How to Bid on Landscaping Jobs

Landscaping tasks on Biddy Jobs cover a lot more ground than a weekly mow — mulch refreshes, hedge trimming, bed cleanups, small planting projects. That variety is good for earners with real landscaping experience, but it also means every bid needs its own thinking. Here’s how to approach it.

Clarify Scope Before You Price It

Read the listing closely for what’s actually being asked. “Clean up the front beds” could mean pulling weeds for an hour, or it could mean trimming overgrown shrubs, edging beds, and hauling away a truck bed of debris. If the scope isn’t clear from the description or photos, ask a specific question in your bid — “Are you looking for weeding only, or trimming and edging too?” A clarifying question costs you nothing and prevents a bid that’s wildly off once you see the yard in person.

Separate Labor From Materials

Mulch, plants, soil, and stone all cost money, and posters aren’t always clear on who’s buying them. State plainly whether your price is labor-only or includes materials. If you’re quoting materials, note that the final cost may shift slightly depending on what’s available at the supply yard that day. Being upfront here avoids an awkward conversation mid-job about who’s paying for the extra bags of mulch.

Bigger Jobs Deserve a Walkthrough, Not Just a Bid

For anything beyond a basic trim-and-tidy — new beds, larger planting projects, drainage or grading work — offer to do a quick in-person walkthrough before locking in a final price. Posters respect a bid that says “Happy to give you a firm quote after a five-minute walkthrough” more than a number pulled from a photo. It also protects you from underbidding a job that turns out to be more involved than the listing suggested.

Show Your Work

Landscaping is visual. If you have before-and-after photos from past jobs — even ones outside Biddy Jobs — mention them or offer to send a few. A poster deciding between bids is far more likely to pick the earner who can show real results over one who only lists a price.

What a Winning Landscaping Bid Looks Like

Here’s an example of a landscaping bid that covers the details posters actually care about, for a listing asking for weeding, edging, and a light hedge trim on the front beds, with a $150 budget:

“Happy to help! For weeding, edging, and a light trim on the hedges along the front beds, I can do it for $135 in labor, which is under your $150 budget. If you’d also like fresh mulch put down, I’d add the cost of the bags, usually 6 to 8 for beds this size. I can start this weekend if that works for you.”

It gives one clear price against the budget, separates labor from materials, and tells the poster roughly what the extras would add.

How Much to Charge on a Landscaping Bid

Every post on Biddy Jobs comes with the poster’s estimated budget. Your bid is the price you’d actually do the job for. It can match the budget, come in under it, or go over it when the job needs more than the poster expected. If you go over, say why in one sentence.

Pricing depends heavily on yard size and what’s actually included, but a few patterns are typical on Biddy Jobs. A standard weeding, edging, and trim visit for an average front yard usually runs $75–$150 in labor. Adding mulch or plants pushes the total up by the cost of materials on top of labor, so keep those numbers separate in your bid. A bigger project — new beds, larger planting work, drainage or grading — is closer to a multi-hour or multi-day job and should be priced (and ideally walked through) accordingly rather than estimated from a listing alone.

Landscaping Bidding FAQ

How do I bid on landscaping jobs on Biddy Jobs?

Clarify scope before you price it — a vague listing like “clean up the front beds” can mean very different amounts of work. Ask a specific question if you’re unsure, separate labor from materials in your price, and offer a walkthrough for anything beyond a basic trim-and-tidy.

Should my landscaping bid include materials?

State plainly whether your price is labor-only or includes materials like mulch, soil, or plants. If you’re quoting materials, note that the final cost may shift slightly depending on what’s available at the supply yard that day.

How much should I charge for a landscaping bid?

A standard weeding, edging, and trim visit typically runs $75–$150 in labor for an average yard. Materials like mulch or plants are additional. Larger projects — new beds, drainage, bigger planting jobs — should be priced closer to a multi-hour or multi-day job.

Do I need to see the yard before bidding on landscaping work?

For anything beyond a basic trim-and-tidy, yes — offer a quick in-person walkthrough before locking in a final price. It protects you from underbidding a job that turns out more involved than the listing suggested, and posters tend to trust a bid backed by a walkthrough more than one pulled from a photo.

More Bidding Guides

Not sure what to charge? Start with our pricing guide for local jobs, with typical rates for lawn care, handyman work, moving help, and more.

This is one of four trade-specific bidding guides. See how to bid on lawn care, moving, handyman jobs, or start with our general bidding guide.