How to Achieve More Successful Landscaping Bids

In the commercial landscaping market, it’s all about securing contracts to grow one’s business.

Of course, before that happens, a company needs to bid for landscaping jobs.

SunCo brings years of landscaping excellence to residential and commercial property owners throughout Nebraska, so we understand a thing or two about commercial landscaping jobs.

With all our commercial lawn accounts, we’re happy to share some of our knowledge.

You can consider this your primer for local business owners eager to collect more commercial contracts and build the business.

What Is a Commercial Landscaping Bid?

Landscaping bids are the first step to working on commercial properties.

If they’re successful, then a contract will come after, followed by beginning work on the landscaping project.

What goes into a commercial bid for landscaping? SunCo explains the components.

Fixtures

Your commercial landscaping company will need fixtures to meet client needs, especially if you specialize in lighting.

Commercial clients have options like floodlights, well lights, bollard lights, path lights, and step lights, among others.

Ultimately, the client will select which type of fixture they want, but give them options to win more commercial lawn care contracts.

Furnishments

Furnishing in a landscaping bid refers to the items you will supply for the commercial project.

Using the example above, if you offer fixtures to commercial clients, you would list that in your landscaping bid.

The same goes for any other fixtures you have available.

Installation Terms

In a bid (and later, a commercial lawn care contract), installation terms refer to what you will build.

You might provide both furnishments and installation, meaning you supply and affix the item under commercial accounts.

However, if you only provide installation services, you should make that clear in your bid, as the client will have to obtain the furnishings themselves.

Specifications

Next comes one of the most important parts of landscaping bids: specifications.

One type you might offer are proprietary specifications.

These are used for more advanced projects in which your lawn care business will rely on usually one kind of equipment. Proprietary specifications require product approval before installation.

Secondly are general specifications. These set the quality control standards for the products in a commercial landscaping project.

Finally, there are performance specifications. These describe all the products required as part of the project, including what they are and what they do.

Overall, specifications cover work quality, installation, and products.

You will only need to assemble your list of specifications after you bid to a client and it’s approved.

Allowances

The last part of a landscaping bid for commercial projects is allowances.

By the time you bid for commercial lawn accounts, you should have a projected estimate for what the services will cost.

Allowances include how you will obtain the required funds that are not yet accounted for in your commercial landscaping contracts.

The best uses for allowances are when a customer hasn’t chosen the items they want yet in their projects, or if the quality of the project is still being agreed upon.

Another use for allowances is when you’re unsure of what the project scope will be or how long it will take.

Tips for Commercial Landscaping Bids

Now that you know the basics of bidding, are you ready to try it yourself?

Here’s how your lawn care business can collect more commercial landscaping contracts through bids.

Know Your Clients

Your business doesn’t earn commercial lawn care contracts for just any reason. You have to earn them by understanding what your clients want.

That might mean having a few phone calls or email exchanges to learn what they’re interested in, or doing your research independently.

There’s also digital companies that do landscape-specific SEO, including services like keyword research, so you can see what customers are actually searching for online as a way of finding services near them.

The type of information you want is which kinds of landscaping projects they’re planning for, what they can afford to spend, when they need their work done, what fixtures they may already have, and the project scope.

Select Landscaping Projects That Suit Your Services

Your landscaping business can’t be everything to everyone, as much as you might wish it could be.

You won’t make a good impression offering services that you can’t live up to. Initially, you may impress the client, but when you can’t deliver, you’ll ruin the professional relationship and tarnish your reputation.

Be clear on what you specialize in, then dig deep to discover your value proposition.

That’s part of what differentiates you from other commercial landscaping companies on the market and can help you secure more contracts.

Build Your Project Scope

Next, it’s time to determine what you’ll need to bring the project to fruition.

It might help to map out the project visually via a drawing or 3D rendition. If you do this, you can include it as part of your proposal.

However, not every type of client will want or need a drawing.

Price Your Services

Once you have the project scope finished, you can determine the materials and supplies you’ll need to bring the project to fruition. Then, you have to price everything.

How do you know the right price for materials? You can look at receipts if you purchased the materials yourself. Otherwise, you’ll have to connect with vendors or manufacturers for the information.

Your pricing also has to include overhead costs, which refers to the staff you’ll use to complete the project.

You can determine your labor expenses by multiplying the estimated timeline and the total labor count, which includes labor expenses and hourly wages.

Don’t forget the overhead costs like advertising, marketing, tech needed (such as tablets or laptops), small business insurance, permits, licensing, and landscaping software.

You can calculate your hourly overhead time by dividing your weekly expenses by your projected hours of work a week.

Build a Project Timeline

Next, it’s time to estimate how long the project will take you.

Build into your time estimate any pre-construction consultations, all planning (including permitting), site prep, landscaping installation, and cleanup.

Assemble a Comprehensive Bid

You have all the parts, so now you’re ready to put together your bid using the information from the section prior.

Make sure your bid is clearly and professionally presented, then send it off and wait to hear back from the client.

Don’t Be Afraid to Follow Up

If it’s been at least seven business days and you haven’t heard from the client, you can follow up.

Call or email them to ask if they’ve received your proposal and whether they have any questions.

Hopefully, they respond positively and you get the commercial landscaping contract. You can follow up one more time if another week goes by of radio silence.

However, if more than two weeks have passed, you’ve followed up a few times, and you still haven’t heard back, it’s time to look into other commercial or residential clients. This one isn’t going to pan out right now.

SunCo, the Premium Name in Commercial Landscaping

Landscaping bids are critical for any budding landscaping business owner who wants to grow through building relationships.

Bidding is the first step to obtaining a contract and requires you to get to know your prospective clients.

Next, you have to understand what materials are required for the project, what your unique value proposition is when it comes to lawn care, and what to charge for landscaping contracts services.

SunCo is one of the most trusted names in landscape contractors in Nebraska.

Our experience with commercial lawn care accounts is designed to help your burgeoning business get ready to bid with confidence!