Dear Frustrated & Over-worked Landscapers:
Let me tell you something that every seasoned landscape contractor eventually learns: success can be a double-edged shovel. You build a good reputation, your phone starts ringing, and suddenly you’re buried—not under dirt—but under a mountain of opportunities. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, it can feel like a nightmare if you’re the one trying to juggle property visits, measurements, design sketches, and late-night estimating sessions while the rest of the world is eating supper with their family.
This is what I call The Landscaper Challenge: unlimited work opportunities but limited time.
Let’s face it—measuring a property takes time. Creating a design takes time. Writing estimates takes even more time. And when the word gets out that you’re reliable, your workload doesn’t just grow—it doubles, triples, and piles on faster than kudzu in July.
But here’s the good news: there are remedies. Two of them. Both simple, both proven, and both guaranteed to save you time while helping you get more jobs approved without giving away the farm for free.
Strategy #1: The Initial Consultation Fee
Young contractors… listen closely! You do not have to run all over town chasing every “tire kicker” who wants a free estimate. That’s a sucker’s game. If you’ve got skills, if you’ve got experience, if you’ve invested your sweat and dollars in becoming a professional—then it’s time to start acting like one.
How? Ask for an initial consultation fee.
Not $500. Not even $100. Start small. Ask for $50…or $25…heck, even $5. The dollar amount isn’t the point. The point is this: when you ask for money up front, even a little, you immediately separate the serious buyers from the price-shoppers. The wanna-bes will fade away like morning fog. The ones who pay are showing you respect and commitment.
You’d be shocked how much better your week feels when you’re only meeting with folks who value your time.
Strategy #2: Sell the Plan Before the Project
Now let’s talk about your second time-saver: selling your design and quotation service.
Most contractors get this backward. They give away their brains—their creative ideas—for free, and hope to get paid later for labor. That’s like giving away a ribeye steak in hopes of selling ketchup.
Instead, do this: when a prospect asks for an estimate, offer them an initial conceptual plan for a fee. Could be $500. Could be $1,000. Could be $2,000. Whatever fits the scope.
Here’s why this works: it’s much easier to sell a smaller job and get paid for your expertise up front than to labor for days creating a detailed plan with no commitment. When they approve your $500 plan, you’ve already got buy-in. You’ve got momentum. And you’ve got motivation to get that design polished, because you’ve already been compensated for your time.
Why This One-Two Punch Works
When you combine the consultation fee with the paid design service, something magical happens:
- Your calendar clears up because you stop running after freebie-seekers.
- Your bank account fattens up because you’re paid for your expertise before you even break ground.
- Your closing ratio skyrockets because prospects who pay for plans almost always pay for projects.
And best of all? You get back control of your most precious resource: time.
A Word to the Young Guns
This article is dedicated to the young and hungry landscape contractors who think they’ve got to say “yes” to every free estimate request just to win jobs. Y’all don’t. In fact, saying “no” to freebie seekers may be the smartest business move you’ll ever make.
Confidence pays. Confidence allows you to look a prospect in the eye and say:
“Sure, we’d love to help. Our initial consultation is $50. That way, I can give your project the professional attention it deserves.”
Say it with a smile. Say it with conviction. And watch how it transforms your business.
Because here’s the truth: time is limited, but landscaping opportunity is unlimited. The winners in this business are the ones who learn how to protect their time while still serving clients at the highest level.
So go ahead. Charge the fee. Sell the plan. And start building not just landscapes—but a landscaping life you will love!
One last thing.
If YOU don’t think enough of your time to ask for an initial consultation fee or a design fee, why would the customer think your time and expertise has value?
When I discovered this little secret that every professional lawn and landscape contractor knows, it was a life changer for yours truly.
Tony Bass, founder
PS – one thing that helps contractors gain confidence in having a fee for an initial consultation or a design service is to have more leads coming in for your company. And that’s why I would strongly encourage you to enhance your truck signs and follow the automation plans we describe here.
PPS – will you be at the EQUIP exposition in Louisville, KY October 21-24 this month? We will be there showing 9 of our truck models at the show! Hope to see you there! Register here!
