Landscaping pricing ranges from $50–$100/hr for maintenance to $3,000–$50,000+ for full design-and-install projects. Getting the estimate right means pricing plants and materials with markup, costing equipment time, and separating installation from maintenance pricing. This calculator handles all of it.
Most landscaping contractors mark up nursery plants 50–100% — a $40 wholesale shrub sells installed at $80–$120, which covers handling, delivery, warranty, and replanting risk. Mulch markup: $35–$50/yard installed (cost: $20–$30/yard delivered). Decorative rock: $60–$100/yard installed. Always apply material markup before adding overhead and margin.
Installation labor runs $55–$90/hr in most markets. Hardscape (patios, retaining walls) commands more: $75–$125/hr due to skill and physical demands. Lawn maintenance crews typically charge $40–$65/hr per person. A 2-man maintenance crew at $55/hr each bills out at $110/hr combined — a rate customers see as a single weekly visit cost.
Skid steer rental: $350–$500/day. Mini excavator: $300–$450/day. Own your equipment? Recover cost through an hourly equipment rate: divide annual ownership cost plus fuel and maintenance by billable hours. Delivery and pickup of equipment adds $150–$400 per mobilization. Truck and trailer cost is often undercharged — $25–$50/hr is a reasonable recovery rate.
Irrigation install: $2,500–$7,500 for a typical residential system depending on zone count and lot size. Winterization: $75–$150/visit. Spring startup: $100–$200. Bundle these as annual maintenance contracts to improve cash flow predictability. Design-build jobs with plant warranties typically carry 30–40% gross margin versus 20–25% for maintenance-only work.