How to quote a lawn care job: measure, price, write it down and follow up

How to quote a lawn care job: the short answer

Quote a lawn care job in five moves: measure the lawn and edging, choose how you price, list each service as its own line, state what is excluded and how long the quote is good for, then follow up. The first four make the quote accurate. The fifth fixes the leak most small crews have, a quote sent by text that never gets an answer.

Say which document you are sending. Jobber's pages describe an estimate as a rough range and a quote as a firm total for the job. No software is needed to do this well, since a template in a spreadsheet or document covers every step below.

Before you quote: measure the property and know your costs

Measure first. Jobber's free lawn care calculator traces the lawn and edging on a satellite image and returns square feet and linear feet. Jobber says its result is a ballpark for qualifying a lead, and that a walkthrough should come before the final quote. Use a satellite measurement to reply quickly, and walk the property for the number you will be held to.

Then know your costs: labor hours, travel time, fuel, equipment wear, disposal and the margin you need. A quote built from a measurement and your own costs is the one you can defend when a customer asks you to come down.

Steps to build the quote: pricing method and line items

• Pick a pricing method: per visit for set routes, per square foot of lawn for a measured property, or per hour for cleanups and one-off work. Jobber's calculator uses a rate per square foot of lawn and a rate per linear foot of edging.
• Write one line per service: mowing, edging, trimming and blowing, plus extras such as aeration, fertilization, mulching or seasonal cleanups. Optional lines let the customer choose, and the total updates.
• State what is not included, such as hauling debris or weed treatment, and how long the quote is valid.
• Add the schedule (weekly, biweekly, monthly or one time) and the season.
• Add taxes, discounts, payment terms and any deposit.

Setup: turn the quote into a template you can send in minutes

Save the lines you use on most jobs: your mowing line, edging line, standard exclusions, validity period and payment terms. A spreadsheet, a document or software all work. The point is that a new quote takes minutes, not an evening.

In Jobber, quote templates are part of the quote tools, with automated quote follow-ups from the Connect plan and optional line items and quotes with images from Grow. The Jobber pricing guide shows what each plan adds before you pay for any of it.

Verify the quote and follow up before the customer goes cold

Check five points before you send: the measurement matches the property, every service has a line, the exclusions are written, the validity date is set and the terms are stated. Then follow up. Send the quote the same day as the visit, set a reminder for two days later and ask one plain question, such as whether the quote covers what the customer wanted.

Jobber says it can send these reminders automatically by email or text. With a spreadsheet, a calendar reminder does the same job.

Written terms and the cooling-off rule

A signed agreement protects both sides. Jobber's lawn care contract guide lists business and customer details, the scope of services, the schedule, payment amount and terms, and terms and conditions as the core items.

If the customer signs at their home, the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule, 16 CFR Part 429, can give them three business days to cancel a covered sale and requires a written notice. The rule lists exclusions, including some customer-initiated repair and maintenance visits, and state laws can add rules of their own. This is not legal advice. Ask your state agency or an attorney how it applies to a lawn contract.