In short

Landscaping bookkeeping separates recurring maintenance from project work. Monthly or per-visit maintenance billing is recorded by customer, installation and hardscape jobs carry materials, subcontractor and crew costs coded to the job, and customer deposits are held as a liability until work is done. Fuel, equipment repairs and loan payments are coded to the unit, and nursery and supply house statements are reconciled each month.

Two revenue streams

We set up separate income accounts, or classes, for maintenance and for project work. Maintenance invoices are recorded by customer and route; projects are recorded by job. That simple split answers the question most owners ask first: which side makes money.

Job costing projects

For each install, hardscape or irrigation job we code:

  1. Plants, stone, mulch and other materials from supplier invoices
  2. Subcontractors such as electricians or concrete crews
  3. Crew hours from timesheets, at their loaded cost
  4. Equipment rental specific to the job

At completion you can compare the estimate with the actual cost.

Deposits and progress billing

Customer deposits are held as a liability and applied to the final invoice. Larger projects billed in stages are tracked so you can see what remains to be billed.

Supplier statements

Nurseries and supply yards usually bill on account. We reconcile each monthly statement before payment, catching credits for returned plants or materials.

Equipment per unit

Fuel, blades, repairs and loan payments are coded to each truck or mower, so you can see which equipment costs too much to keep.

Before we start

We collect your contract list, equipment loans and seasonal payroll schedule.

Key terms

Definitions for terms used on this page:

  • Debits and Credits: Debits and credits are the two sides of every bookkeeping entry; each account type increases on one side and decreases on the other.

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