Spring hits and the phone doesn't stop. Everyone wants their beds done, their lawn fixed and a price for weekly mowing, all by Friday.
If your estimates are scribbled on the back of a business card, you're leaving money on the table and losing jobs to whoever sends a clean price first. This landscaping estimate template helps you send a professional estimate or quote the same day. The Excel and Google Sheets versions calculate how much mulch and sod you need, price the one-time project, and turn weekly lawn care into a season total and a monthly payment.
Download the free landscaping estimate template
No email required. In the Excel file, everything in blue is yours to fill in. Everything in black calculates on its own.
What's in this landscaping estimate template
- Estimate or quote, landscaping or lawn care: click the title to switch between four versions. One file covers all of them.
- Mulch calculator: bed area and depth in, cubic yards out.
- Sod calculator: lawn area plus waste, in square feet.
- One-time project work: mulch, sod, plants, edging, cleanups and labor, with line totals. The mulch and sod lines fill in from the calculators.
- Lawn care for the season: visits times price per visit, a season total and the amount per month.
- Total, discount, tax and a likely price range. Set the range to 0% and it shows "Fixed price" for quotes.
- Notes for plant prices, weather, what's not included and your plant guarantee, plus a signature line.
How to estimate a landscaping job (step by step)
1. Measure the areas
Walk the property with a measuring wheel or tape. Write down each bed and lawn area in square feet (length times width; for odd shapes, split them into rectangles). Take photos for later.
2. Calculate the materials
- Mulch is sold by the cubic yard. Multiply the bed area by the depth in inches and divide by 324. Example: 600 sq ft at 3 inches = 5.6 cubic yards.
- Sod is sold by the square foot (or by the pallet). Add about 5% for cuts and edges. Example: 800 sq ft of lawn = 840 sq ft of sod.
The template does both calculations for you.
3. Price the one-time work
Use your real cost for materials plus your markup, and add labor for prep, grading, planting and cleanup. Price plants per plant, installed, so the customer sees one simple number per line.
4. Price the recurring work separately
Weekly mowing, cleanups and fertilizer are a different kind of job: they repeat. Price them per visit, multiply by the number of visits in your season, and show the monthly amount. A homeowner who hesitates at a season total often says yes to a monthly price.
5. Add your margin and check the total
Make sure every line covers your time, fuel, equipment and disposal. If the total looks high, offer to phase the project rather than cutting your price.
6. Say what's not included
Irrigation repairs, tree removal and hardscaping are the classic surprises. One line in the notes prevents most arguments later.
Landscaping estimate example
Here's the template filled in for a backyard refresh plus a season of lawn care (example prices only, since costs vary a lot by region):
One-time project work
| # | Description | Qty | Unit price | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mulch, delivered and spread (cubic yards) | 5.6 | $85.00 | $476.00 |
| 2 | Sod, delivered and installed (sq ft) | 840 | $2.10 | $1,764.00 |
| 3 | Shrubs and perennials, planted (each) | 12 | $35.00 | $420.00 |
| 4 | Bed edging (linear ft) | 80 | $4.00 | $320.00 |
| 5 | Spring cleanup and debris removal | 1 | $250.00 | $250.00 |
| 6 | Bed prep and soil grading (hours) | 6 | $60.00 | $360.00 |
| Project subtotal | $3,590.00 |
Lawn care for the season
| # | Service | Visits | Price per visit | Season total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mowing, trimming and blowing (weekly) | 28 | $45.00 | $1,260.00 |
| 2 | Spring and fall cleanup | 2 | $225.00 | $450.00 |
| 3 | Fertilizer and weed control | 4 | $65.00 | $260.00 |
| Season subtotal | $1,970.00 |
Total: $5,560, likely range $5,004 to $6,116. The lawn care works out to about $281 a month over a 7-month season.
Lawn care estimates: per visit or per season?
Both work, and the template shows both at once:
- Per visit is simple and fair when the season length changes with the weather. Skipped visits aren't billed.
- Per season, paid monthly gives you predictable income and the customer a steady bill. Spread the season total over the months you work, or over 12 months if you want income through winter.
Whatever you choose, write the season dates and your rule for rain days on the estimate.
Estimate or quote?
Use an estimate when the scope can change: you don't know what's under the old beds, or the customer hasn't picked plants yet. Use a quote when the job is clearly defined: weekly mowing on a lawn you've measured, or a fixed plant list. In the template, switch the title and set the range to 0% for a quote. More in estimate vs quote, or use the general quote template for other work.
What to say to customers
When you send it:
Hi [name], here's your estimate for [property]. The project comes to [$amount], and weekly lawn care for the season is [$per month] a month. Happy to phase the project if you'd like to spread it out. Any questions, just reply here.
Follow-up after 3 days:
Hi [name], just checking you got the estimate. Spring spots are filling up; I can start on [date] if you'd like to go ahead. The estimate is valid until [date].
Renewal before next season:
Hi [name], thanks for a great season! Want me to keep your spot for weekly lawn care next year? Same price, starting [month]. Just reply YES and you're booked.
Write it faster with AI
Walk the property and record a 2-minute voice note: areas, what the customer wants, problem spots. Turn it into text and paste it into an AI assistant (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot) with this prompt:
Turn my notes into a clear landscaping estimate for [customer name]: a one-sentence job description, one-time project lines with quantities, a lawn care section with visits per season, what's not included and a timeline. Plain English, friendly tone. My notes: [paste]
Check every number, then copy the lines into the template. AI drafts, you decide.
More free estimate templates
- By trade: Roofing estimate template, Painting estimate template, Plumbing estimate template, Handyman estimate template, HVAC estimate template.
- Estimate template: for any job, with a likely price range.
- Quote template: for fixed-price jobs.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate how much mulch I need?
Multiply the bed area in square feet by the depth in inches, then divide by 324. That gives you cubic yards. Most beds get 2 to 3 inches. The template calculates it for you.
How much sod should I order?
Measure the lawn area in square feet and add about 5% for cuts and edges, more for curvy or irregular lawns.
Should landscaping estimates be free?
Most landscapers give free estimates for typical residential work. For large design projects that take hours of planning, many charge a design fee and credit it back if the customer books.
How long should a landscaping estimate be valid?
30 days is common. Plant and material prices change during the season, so many landscapers note that prices are confirmed at the time of purchase.
Can I use this landscaping estimate template in Google Sheets?
Yes. Use the Google Sheets link above to make your own copy, or upload the Excel file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets. The formulas and the title dropdown work in both.
Want to win more of the jobs you estimate?
This template comes from Close More Deals, book 2 of the AI for Small Business series. It shows you how to reply to new inquiries fast, turn a voice note into an estimate in minutes, follow up without being pushy and bring past customers back every season, with ready-to-copy messages and a Sales Tracker spreadsheet.
See the full kit · or start with the free 5 Quick Wins guide