How to Start a Landscaping Business
Landscaping and lawn care reward people who like working outside and are good at routing a day: a truck, a trailer and a commercial mower can carry a one- or two-person crew to a full calendar. The business is seasonal in most of the country, which shapes everything from cash flow to hiring.
Get your landscaping business planFree numbers first · $49 for the full planHere are the steps to launch, with federal data on the industry and the same cost model our plans use.
The landscaping business industry in numbers
Businesses with employees in this Census category average $988,173 a year, but the category includes large commercial landscaping contractors, so it is not a target for a new small business.
How to start a landscaping business, step by step
Decide between maintenance and installation
Recurring mowing and maintenance builds steady weekly revenue; installation projects pay more per job but are lumpier and may need a contractor license. Most owners start with maintenance and add projects.
Price by the job and protect your route
Estimate each property by the time it takes, then price per visit with your travel built in. A tight route is the difference between ten profitable stops a day and six.
Check licensing before you apply anything
Many states require a pesticide or fertilizer applicator license for chemical work, and some require a contractor license for installation. A general business license is common at the city or county level.
Buy the right equipment, used where it makes sense
A reliable truck, a trailer and a commercial mower are the core. Used equipment in good condition can cut startup costs substantially; budget for maintenance either way.
Plan for the off-season
In colder areas, revenue drops for several months. Plan snow removal, leaf cleanup or holiday lighting, or hold cash to carry fixed costs through winter.
Write the plan
Your plan shows visits per day, months worked per year and the break-even that tells you when to add a crew member.
Win neighborhoods, not just customers
One client on a street leads to the next. Door hangers, neighborhood apps and yard signs on finished jobs work because your work is visible.
Hire for your second crew
Add help when your route is consistently full. Check payroll and workers compensation requirements in your state first.
What it costs to open
Our worked example comes to $44,867; real budgets typically run $33,000–$66,000. Each line shows the range we found in published prices and cost data — see every source. Replace each with your own quotes in the calculator below.
| Item | Our example | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup truck (used) — enter 0 if you already own one | $20,000 | $15,000–$33,757 |
| Utility trailer | $3,500 | $1,000–$4,999 |
| Commercial mower | $8,000 | $6,699–$10,549 |
| Trimmers, blowers and hand tools | $2,000 | $1,360–$2,270 |
| LLC filing and registered agent, first year | $350 | $134–$749 |
| Licenses and permits budget (confirm with your city and county) | $500 | $59–$500 |
| Logo, website and printed materials | $800 | $238–$1,038 |
| Working capital: 3 months of fixed costs and wages | $9,717 | computed |
| Total to open | $44,867 | $33,000–$66,000 |
Running costs and break-even
With these assumptions, costs that rise with sales take about 20% of revenue, and fixed costs, wages and an example loan payment come to $3,883 a month. That puts break-even at about $4,854 in monthly sales — roughly 3.9 service visits per working day.
| Fixed monthly cost | Typical |
|---|---|
| Insurance (liability, commercial auto) | $250 |
| Marketing and listings | $300 |
| Phone, scheduling and invoicing software | $80 |
Licenses and permits to line up
Requirements and fees differ by state, county and city. Confirm each item with your local offices before you sign a lease or buy equipment.
- Business license from your city or county
- Business registration with your Secretary of State, plus a federal EIN
- Pesticide or fertilizer applicator license if you apply chemicals (state agriculture department)
- Contractor license if your state requires one for landscape installation work
- General liability and commercial auto insurance
- Sales tax registration where your state taxes landscaping services
Where landscaping businesses are concentrated
States ranked by employer landscaping businesses per 100,000 residents (2023). A high count means proven demand — and more competition for the best locations and customers.
| State | Businesses | Per 100k | Self-employed avg. | Wage / hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Vermont | 521 | 80.3 | $40,119 | $22.76 |
| 2. New Hampshire | 1,027 | 72.9 | $53,709 | $21.98 |
| 3. Rhode Island | 794 | 71.4 | $42,034 | $21.82 |
| 4. Maine | 964 | 68.6 | $40,773 | $21.70 |
| 5. Massachusetts | 4,555 | 63.8 | $58,544 | $24.30 |
| 6. Montana | 694 | 61 | $39,207 | $21.90 |
| 7. Connecticut | 2,170 | 59 | $58,255 | $22.15 |
| 8. Idaho | 1,166 | 58.3 | $44,381 | $20.58 |
| 9. Wyoming | 339 | 57.7 | $35,801 | $18.82 |
| 10. New Jersey | 4,734 | 49.8 | $53,598 | $20.82 |
| 11. Nebraska | 939 | 46.8 | $33,833 | $20.36 |
| 12. Florida | 10,670 | 45.7 | $40,826 | $18.80 |
Show all 51 states
| State | Businesses | Per 100k | Self-employed avg. | Wage / hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Vermont | 521 | 80.3 | $40,119 | $22.76 |
| 2. New Hampshire | 1,027 | 72.9 | $53,709 | $21.98 |
| 3. Rhode Island | 794 | 71.4 | $42,034 | $21.82 |
| 4. Maine | 964 | 68.6 | $40,773 | $21.70 |
| 5. Massachusetts | 4,555 | 63.8 | $58,544 | $24.30 |
| 6. Montana | 694 | 61 | $39,207 | $21.90 |
| 7. Connecticut | 2,170 | 59 | $58,255 | $22.15 |
| 8. Idaho | 1,166 | 58.3 | $44,381 | $20.58 |
| 9. Wyoming | 339 | 57.7 | $35,801 | $18.82 |
| 10. New Jersey | 4,734 | 49.8 | $53,598 | $20.82 |
| 11. Nebraska | 939 | 46.8 | $33,833 | $20.36 |
| 12. Florida | 10,670 | 45.7 | $40,826 | $18.80 |
| 13. Oregon | 1,893 | 44.3 | $43,316 | $22.04 |
| 14. Delaware | 456 | 43.3 | $45,858 | $19.08 |
| 15. Utah | 1,471 | 42 | $46,661 | $20.58 |
| 16. Wisconsin | 2,490 | 41.8 | $39,941 | $20.55 |
| 17. Minnesota | 2,397 | 41.4 | $39,600 | $22.21 |
| 18. Colorado | 2,446 | 41.1 | $53,225 | $22.52 |
| 19. South Dakota | 376 | 40.7 | $27,514 | $17.60 |
| 20. Washington | 3,194 | 40.1 | $40,830 | $23.62 |
| 21. Illinois | 5,034 | 39.6 | $32,817 | $21.54 |
| 22. Pennsylvania | 5,179 | 39.6 | $43,018 | $19.95 |
| 23. North Carolina | 4,361 | 39.5 | $37,722 | $19.04 |
| 24. New York | 7,725 | 38.9 | $42,021 | $21.93 |
| 25. Iowa | 1,242 | 38.3 | $30,405 | $19.84 |
| 26. Michigan | 3,797 | 37.4 | $32,172 | $19.49 |
| 27. North Dakota | 285 | 35.8 | $27,401 | $21.04 |
| 28. Indiana | 2,463 | 35.6 | $33,152 | $19.24 |
| 29. Ohio | 4,228 | 35.6 | $34,753 | $19.18 |
| 30. Missouri | 2,199 | 35.2 | $32,448 | $19.56 |
| 31. Virginia | 3,096 | 35.1 | $36,093 | $19.60 |
| 32. South Carolina | 1,910 | 34.9 | $36,677 | $18.04 |
| 33. Kansas | 991 | 33.4 | $31,124 | $19.49 |
| 34. Maryland | 2,052 | 32.8 | $43,287 | $20.86 |
| 35. Georgia | 3,242 | 29 | $34,989 | $18.51 |
| 36. Alaska | 215 | 29 | $32,852 | $22.73 |
| 37. Tennessee | 1,991 | 27.5 | $33,424 | $18.56 |
| 38. Alabama | 1,359 | 26.3 | $29,030 | $17.36 |
| 39. Hawaii | 378 | 26.1 | $41,613 | $21.60 |
| 40. Nevada | 834 | 25.5 | $41,735 | $20.92 |
| 41. Oklahoma | 1,022 | 25 | $35,238 | $17.43 |
| 42. Kentucky | 1,130 | 24.6 | $30,697 | $18.34 |
| 43. Arkansas | 753 | 24.4 | $29,672 | $17.34 |
| 44. Arizona | 1,817 | 24 | $53,840 | $19.98 |
| 45. California | 9,393 | 23.8 | $39,555 | $22.80 |
| 46. West Virginia | 402 | 22.7 | $25,954 | $16.29 |
| 47. Louisiana | 979 | 21.3 | $21,891 | $16.42 |
| 48. Mississippi | 601 | 20.4 | $22,606 | $16.12 |
| 49. New Mexico | 405 | 19 | $32,113 | $19.07 |
| 50. Texas | 5,568 | 17.8 | $33,532 | $18.27 |
| 51. District of Columbia | 22 | 3.1 | $29,933 | $24.62 |
“—” means the Census Bureau did not publish the figure for that state, usually to protect the confidentiality of individual businesses.
Run the numbers for your town
Pick your city to see local competitors, average sales and wages, and your own startup cost and break-even.
Questions
How much does it cost to start a landscaping business?
With typical starting assumptions — a used pickup, a trailer, a commercial mower and hand tools — opening comes to about $44,867, including a cash reserve. If you already own a truck, enter zero for it in the calculator.
How much does a landscaping business make?
Self-employed landscaping operators averaged $37,227 in yearly receipts in the Census Bureau’s 2024 Nonemployer Statistics. Businesses with employees average much more because the category includes large commercial contractors.
What do landscaping workers earn?
The mean hourly wage for landscaping and groundskeeping workers was $20.33 nationally in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2025 data.
Do I need a license for lawn care?
For mowing and basic maintenance, usually only a general business license. Applying pesticides or fertilizers commonly requires a state applicator license, and some states license landscape installation as contracting.
How do I handle winter?
Plan a winter service such as snow removal or leaf and gutter work, or build a cash reserve that covers fixed costs through the slow months. Your plan’s months-worked setting shows the effect.
Related
Main Street Plans is not affiliated with the SBA or any government agency. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 and 2019 — NAICS 561730 (Landscaping Services).
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census — receipts, payroll and employment, NAICS 561730.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers.
- U.S. Census Bureau, population estimates (2024).
- Federal Reserve, bank prime loan rate (via FRED), for the example loan.
Figures are computed by Main Street Plans from the published federal files listed above. See how we build our numbers.