Job folder · landscaping projects

Keep a job folder for your landscaping project

Most landscaping disputes are not about plants. They are about what was agreed, what was paid and what changed halfway through. A single folder, started before the first shovel goes in, settles most of them. Here is what to put in it.

1. Before signing: the three documents to file first

The written quote, broken into lines. The test in this landscaping quote breakdown is simple: you should be able to read square footage, plant sizes, soil and mulch volumes, exclusions and payment dates without phoning anyone.
The contractor's answers to your questions, written down. The most useful one, according to the questions to ask a landscaper list, is "what is excluded?"
Certificates of insurance for general liability and workers' compensation, plus the licence number if your state licenses landscapers.

2. The deposit: check your state before you pay

Deposit customs vary, and some states cap them by law. In California, the Contractors State License Board says the down payment on a home improvement job should never exceed 10 percent of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less, unless the contractor holds a rare blanket performance and payment bond. CSLB also requires a written contract for home improvement work over $500 in labour and materials.

Elsewhere the rules differ, so ask your state contractor board or consumer protection office. Whatever the local rule is, the payment schedule should follow the work, and the final payment should wait until the punch list is finished.

3. Payment ledger

Copy this table into the folder and fill it in as you pay.
Date	Milestone in the contract	Amount	Paid by (cheque, card, transfer)	Receipt filed?
	Deposit
	Materials delivered
	Hardscape or planting complete
	Punch list signed off (final)

Avoid cash. A card or bank transfer leaves a record without you having to ask for one.

4. Change-order log

CSLB advises that any added or removed work, substituted material or new completion date be written up as a change order, with the price change, and signed. Once signed, it becomes part of the contract. A plant substitution counts: the landscaping contract checklist suggests a substitution clause naming who approves a substitute and whether the price can change.

#	What changed	Why	Price change	Signed by both?
1
2
3

5. Site record

Photos of the yard before work starts, including access routes, fences, downspouts and sprinkler heads.
Confirmation that someone called 811 to locate utilities before digging.
A soil test result if one was done. The EPA WaterSense landscaping tips suggest testing for nutrients, pH, composition and organic matter, and point to your local Cooperative Extension office.
Photos at each milestone, dated.
The plant list as installed, for the warranty claim you hope never to make.

6. Closing the file

At the end, add the final invoice, the warranty terms in writing (period, exclusions such as watering, and whether labour is covered) and the irrigation controller settings. Keep the folder at least as long as the plant and workmanship warranties run.

Sources used on this page

California Contractors State License Board: What should I look for in a contract and binding agreements? — down payment cap, written contracts, change orders
US EPA WaterSense: Landscaping Tips — soil testing and plant choice