Lawn care contract template for mowing and maintenance

What a lawn care contract covers

A lawn care contract covers a service that repeats, so it needs a season, a visit schedule, a fee per visit or per month, customer duties on service days, and a simple way to cancel.

• The property and the list of services, such as mowing, edging, trimming and blowing off walks.
• How often you come: weekly, every two weeks or monthly.
• The season, such as April through October.
• Fees and how they are billed.
• Customer duties like unlocked gates and a clear lawn.
• Property damage, weather, insurance and cancellation.

Projects such as a new patio or a planting bed are different. They need a deposit, change orders and a warranty, which is what the landscaping contract is for.

Schedule, skipped visits and weather

Write down that the day of the week can move and that a visit skipped for weather is not billed under per-visit pricing, because that is where most scheduling arguments begin.

With a flat monthly or seasonal fee, the template says you make up weather-skipped visits when practical. It adds that the parties talk about a credit only if you miss two scheduled visits in a row for reasons other than weather. If the grass is far taller than normal at the first visit, you can charge an added initial service fee after telling the customer.

Fertilizer and weed control: consent and notice

If you apply fertilizer, weed-control or pest-control products, the contract should say so and should record the customer's consent; if you do not, it should say that you do not.

The template has an option for no products, fertilizer and weed control, or fertilizer, weed and pest control. When products are included it says you follow the label and the licensing and notice rules that apply to you, that the customer keeps children and pets off treated areas for the time the label directs, and that the customer tells you about allergies or organic-only wishes. General information only: licensing and notice rules for product applications vary, so check the rules that apply to your business.

Pets, gates and property damage

Customers are responsible for unlocked gates, pets kept away and a clear lawn, and you are responsible for reasonable care and for damage you cause by negligence.

Mowing can throw small stones, and edging and trimming can mark soft ground, so the template treats ordinary wear as expected and asks the customer to point out sprinkler heads, low-voltage lights and invisible-fence wires. Damage must be reported in writing within 7 days after the customer finds it.

Lawn care contract or landscaping contract?

Use a lawn care contract for recurring maintenance and a landscaping contract for a one-time installation, because the risks, payments and warranties differ.

Key terms

Service season

The months in which visits take place, such as April through October.

Per-visit fee

A price charged each time the crew completes a visit.

Flat fee

A fixed monthly or seasonal price regardless of the number of visits.

Skipped visit

A scheduled visit that does not happen, usually because of weather.

Product label

The directions on a fertilizer or weed-control product that tell how and where to use it.

Build it in four steps

1. Add names and the property. Your business, the customer and the address.
2. List the services and schedule. Weekly, every two weeks or monthly, with the season.
3. Set the fee and products. Per visit, monthly or seasonal, and whether you apply any products.
4. Read, edit and download. Check each clause in the preview, then download.

Related contracts

Compare all six on the contractor contract templates page, or open another one.

• Snow removal contract
• Landscaping contract
• Pressure washing contract
• Junk removal contract
• Tree service contract
• Independent contractor agreement
• Service agreement template

Hiring a helper for your crew? Use the independent contractor agreement.