Landscaping estimate example: from address to signed proposal in four steps
Landscapeestimating turns an address into a priced, branded proposal in one flow: you trace the property on satellite imagery, the quantities price themselves from your own cost library, the client signs online and the accepted estimate becomes the job budget your crew is measured against. Below are the four steps, followed by a landscaping estimate example for a residential property with every number worked out, so you can check the math line by line.
Measure
Tracing the property on aerial imagery by service.
Step 1: measure the property from satellite imagery
Search the address, then trace turf, beds, hardscape and edging directly on the aerial image. Areas in square feet, lengths in linear feet and counts for shrubs and trees calculate live as you draw, and each layer belongs to a service, so beds feed the mulch line and edging lines feed the edging line. The lawn measurement tool replaces the drive-out and the measuring wheel for most maintenance and enhancement work.
- Layers per service: turf, mulch beds, sod, hardscape, edging, trees and shrubs
- Square feet, linear feet and counts update while you trace
- Measurements come from aerial imagery, so heavy tree cover and the imagery date matter; verify critical hardscape dimensions on site
Price
How quantities become priced lines through assemblies.
Step 2: price it from your own cost library
Every measured quantity flows into line items through assemblies. A "Mulch bed refresh" assembly, for example, multiplies bed area by depth, adds your waste factor, applies your mulch cost per cubic yard and delivery, and converts area into man-hours with your production rate. Overhead recovery and target margin come from your company settings, so two estimators pricing the same yard reach the same number. The lawn care pricing calculator holds your materials, labor rates, production rates, equipment and disposal costs.
- Production rates in square feet or linear feet per man-hour
- Waste factors per material
- Visits per season for maintenance pricing
Propose
The branded proposal your client opens and signs.
Step 3: send a branded proposal the client signs online
The estimate becomes a proposal with your logo, colors, the traced map, a written scope of work, good, better and best options and optional add-ons. The client opens it online, picks an option, signs, and on the Company plan and above receives a deposit request link. You see the status move from sent to viewed to signed. More on this in landscaping proposal software.
Track
Comparing the crew hours with the hours you priced.
Step 4: track the job against the estimate
When the proposal is signed, the estimate becomes the job budget. Crews log hours and materials, and each line shows estimate against actual, so you know whether the 12 man-hours you priced for mulch took 12 or 16. Accepted jobs and invoices export to QuickBooks Online, as described on the landscaping invoice software page.
Worked example
A residential yard priced step by step with rates.
Landscaping estimate example: a residential front and side yard
Here is a worked example for a single-family property with front and side beds. The company settings are a burdened labor rate of $50 per man-hour, overhead recovery of 20 percent on direct cost and a target margin of 25 percent of price. Together that means price equals direct cost times 1.2, divided by 0.75, which is direct cost times 1.6.
- Mulch beds traced at 1,080 sq ft, 3 in. depth: 1,080 x 0.25 ft = 270 cu ft, divided by 27 = 10 cu yd, plus a 10 percent waste factor = 11 cu yd at $42 per cu yd = $462, plus $68 delivery = $530 material
- Mulch labor at 90 sq ft per man-hour: 1,080 / 90 = 12 man-hours x $50 = $600
- Bed edging traced at 210 linear ft, spade edge at 70 linear ft per man-hour: 3 man-hours x $50 = $150
- Shrub trim, 14 shrubs counted on the map at 3.5 shrubs per man-hour: 4 man-hours x $50 = $200, plus $35 green waste disposal
- Sod repair traced at 300 sq ft, plus a 10 percent waste factor = 330 sq ft at 60 cents per sq ft = $198, plus $12 topsoil = $210 material; labor at 50 sq ft per man-hour: 6 man-hours x $50 = $300
Line items
Direct cost and price for every line in the example.
Line items for this landscaping estimate example
The table shows each line with its direct cost and its price at the 1.6 multiplier. Material includes delivery and disposal where they apply.
| Line item | Quantity | Unit | Material | Labor hours | Direct cost | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mulch bed refresh, 3 in. | 11 | cu yd | $530 | 12 | $1,130 | $1,808 |
| Bed edging, spade edge | 210 | linear ft | none | 3 | $150 | $240 |
| Shrub trim with disposal | 14 | shrubs | $35 | 4 | $235 | $376 |
| Sod repair | 330 | sq ft | $210 | 6 | $510 | $816 |
- Good (mulch bed refresh): $1,808, 12 man-hours
- Better (mulch plus edging): $2,048, 15 man-hours
- Best (mulch, edging and shrub trim): $2,424, 19 man-hours
- Optional add-on on any option, sod repair: $816, 6 man-hours; Best with the add-on totals $3,240 and 25 man-hours
Check on the Best option: direct cost is $1,130 + $150 + $235 = $1,515, overhead recovery adds $303 for $1,818, and $1,818 / 0.75 = $2,424, leaving $606 of margin, which is 25 percent of the price. A three-person crew finishes the Best option in roughly one working day.
FAQ
- How accurate is a satellite measurement for an estimate like this?
For turf, beds and edging on open residential lots, tracing on aerial imagery is close enough to price mulch, sod and maintenance, and you adjust waste factors to your own experience. Tree canopy can hide bed edges and the imagery date may predate recent changes, so for hardscape and anything priced per inch, confirm key dimensions on site.
- Can I change the production rates in this example?
Yes. Every rate, cost, waste factor, overhead percentage and margin in the example lives in your cost library and company settings, and you set them to match your crews. Once saved, every estimator prices with the same numbers.
- Does the client see my costs and man-hours?
No. The proposal shows the scope of work, the options and their prices. Direct cost, labor hours and margin stay inside your account.
- Can I try this landscaping estimate example on my own property?
Yes. The estimator on the home page lets you trace a property on aerial imagery and price it once, with no card needed. Compare the features on the landscape estimating app page and the plans on best landscaping software.
Get started
Price your next yard the same way every time
Measure, price, propose and track in one flow, with your own numbers behind every line. Start with the estimator, then create your account when you are ready to send real proposals.