Overview
Landscape quotes are sold as a vision, but priced as a list of materials and days
Landscaping is one of the broadest trades on the page. A landscaper might be quoting a new lawn, a full back garden redesign with patio, plant beds, lighting, and irrigation, or just a soft-landscaping refresh for a property going on the market. The customer often has a vision (sometimes a mood board, sometimes a Pinterest screenshot) and very little idea what each component costs. The temptation for the contractor is to quote a single number for 'garden redesign'. The reality is the price is a stack of materials, plants, and labour days. A clear quote helps the customer see why the front-end design fee is worth paying, why the slate paving costs three times the concrete option, and why the year-one maintenance contract is part of the design success.
QuoteGenio gives landscapers a quoting shape that fits the project shape. Design fee or consultation as the first line, hard landscaping (patios, paths, walls, lighting) priced by material and area, soft landscaping (lawn, planting, mulching) by area or by plant count, irrigation as a separate record if applicable, project management or supervision time, and a year-one maintenance plan priced as a recurring line. Send via WhatsApp or email to the customer with renders or sketches attached, take staged deposits at design and at hard-landscaping start, raise progress invoices through each phase, and the final invoice closes with the planting plan and a care guide for the customer.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for every type of landscaping and garden business.
The problem
The quoting problems every landscaper knows
Garden work is detail-oriented. Your quoting process should be too.
Seasonal demand makes quoting frantic
When enquiries spike in spring, writing up every quote manually becomes a bottleneck that costs you jobs.
Scope disputes after the job
Without a clear accepted quote, clients argue about what was included. A professional document protects you.
You lose to faster competitors
Homeowners get several quotes. The landscaper who responds professionally and quickly usually wins.
The fix
QuoteGenio makes it simple
A clean, fast quoting workflow so you can focus on the garden, not the paperwork.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for garden businesses
Add materials, plants, labour, machinery hire, and disposal fees as separate line items. Quote accurately every time.
Quote on-site or at home
Walk the garden with the client, then send a professional quote before you leave. Works on phone, tablet, or laptop.
Win more seasonal work
Respond to spring enquiries fast with a polished quote. Being first with a professional document wins the job.
From deposit to final invoice
Quote the job, get it accepted, take a deposit, and invoice on completion. All in one place.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how landscapers actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Landscapers choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Landscapers build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Landscapers job pricing
A rough guide to what landscapers charge for common jobs. Pricing varies by region, garden size, plant availability, and whether you're doing maintenance or full install. Use these as a reference point, not as fixed prices.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Garden clean-up and refresh (small urban garden) | R4,132 - R10,743 |
| Lawn mowing (one-time, up to 3000 sq ft) | R909 - R1,818 |
| Monthly garden maintenance (medium garden) | R3,636 - R7,933 / month |
| Tree removal (medium, up to 20 ft) | R6,280 - R15,701 |
| Irrigation install (small zone, up to 400 sq ft) | R10,743 - R23,964 |
| Paving (400 sq ft pressed concrete) | R39,665 - R79,330 |
| Full garden landscape design + install (2000 sq ft) | R107,426 - R462,756 |
Pricing converted from USD to ZAR at indicative rates. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
Local site visits are usually free. For properties beyond 30 minutes or where a full design is needed, charge R909 to R2,314 for the visit, refundable if the client proceeds. This filters out tyre-kickers and covers your fuel.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Hourly (R578 to R909 per person per hour) works for general labour. Per-visit pricing (minimum R1,570 to R2,975) works for maintenance. Per-project fixed pricing works for installs. Mix them on the same quote when scope requires.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here's what a clean, itemised quote for a typical garden makeover looks like. Clearance, soil, plants, lawn, mulch, irrigation, labour, and disposal are all visible. Clients who see every line accept faster than those who see one lump sum.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
Garden makeover, 800 sq ft front yard
Site clearance (remove weeds, old shrubs)
Topsoil and compost (5 yd³)
Sod installation (400 sq ft)
Plants and shrubs (native mix, 25 units)
Bark mulch (3 yd³)
Irrigation (drip system, small zone)
Labour (3 staff, 2 days)
Debris removal (1 load)
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site clearance (remove weeds, old shrubs) | 1 | R4,628 | R4,628 |
| Topsoil and compost (5 yd³) | 5 | R909 / yd³ | R4,545 |
| Sod installation (400 sq ft) | 400 | R20 / sq ft | R7,933 |
| Plants and shrubs (native mix, 25 units) | 25 | R297 | R7,437 |
| Bark mulch (3 yd³) | 3 | R744 / yd³ | R2,231 |
| Irrigation (drip system, small zone) | 1 | R8,925 | R8,925 |
| Labour (3 staff, 2 days) | 48 | R661 / hr | R31,732 |
| Debris removal (1 load) | 1 | R2,975 | R2,975 |
| Subtotal | R70,405 | ||
| Tax (10%) | R7,041 | ||
| Total incl. tax | R77,446 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
Plant handling and shrinkage allowance, skip and green-waste removal, site protection (paving covers, driveway protection), irrigation controller programming, first-month watering schedule, and plant warranty replacements. Add them to your template once and they stop leaking margin.
Peer snapshot
How Landscapers actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Landscapers on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
22
Quotes sent per month
54%
Average quote acceptance
2 min
Median time to send quote
R77,446
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
Start quoting Landscaper jobs like this, free
Build your first quote in under 2 minutes. No credit card, no setup fee, no contract.
Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of landscapers. The same issues come up: plants quoted at cost, disposal absorbed, maintenance visits underpriced. Fix these and the numbers improve immediately.
Mistake: Quoting plants at cost without handling allowance
Better: Plants die in transit, get damaged, and need replacement. Add 10 to 15 percent to nursery cost for handling and shrinkage. It's not dishonest; it's standard trade.
Mistake: No disposal or skip line item
Better: Garden clearances generate volume. A skip or tip-run costs money and time. List 'rubble and green waste removal' as its own line. Never absorb it into labour.
Mistake: Charging for maintenance per visit without a minimum
Better: If you travel 20km to mow for 45 minutes, you're losing money. Set a minimum visit charge (typically R1,570 to R2,975) so travel time is covered on small jobs.
Mistake: No weather or seasonal contingency
Better: On landscaping jobs that span weeks, build in a 'weather delay' clause. State that rain days over a threshold move the completion date, not your price.
Mistake: Fixed price with no plant substitution clause
Better: Nurseries run out of stock. State that you reserve the right to substitute a plant for an equivalent variety at the same price. Prevents delays and blame.
Mistake: Not quoting irrigation separately
Better: Irrigation is specialist and expensive. Always a separate line, ideally with its own phase sign-off. Lumping it into 'landscaping' hides cost and confuses the client.
Mistake: Maintenance contracts with no scope per visit
Better: State exactly what happens on each visit: mow, edge, weed, prune, clean beds, inspect irrigation. Vague contracts get disputed; specific ones get renewed.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote landscaping jobs
Walk the garden with the client before you price anything. Measure the lawn and bed areas in square feet, check access for machinery (gate widths, driveway load, turning space for a trailer), look at the soil and drainage, and note any existing irrigation or mature trees you need to work around. On a maintenance quote, ask how overgrown the garden is today so your first-visit deep tidy is not priced as a routine visit.
Itemise plants, materials, and labour separately. List plants at nursery cost plus a 10 to 15 percent handling and shrinkage allowance; it is standard trade and covers the ones that arrive damaged or fail in transit. Add soil, compost, mulch, and turf per cubic yard or per square foot with a clear quantity. Show labour by crew-hours (for example three staff for two days equals 48 hours) rather than as a lump. Always quote irrigation as its own phase with its own sign-off, and put skip hire or green-waste removal as its own line so it is not absorbed into labour.
Set a 14 to 30 day validity and include a plant substitution clause. Plant availability changes with season and nurseries run out of stock, so reserve the right to substitute an equivalent variety at the same price. On install contracts that span weeks, add a 'weather delay' clause so that rain days beyond a threshold move the completion date, not the price. Include your warranty period on new plantings (typically 30 to 90 days, conditional on the client following your written watering schedule).
Send the quote before you leave the driveway, especially in spring. Garden enquiries peak at the start of the growing season, and the landscaper whose professional quote lands first usually wins the job. Share it via WhatsApp or email from your phone, take a 30 to 40 percent deposit on acceptance to cover plants and materials, and invoice the balance on completion. For recurring maintenance, spell out exactly what happens on each visit (mow, edge, weed, prune, inspect irrigation) so there is no dispute about scope later.
FAQ
Common questions from landscapers
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes. Add any number of line items: plants, topsoil, labour, machinery, disposal fees, or anything else. Each line has its own description, quantity, and price.
Yes. Add line items for monthly or seasonal visits, specify what's included per visit, and price it as a recurring service. Use notes to detail the schedule.
Yes. Create and send a quote from your phone on-site. Share it via WhatsApp before you leave so the client has it while your visit is still fresh.
Yes. Every quote has a unique public link. Clients open it on their phone and accept it online. No account or app needed.
QuoteGenio handles invoicing. You can create a deposit invoice and a final invoice separately, both linked to the same client.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card required. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes, invoices, statements, and reports.
State your warranty period clearly (typically 30 to 90 days from install) and what's covered (replacement of failed plants if watering instructions were followed). Exclude acts of nature, pets, and client-caused damage. Put this in your quote terms.
If the property is more than 30 minutes away, a R909 to R2,314 site-visit fee is reasonable, refundable against the contract. It filters out clients who are getting five free quotes.
Design and install is phase-based (design fee, hard landscape, soft landscape, irrigation, handover). Maintenance is recurring per visit or per month. Use separate quotes for each so the client can accept them independently and your cash flow is clean.
No, but add a note that municipal water costs to establish a new lawn are the client's responsibility. Include a 'watering schedule for first 4 weeks' document so the client understands their side.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
Pricing benchmark
What do landscapers charge in 2026?
Hourly rates by region, common job prices, a worked sample quote, and the FAQs customers actually ask. The complete pricing reference for landscapers.
Typical hourly
$50-$100/hr
Explore more
Related trades in Outdoor & Landscaping
QuoteGenio is built for a whole family of trades. Explore other pages that might fit how you work.
Reviews
Trusted by tradespeople
Real feedback from people who quote for a living.
"Saves me about 3 hours every week. I would still be sending WhatsApp images of handwritten quotes if I had not found QuoteGenio."
James van der Merwe
Plumber · Johannesburg
"The biggest win for me is speed. I can quote while I am still with the client and not worry about doing it later."
Jason Naicker
Electrician · New Delhi
"Solar is a long sales cycle. The quote activity tracking lets me see who has re-opened a quote so I know when to follow up. Very useful."
Hannah Clarke
Solar Installer · Manchester
Guides
Guides for Landscapers
Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
Free forever plan
Start quoting faster. Win more jobs.
Create professional quotes in minutes, send instantly, and stay on top of your work without the admin slowing you down.
Free to start. No credit card required.