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Intermediate20 min
Landscape Business Startup
Licensing, insurance, estimating, pricing, and client management for landscape professionals.
“Knowing how to prune is a skill. Knowing how to charge for pruning is a business. One pays your bills. The other pays someone else's.”
What you'll learn
Licensing & insuranceEstimatingPricing strategiesClient contractsSeasonal planning
Licensing varies by state. Most require a contractor's license for work over $500-1000. General liability insurance ($500-1,500/year) is non-negotiable - one damaged water line wipes out your year.
Estimating: materials × 1.3 (30% markup) + labor × hourly rate + equipment × daily rate + overhead (10-15%) + profit margin (15-20%). Use estimating software (Jobber, Housecall Pro) to avoid forgetting line items.