Hiring a landscaper comes down to three checks: whether the business holds the license your state requires for the work, whether the quote is in a sensible range for the materials and labor involved, and whether the contract says what happens if the job changes.
Licensing is the check most homeowners skip and the easiest to do. Some states license landscape contractors directly, some license only parts of the work (irrigation, pesticide application, or any job over a dollar threshold), and some leave it to cities and counties. Our guide on how to check a landscaper license walks through a lookup on the state agency’s own site, and the licensed landscaper directory lists businesses taken from state license records, with the date each record was retrieved.
A license record shows that a license exists and its status on a given date. It doesn’t show insurance, complaint history or quality of work, so ask for a certificate of insurance and check it with the insurer.
For the quote itself, compare it against our landscaping cost estimates, which show the material and labor inputs line by line.
Hiring guides are general information, not legal advice. Licensing and contract rules vary by state and city; confirm with the agency linked on each page.
