How much does commercial landscaping cost in Virginia?

Commercial grounds care has no single Virginia price, and no state or federal source publishes one. What you pay depends on a handful of things you can control: the size of the site, how often the crew visits, which services are included and what the company has to be licensed and insured for. The fastest route to a real number is the same written scope sent to three companies.

What drives the price

Site size and layout. Acres of turf matter, but so do the awkward parts: parking-lot islands, slopes, tight beds, fence lines and a lot of edge to trim. Two properties of the same acreage can price very differently.

Visit frequency. Mowing is the biggest recurring line. Extension guidance is to mow often enough so that at any one mowing only one third of the leaf height is removed,^[1] and that will probably be every five to six days during the active growing season, and every 10 days or less when growth slows down.^[1] A weekly contract in summer and an every-other-week schedule in the cooler months is a common shape. Say what you want in the scope instead of leaving it to the bidder.

Which services are included. Break the work into lines you can price separately:

• mowing, trimming and edging
• mulch, bed weeding and pruning
• leaf cleanup and seasonal color
• lawn fertilizer and weed treatment
• irrigation start-up, checks and winterizing

Mowing-only quotes look cheap next to full-service quotes. Compare like with like.

Clippings and fertilizer. Leaving clippings on the lawn can reduce what you spend on fertilizer, because you can often reduce the seasonal total by one-third when you recycle clippings.^[1] Ask whether the crew mulches or bags.

Licences and insurance. A company that applies or recommends lawn chemicals needs the right paperwork, which costs money to keep. Virginia says no person may apply or recommend for use any pesticide commercially without a pesticide business license and the employment of a certified commercial applicator.^[3] A separate pesticide business license is required for each business location.^[2] To get that license, the applicant must furnish a certificate of insurance showing a minimum of $100,000 for property damage, $100,000 for personal injury to or death of one person, and $300,000 per occurrence.^[2] Those are the pesticide minimums; ask what general liability and workers' compensation cover the crew on your site.

Work that changes the land. Regrading, retaining walls, new beds and irrigation are projects, not maintenance, and they are priced separately. Virginia's contractor regulations describe landscape service contracting as the service that provides for the alteration or improvement of a land area not related to any other classification or service activity by means of excavation, clearing, grading, construction of retaining walls for landscaping purposes, or placement of landscaping timbers.^[4] Landscape irrigation contracting covers the installation, repair, improvement, or removal of irrigation sprinkler systems or outdoor sprinkler systems.^[4] If a bid includes that kind of work, check the contractor's licence for the matching specialty.

Digging has its own rule: any time you put a shovel in the ground you need to contact Virginia 811.^[6] Ask who requests the markings.

Local rules. Some localities set minimum standards. Fairfax County's grass-height rules say vacant developed commercial/industrial property must keep grass under 12 inches,^[5] while for an occupied property owners are encouraged, but not required, to keep grass under 12 inches.^[5] That is one county, not all of Virginia, so ask your own locality.

How to get quotes you can compare

Send every bidder the same one-page scope: the site plan, the service list, the visit schedule by season and what you expect for storm cleanup. Ask for a price per service line, a price for extras (additional visits, plant replacement, call-outs) and a start date. Then use what a commercial landscaping contract should include to check the terms before you sign.

Stop and call a pro if

• A bid includes grading, drainage changes, retaining walls or new irrigation lines. Those are licensed projects, not routine maintenance.
• Someone offers to spray weeds or treat turf without a pesticide license and a certified applicator.
• A crew wants to dig on a site with buried utilities and nobody has requested 811 markings.
• A quote will not itemize anything, or asks for a large payment before any work.

Loclis lists licensed local businesses for commercial work. Browse commercial services, read more commercial answers, or see pricing for how Loclis charges.

To get prices for your own property, describe the job once and local businesses quote it.