In short

Accounting for landscaping companies turns reconciled books into pricing and planning information: margin on maintenance routes versus projects, estimate accuracy on completed jobs, labor cost as a share of revenue, equipment cost per hour and a seasonal cash forecast. It also includes budgeting for the off-season, equipment purchase analysis and year-end schedules for assets, loans and work in progress.

Pricing with real numbers

From completed job costs we report estimated versus actual margin by job type. If paver patios consistently run over on labor, the estimate template needs changing; if mowing routes run below target margin, route density or price needs attention.

Labor as a share of revenue

Labor is usually the largest controllable cost. We report crew labor, including payroll taxes, as a percentage of revenue for maintenance and projects separately and trend it through the season.

Seasonal budgeting

A twelve-month budget built from your history shows the revenue peak, the winter trough and the cash needed to bridge it. Some companies add snow removal or holiday lighting to smooth the year; we model the impact of such services.

Equipment economics

We compare buying, financing and renting equipment based on expected hours of use, repair history and financing costs, and keep the asset schedule your tax preparer uses with Publication 946.

Year-end work

Open projects at year end, unbilled work and customer deposits are summarized so the year's results reflect what was actually earned.

Reporting we prepare

We show job or contract profitability, equipment cost per crew and seasonal cash needs so off-season months are planned for.

Equipment replacement planning is included, so you know when mowers, trucks and trailers are due for replacement and how to fund them.

Key terms

Definitions for terms used on this page:

  • Assets: Assets are resources a business owns or controls that are expected to provide future economic benefit.

Landscaping & Lawn Care problems this addresses

  • Maintenance contracts and installation jobs have very different margins
  • Seasonal revenue swings make cash planning difficult
  • Crews work across many sites, so labor is hard to allocate
  • Mowers, trucks and trailers are costly and wear quickly
  • Materials such as plants, mulch and stone are bought per job