Can I really start a landscaping business for under $5,000?

Yes. If you already own a truck, you can start with a quality push mower, a string trimmer, a blower, basic hand tools, and your business license for well under $5,000. Many successful landscaping companies started with exactly this setup, adding commercial equipment as revenue came in. The key is landing your first 10-15 weekly mowing clients before investing in expensive gear.

Do I need a license to start a landscaping business?

It depends on your state and the services you offer. Most states require a basic business license, and many require a landscaping contractor license once your jobs exceed a certain dollar amount (often $500-$1,000 per project). If you plan to apply pesticides or herbicides, you will need a separate pesticide applicator license, which involves passing an exam. Check your state's contractor licensing board for exact requirements.

Should I buy or lease equipment?

Buy your core daily-use equipment (mowers, trimmers, blowers) and rent or lease specialty items you use infrequently (skid steers, plate compactors, stump grinders). A commercial zero-turn mower pays for itself within a few months of regular use, but renting a skid steer at $250/day makes more sense than buying a $30,000 machine you use twice a month. As your hardscaping volume grows, buying starts to make sense.

How much can I earn in the first year?

A solo operator doing mowing and basic maintenance can realistically earn $40,000-$80,000 in gross revenue in the first year, with take-home profit around 40-60% after expenses. Full-service landscaping companies with a crew can hit $150,000-$300,000 in revenue within the first year or two, though profit margins tend to drop to 20-30% once you factor in labor, materials, and equipment costs.

Do I need insurance from day one?

General liability insurance is effectively required from day one. Most residential clients will not ask for proof, but one broken window or irrigation line could cost you thousands. Commercial clients and HOAs almost always require a certificate of insurance before hiring you. Commercial auto insurance is legally required if you are using your vehicle for business. Workers comp becomes mandatory the moment you hire your first employee in most states.

What is the best way to get my first clients?

Door-to-door flyers in target neighborhoods are still the fastest way to land your first clients. Combine that with a Google Business Profile (free to set up), a simple website, and posting before-and-after photos on Facebook and Nextdoor. Yard signs at active job sites generate a surprising amount of leads. Once you have a few clients, referrals and word of mouth will become your biggest growth channel. Offer a small discount for referrals to accelerate this.

What's the difference between a landscaping business and a lawn care business?

A lawn care business focuses on turf maintenance — mowing, edging, trimming, fertilizing, aeration, and weed control. A landscaping business goes much further. Landscapers design and install outdoor spaces: garden beds, shrub and tree plantings, irrigation systems, and hardscaping like paver patios, retaining walls, fire pits, and outdoor kitchens. Landscaping requires heavier equipment, more licensing, and often a crew, which is why startup costs run $15,000-$100,000+ compared to $3,000-$15,000 for lawn care. Many companies start with lawn care and add landscaping services as they grow, but the two are distinct business models with different margins, sales cycles, and equipment needs.

How much does it cost to start a landscaping company with employees?

Starting a landscaping company with employees typically costs $40,000-$100,000+. Beyond the baseline equipment and vehicle costs, hiring adds several expenses: workers compensation insurance ($2,000-$5,000/year), payroll taxes and processing, additional hand tools and safety gear for each crew member, and the wages themselves. A two-person crew costs roughly $3,000-$5,000/month in wages alone before payroll taxes. You will also need a second vehicle and trailer setup once you run multiple crews, which adds $8,000-$25,000. Most landscaping business owners recommend starting solo, building a client base that generates consistent revenue, and hiring your first employee only when you are personally turning down work.

Home / Landscaping Business Startup Costs

How Much Does It Cost to Start a Landscaping Business?

$5,000 – $100,000

A landscaping business is the full-service option in the outdoor services industry. Unlike a simple lawn care operation — which focuses on mowing, edging, and basic turf maintenance — a landscaping company designs outdoor spaces, installs hardscaping like patios and retaining walls, builds irrigation systems, and handles plantings and garden beds. If you just want to mow lawns, check out our lawn care startup cost breakdown instead. Starting a true landscaping business costs more because the work demands heavier equipment, design skills, and often a crew. You can begin with basic landscaping services for around $5,000, but a full-service operation with hardscaping capabilities can run $100,000 or more depending on whether you buy or lease equipment and how quickly you hire.

Last updated Feb 2026 · Based on Home Depot & Lowe's commercial equipment pricing, BLS Occupational Employment data, State licensing board fee schedules

How Others Funded Their Landscaping Business

Based on 4,613 startup loans (NAICS 561730)

$150K

Median SBA startup loan

25th: $30,00075th: $298,600

Source: SBA 7(a) & 504 loan data, FY2010–2025

What Landscaping Business Staff Earn

National median wages

Occupation	Hourly	Annual
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers	$18.31/hr	$38,090
First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping Workersowner	$27.01/hr	$56,170

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024

Landscaping Business Industry Snapshot

Total Establishments

117.1K

117,109 nationwide

Total Employees

774K

across all locations

Avg Employees / Location

6.6

per establishment

Avg Annual Payroll / Employee

$49,769

annual compensation

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 · NAICS 561730

Marketing Your Landscaping Business

Typical Monthly Marketing Budget

$200 – $3,000

Google Local Services Ads

low effort

$200 – $1,500/mo·1–2 weeks

Pay-per-lead ads that appear above Google Search results with your reviews and 'Google Guaranteed' badge. The highest-converting channel for landscaping — leads are ready to hire.

Yard Signs & Truck Wraps

low effort

$100 – $500/mo·1–4 weeks

Place a branded sign on every active job site and wrap your trucks with your logo and phone number. Neighbors see your work firsthand — the best social proof.

Nextdoor

low effort

$0 – $200/mo·1–3 months

Claim your Nextdoor Business Page and respond to landscaping requests. Neighbors trust recommendations from their community — Nextdoor is the #1 word-of-mouth platform for home services.

Referral Program

low effort

$50 – $300/mo·1–3 months

Offer $25–$50 credit for every referral that becomes a client. Landscaping referrals close at 60–70% because prospects can see the quality of your work next door.

Seasonal Direct Mail

medium effort

$200 – $1,000/mo·2–4 weeks

Send postcards to targeted neighborhoods in early spring and fall — the two highest-demand seasons. Include a seasonal offer and before/after photos of local projects.

Website SEO

high effort

$0 – $500/mo·3–6 months

Build a simple website with service pages, a portfolio of local projects, and city-specific landing pages. Rank for 'landscaping near me' and 'landscaper in [city]' for free, ongoing leads.

Marketing Tips

Google Local Services Ads are the single best marketing investment for new landscaping businesses — start with $500/mo and scale up as leads convert.
Always place a yard sign on active job sites. Neighbors seeing your crew at work is the most effective and cheapest form of advertising.
Photograph every project before and after — this portfolio is your best sales tool for both online and in-person proposals.
Spring (March–April) and fall (September–October) are your highest-demand periods — increase marketing spend 30–50% in the weeks before each season.
Focus marketing on a 15-mile radius around your base of operations to minimize drive time and maximize crew efficiency.

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FAQ

Where This Data Comes From

Home Depot & Lowe's commercial equipment pricing
BLS Occupational Employment data
State licensing board fee schedules
r/landscaping community data
SBA 7(a) & 504 Loan Data — U.S. Small Business Administration (FY2010–2025)
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2024)
Fair Market Rents — U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (FY2026)

All figures are estimates based on publicly available data and industry benchmarks. Actual costs vary by location, timing, and business decisions.

🚚

Food Truck

$28K – $200K

💧

Car Wash

$50K – $800K

🌱

Lawn Care Business

$3K – $50K

How Others Funded Their Landscaping Business

What Landscaping Business Staff Earn

Landscaping Business Industry Snapshot

Marketing Your Landscaping Business

Google Local Services Ads

Yard Signs & Truck Wraps

Nextdoor

Referral Program

Seasonal Direct Mail

Website SEO

Marketing Tips

Recommended Tools for Landscaping Business

FAQ

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