 a month, or $359 and $539 billed yearly, with $20 for each extra user and a $1,000 activation fee on monthly billing. What users, billing choice and measuring add to the real cost, and a worked first year for an eight-person design-build company. Contractors who want the yard measured and priced in one tool can compare our SynkedUP alternative.
Read the pricing guideEight tools landscape contractors shortlist, compared on satellite measuring, pricing from your own rates, e-sign and published monthly cost, with who each one fits. Commercial maintenance teams can see how automated estimating for landscaping works on a 28-visit campus bid.
Read the comparisonRealGreen by WorkWave publishes no prices: three packages, Small Business, Professional and Enterprise, priced on users and usage, with a custom quote for each company. What each package includes, what directories list as a starting price and the questions to ask before you sign. Companies pricing installs as well as programs can see a wall priced line by line on retaining wall estimating software.
Read the pricing guideAttentive.ai, now sold as Beam AI, prices done-for-you aerial takeoffs for landscaping, snow, paving and striping as an annual license that starts at $10K per trade. What the license covers, what pushes the cost up and the questions to ask on the sales call. Owners moving off a free tool can also see our Yardbook alternative.
Read the pricing guideLawnPro publishes its prices: Startup, Grow and Plus at $39, $129 and $249 a month, or $29, $99 and $199 billed yearly, with 3, 7 and 15 logins and $19 for each extra. What each plan adds, the add-ons below Plus, a yearly cost for a 9-person company and where a route app stops and a measured install estimate starts. Hardscape crews can also see our paver estimating software.
Read the pricing guideArborgold lists Starter at $129 or $149 a month, Professional at $299 or $343 and Enterprise at $499 or $573, on an annual contract with a twelve-month minimum and 60 days' notice. What each tier adds, the licenses and add-ons without published prices and a yearly cost by tier. Crews selling spring enhancements can also price beds on our mulch estimating software.
Read the pricing guidePropertyIntel is listed at $199 a month for Essential with one user and 60 map credits a year, and $499 for Advanced with five users and 300 credits, with Enterprise quoted. How PI Complete credits are charged, what a two-estimator company pays in a year and where a per-company estimator fits instead. Install crews can also price new lawns with our sod installation estimate software.
Read the pricing guideDynaScape Design is $1,599 a year or $158 a month, and Manage360 is $2,497 or $4,093 a year plus a $599 or $1,199 onboarding fee. What each product includes, a first-year cost by setup and when a satellite estimator replaces the drawing seat. See also our DynaScape alternative.
Read the pricing guideGet started
The guides explain the method. LandscapeEstimating applies it on every bid: trace the property on satellite imagery, price it from your cost library with your production rates and margin, and send a branded proposal the property owner signs online. See the landscaping estimate example, compare plans on the pricing page, or try the yard measurement tool on a real property.