Landscaping Scope of Work Template
Download a landscaping scope of work template to define planting, irrigation, drainage, hardscape, site responsibilities, exclusions, maintenance, and closeout.
Define Landscaping Responsibilities Before Fieldwork Begins
A landscaping scope of work gives contractors, customers, general contractors, and project teams a clear description of the site preparation, planting, irrigation, drainage, hardscape, equipment, maintenance, warranty, and closeout work included in a project. It establishes who is responsible for each activity before crews, materials, and equipment arrive on site.
This Landscaping Scope of Work Template is designed for landscape contractors, irrigation contractors, hardscape installers, arborists, maintenance companies, design-build firms, general contractors, estimators, project managers, superintendents, and owners preparing or reviewing landscaping agreements.
What Is a Landscaping Scope of Work?
A landscaping scope of work is a detailed description of the labor, materials, equipment, coordination, and deliverables required for a landscape project. It defines the contractor’s work limits and identifies the plans, specifications, addenda, approved submittals, plant schedules, irrigation requirements, assumptions, allowances, exclusions, and acceptance criteria that apply.
A complete scope may address clearing, demolition, grading, soil preparation, topsoil, amendments, trees, shrubs, perennials, turf, mulch, irrigation, drainage, pavers, retaining walls, edging, fencing, lighting, site furnishings, cleanup, establishment maintenance, plant replacement, warranties, and closeout. It should also define interfaces with civil, utility, concrete, electrical, paving, building-envelope, and general-contracting work.
When to Use This Template
- Preparing a landscaping subcontract or purchase agreement
- Defining planting, soil, mulch, sod, seed, and turf work
- Assigning irrigation, drainage, and utility responsibilities
- Defining paver, retaining-wall, edging, fencing, and lighting work
- Clarifying scope after bid negotiations or value engineering
- Separating base work from alternates, allowances, and unit prices
- Documenting grading, unsuitable soil, rock, dewatering, and haul-off assumptions
- Defining establishment maintenance, plant replacement, and warranty obligations
- Coordinating phased turnover, site access, protection, and material staging
- Preparing change orders for added or revised landscaping work
Who Should Use This Template?
This template is suitable for landscape contractors, irrigation contractors, hardscape contractors, landscape maintenance companies, arborists, nursery installers, grading contractors, design-build firms, general contractors, estimators, project managers, superintendents, developers, owners, landscape architects, and civil engineers.
It can be adapted for residential, commercial, multifamily, municipal, public, institutional, hospitality, healthcare, educational, recreation, retail, mixed-use, and specialty landscape projects.
What a Landscaping Scope of Work Should Include
| Scope Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Project and Work Limits | Identifies the project, buildings, landscape zones, planting beds, irrigation zones, hardscape areas, phases, and physical limits of work. |
| Governing Documents | Lists landscape, irrigation, civil, grading, utility, lighting, detail, specification, addendum, and approved-submittal references. |
| Existing Conditions and Demolition | Defines clearing, removals, salvage, tree protection, utility locating, demolition limits, disposal, and protection of existing improvements. |
| Earthwork and Soil Preparation | Addresses excavation, rough and fine grading, imported soil, unsuitable material, compaction, testing, amendments, and finish elevations. |
| Planting and Turf | Defines trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses, groundcover, sod, seed, plant sizes, substitutions, staking, watering, and protection. |
| Irrigation | Assigns responsibility for pipe, sleeves, valves, heads, dripline, controllers, wiring, backflow devices, water connections, testing, and startup. |
| Drainage | Describes drain pipe, basins, channel drains, dry wells, French drains, aggregate, geotextile, outlets, testing, and restoration. |
| Hardscape and Site Features | Defines pavers, retaining walls, edging, steps, fencing, lighting, decorative stone, site furnishings, base preparation, and drainage. |
| Equipment and Logistics | Clarifies equipment access, trucking, hauling, delivery, unloading, storage, staging, temporary water, protection, and traffic control. |
| Maintenance and Warranty | Defines watering, mowing, pruning, weeding, fertilization, irrigation adjustments, inspections, plant replacement, and warranty periods. |
| Closeout and Acceptance | Identifies punch-list work, irrigation as-builts, controller settings, training, warranties, maintenance records, and final turnover. |
| Exclusions and Work by Others | Clarifies utilities, electrical power, concrete, paving, unsuitable soil, rock excavation, dewatering, permits, and other excluded work. |
How to Use the Template
- Enter the project, landscape contractor, customer, contract information, work areas, and governing documents.
- Separate the scope by landscape zone, planting bed, irrigation zone, hardscape area, building, phase, or bid package.
- Define clearing, demolition, salvage, tree protection, utility locating, haul-off, and existing-condition responsibilities.
- Describe grading, excavation, soil preparation, finish elevations, amendments, testing, and unsuitable-material procedures.
- List plant material by item, size, caliper, container size, quantity, substitution rules, staking, watering, and protection.
- Assign responsibility for irrigation water, power, sleeves, backflow devices, controllers, wiring, testing, startup, and winterization.
- Define drainage, paver, retaining-wall, edging, fencing, lighting, and site-feature requirements.
- Document access, staging, delivery, storage, equipment, hauling, traffic control, and temporary protection.
- State establishment-maintenance, replacement, warranty, punch-list, training, and closeout requirements.
- Separate included work, allowances, alternates, unit prices, exclusions, and work by others before approval.
A landscape subcontractor is awarded the site-landscaping package for a multifamily development. The scope includes fine grading, imported topsoil, soil amendments, 54 trees, 760 shrubs, perennial beds, sod, mulch, spray and drip irrigation, drainage improvements, segmental retaining walls, paver walks, cleanup, irrigation startup, and a 90-day establishment period. Electrical power to the controller, permanent water-meter installation, unsuitable-soil removal, rock excavation, and concrete equipment pads are identified as work by others unless added through a written change order.
Best Practices for Landscaping Scopes of Work
- Organize the scope by zone, area, phase, and work category.
- Reference the latest landscape, irrigation, civil, grading, utility, and detail plans.
- Identify plant item numbers, sizes, calipers, container sizes, quantities, and substitution rules.
- Define finish-grade tolerances, soil depths, amendments, testing, and imported-soil requirements.
- Clarify irrigation water, electrical power, sleeves, backflow, wiring, and controller responsibilities.
- Identify drainage outlets, connection points, elevations, testing, and restoration responsibilities.
- Define hardscape base, compaction, edge restraint, drainage, and adjacent-surface interfaces.
- Document access, delivery, staging, hauling, protection, and phased turnover requirements.
- State establishment-maintenance, replacement, warranty, and final-acceptance obligations.
- Preserve revisions and written approvals when the scope changes.
Common Landscaping Scope of Work Mistakes
- Using broad language such as “complete landscaping” without area or system details
- Failing to identify current landscape, irrigation, grading, and civil plans
- Leaving plant sizes, quantities, substitutions, and availability requirements unclear
- Omitting soil depths, amendments, testing, compaction, or unsuitable-material procedures
- Failing to define irrigation water, power, sleeves, backflow, and controller responsibilities
- Leaving drainage outlets, elevations, and tie-in responsibilities undefined
- Omitting hardscape base preparation, compaction, edge restraint, or drainage
- Ignoring delivery access, staging, hauling, disposal, and site protection
- Failing to define establishment maintenance, plant replacement, and warranty conditions
- Changing the scope without a documented revision or change order
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of a landscaping scope of work?
It defines the contractor’s work areas, materials, installation requirements, coordination duties, responsibilities, exclusions, maintenance obligations, acceptance criteria, and closeout deliverables before work begins.
Should planting, irrigation, drainage, and hardscape be separated?
Yes. Separating these work categories makes trade responsibilities, quantities, inspections, schedule requirements, and changes easier to track.
How should plant material be described?
Identify the plant item, species or approved schedule reference, size, caliper, container size, root-ball type, quantity, substitution requirements, staking, watering, protection, and warranty conditions.
Who provides irrigation water and electrical power?
The agreement should assign these responsibilities explicitly. Depending on the project, temporary water, permanent water, meters, backflow devices, electrical power, sleeves, and utility connections may be provided by the owner, general contractor, utility contractor, electrical contractor, or landscape contractor.
How should unsuitable soil and rock be handled?
Define the assumed soil condition, who verifies unsuitable material, how quantities are measured, applicable unit prices, disposal responsibilities, replacement material, and the written authorization required before extra work proceeds.
What should be included in irrigation testing and startup?
Depending on the project, the scope may include flushing, pressure testing, valve checks, head adjustment, drip-system inspection, controller programming, backflow testing, startup, winterization, and customer training.
What should establishment maintenance include?
Define the service period and required watering, mowing, pruning, weeding, fertilization, irrigation adjustment, inspections, replacements, reporting, and final-acceptance criteria.
When should the landscaping scope be revised?
Revise it when plans, quantities, plant selections, irrigation requirements, soil conditions, drainage, hardscape, schedule, maintenance, or trade responsibilities change. Preserve the prior version and document approval.
Create a Clear Landscaping Work Plan and Contract Record
A structured landscaping scope of work helps contractors define site responsibilities, coordinate utility and trade interfaces, document installation and maintenance requirements, and reduce uncertainty before crews mobilize.
SimplySub can help landscaping subcontractors keep jobs, estimates, documents, schedules, change orders, purchase orders, daily logs, photos, tasks, and job-cost information organized within one workflow.