Quick Answer
What is a good profit margin for a landscaping business?
Landscaping gross and net margin benchmarks by service line, why recurring maintenance is the most profitable revenue, and how seasonality distorts monthly numbers.
The short answer
- Recurring maintenance work targets 45 to 55 percent gross margin.
- Install, hardscape and design-build work typically runs 30 to 40 percent.
- Net profit of 10 to 15 percent is achievable with disciplined route density.
- Seasonality means margins must be judged over a full year, not month by month.
The benchmarks
Judge each line separately, then look at the annual blend.
- Recurring maintenance: 45% – 55%
- Install and planting: 35% – 45%
- Hardscape and design-build: 30% – 40%
- Snow and seasonal contracts: highly variable, contract terms decide
- Net profit: 10% – 15%
Route density is the whole game in maintenance
Drive time between properties is unbillable labor. Two crews with the same hourly rate can differ by fifteen margin points purely on how tight their routes are.
Seasonality hides the truth
A strong spring and an empty February make monthly margin look erratic. Compare a rolling twelve months and set aside peak cash to fund the off-season, the same way HVAC companies fund their shoulder seasons.
What you see inside LedgerDude
This is the page you get each month once your books are closed — the numbers behind every answer on this site.
In one sentence
Maintenance work should run 45 to 55 percent gross margin, installs and hardscape 30 to 40 percent, with 10 to 15 percent net profit.
Questions people ask
Should I price maintenance per visit or monthly?
Monthly contracts smooth cash and improve retention. Build the price from the annual visit schedule and loaded crew cost, then divide by twelve.
How do I handle equipment costs?
Charge an equipment cost per crew hour into job cost. Leaving mowers and trucks entirely in overhead overstates job margin.
Is hardscape worth the lower margin?
It can be, because job sizes are large. Judge it on gross profit dollars per crew day alongside the percentage.
What does this cost?
One flat monthly price. No hourly bills, no surprises. Founding plans start at $149 a month, and your rate stays locked.
Keep reading
What is a good profit margin for a contractor?
Most trade contractors should run 25 to 45 percent gross margin depending on how material-heavy the work is, and 8 to 12 percent net profit.
How do contractors manage cash flow?
Forecast cash weekly for thirteen weeks, invoice the day work is complete, collect deposits on material-heavy jobs, and keep a cash floor equal to six to eight weeks of outflow.
All answers
Every question we have written a straight answer to.
Pricing
Flat monthly plans based on your revenue.
Want your books handled for you?
We read your receipts, match your bank activity, and close your books every month. You get one short list of questions and a dashboard that always tells the truth.