For the most part, providing a lawn care service is reasonably straightforward. You build up your client base with a myriad of different marketing techniques, then give the service you advertised – and to a high standard.

But there is a formal part in between, and it involves a contract. Are you aware of how to create a lawn and gardening plan that works for you and your client? Read on to learn more about lawn and garden maintenance contracts, and much more.

Services

One of the most important things to include on a lawn and gardening plan or contract is the type of services you offer and the ones you are providing for a particular customer.  

Lawn and garden services could include:

• Lawn mowing

• Hedge trimming

• Tree pruning

• Garden tidy-ups

• Leaf raking and removal

• Dead-heading plants

• Weed spraying

• Water blasting

• Green waste removal

• And more…

Alongside the list of services, it’s also helpful to include a tick-box for the frequency of those services, such as weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or as required.

Some lawn care service providers go above and beyond for specific long-term, loyal clients, which might include the offering of services outside what you usually offer. In that case, your lawn and gardening plan could also include a blank area to write a one-off or custom services, such as fence painting or gutter clearing.

Writing down the start and finish date of those services on the contract can also clear up any possible confusion in the future.

Data entry information

To be the best lawn care service provider you can be, you need to run your business like a well-oiled machine. A filing and accounting system are crucial. All information you put on your lawn and garden maintenance contracts should align with payment information in that filing system.

Therefore, don’t forget to write out the customer’s name in full, their address, and give them a client number. You can then match that client number to payment and customer information in your online systems.

Lawn particulars

Even the best lawn mowing professional in New Zealand is not going to remember every single past and present customer’s yard. One patch of grass easily blends into another. When you are filling out a new lawn and garden maintenance contract, make sure you include the land size and any noteworthy points about the terrain.

Write down whether the section is sloping, rocky, hard on lawnmower blades, or has challenging parts that you will need to remember. You can then bring that information up for future lawn mowing jobs you take on with them. The more information you can squeeze into your plan, the fewer surprises you will come across.

Timing and frequency

We briefly touched on adding a tick-box for frequency in services, but some lawn contract service providers may see the need for more in-depth information. Some customers have unique requirements for how and when they want lawn and gardening services. The frequency of lawn care may increase over the warmer months, but the service type may change over the colder months of the year.

Be as detailed as possible to avoid any confusion and misconceptions from you or your customers in the future. This part of the contract also offers an opportunity for you to upsell your services. For example, you may not mow someone’s lawn at all over winter, but you can visit their property the same number of times to take care of moss, leaves, or any other winter-related problems.

What should your lawn and garden maintenance contract look like?

Your maintenance contract can be as detailed or as basic as you want it to be, but it should also be professional. Consider the use of your business branding on it, and clear, spacious areas for a lot – or a little – amount of writing.  

For durability, it also helps if you use a thicker paper, or at least carefully weigh up your stock options for the sake of presentation and longevity. Even the sizing matters, because a contract should be easy to file, but not easy to lose.

Benefits of lawn mowing service contracts vs. one-off services

Many people get in touch with lawn care service providers looking for the cost of one-off lawn mowing. They might not have time to tackle the lawns at a particular time, or they might be too hard for their lawnmower to handle at a certain stage of growth.

For a customer, a one-off lawn mowing service can seem like the easier answer, but they may just not see the value, yet, in a contract service. If you offer a one-off mowing service, have a chat with the client about their options for ongoing contract lawn mowing services. If they know that you will turn up on a set day or a fixed part of the month and they never have to worry about their lawns again, then they may be signing on the dotted line quicker than you think.