What to Include in a Landscape Project Management Plan

Your customers are the bedrock of your landscape business, and nothing makes a customer happier than a project that lands on time and on budget.

Cost-conscious, smooth-running projects are an essential element of stellar landscape business management, but a project is only ever as good as its plan.

This landscape project plan template covers the key components of each phase, with tips to help you grow long-term relationships with your clients.

Even if it’s been a while since you’ve fired up a leaf blower, it’s worth appreciating the nuances of each step so you can support your project manager in doing their best work. You’re entrusting your customers to them, after all.

Landscape Project Plan Template

These are the main steps that should be included in a landscape project plan.

1. Set the objectives
2. Establish the relationship
3. Agree on the terms
4. Explore the site
5. Create the vision
6. Sort out the numbers
7. Build an implementation plan
8. Get signoff
9. Fire up the team
10. Execute the monitor progress
11. Run a smooth wrap-up
12. Do a debrief

Set the objectives

At the beginning of a new project, it’s worth taking a moment to level-set on its purpose. What does the customer ultimately want to accomplish, and why?

Beyond that, consider the purpose of the project for your company. Is it just a revenue generator or does it present a new challenge and a chance to grow or refine your team’s skills? Will it help bring in new similar clients? Does it align with the company’s goals?

If you haven’t yet defined an overarching strategic plan for your company, this Quick Tool can get you on your way. Don’t overlook the importance of this step!

Establish the relationship

The first meeting with your customer is the ideal opportunity to not only get to know more about them, but for them to get to know your company.

Pay close attention to both the details of their environment, and to them as individuals. Their interest in doing this project may be driven by specific needs for their space, but there will be elements that excite their imagination (water feature, anyone?). Tune into those and see how you can connect with them on that level.

A few other worthwhile points to keep in mind:

• Show before and after photos of similar projects you’ve done.
• Offer suggestions, while still respecting their budget.
• Walk them through your process and what to expect during each phase.
• Address their questions to ensure there are no unwelcome surprises throughout the project.

While some initial client meetings may make sense to do via video calls, if possible try and meet in person. There’s just no better way to lay the groundwork for a new relationship.

Agree on the terms

Once the project scope has been broadly defined–and before things get too much further–it’s important to get a written contract in place that includes details on the anticipated timeline, estimated budget, payment schedule, and any other necessary legal terms.

Putting paperwork in place can feel like unleashing a cold shower over the bubbling anticipation of the project, but setting clear expectations early will protect both your company and the customer relationship.

This is one step that can easily be handled with the help of tech, allowing you to send and execute contracts quickly and easily, so you can move onto the fun stuff and start figuring out how to make their outdoor dreams a reality.

Explore the site

Visit the location again, but this time with your analyst hat on. Collect accurate measurements of the area and gather more technical information about the site so you fully understand the conditions you’re working with.

Consider aspects such as:

• Views
• Drainage requirements
• Structure locations
• Existing foliage
• Sun exposure
• Walkways
• Regulatory limitations

Create the vision

Now… to let your inspiration soar! The landscape design phase is a mix of both artistry and logistics. The design concepts you’ll present to the customer will showcase why your landscaping business stands out from your competitors.

As you play with the mix of hardscapes and softscapes, or experiment with different ideas for materials or plant arrangements, stay rooted in the original objectives.

The innovations you include will display your expertise, but ensuring they fit with the customer’s needs will demonstrate you were listening, which is vital… and makes them want to tell their neighbors about you.

Sort out the numbers

Once the landscape design is confirmed, create the project budget. This is where having a solid job costing system can save you a ton of headaches down the road. Being able to accurately estimate how much the project will cost will not only preserve the good tone you’ve set with the customer, but also helps you manage your company’s finances.

Assuming you’ve got a corporate budget in place (and if you don’t, this Quick Tool can help), you should know what gross and net profit margins you’re aiming for, and how that relates to your project fees.

Build an implementation plan

Yes, this is a plan within a plan, within a plan. The annual strategic plan sets your company goals for the year. A landscape project plan sets the path for a specific project. An implementation plan covers the actions needed to bring the landscape design to life.

Work out a realistic schedule. Have you got all the equipment you’ll need? What about materials? Are there any special considerations in regard to accessing the site?

Figure out what you’ll require in the way of crew. Do you need to hire more labor? It’s for these exact moments that it’s extremely beneficial to have an effective hiring funnel in place.

Get signoff

Alright, so you’ve got your implementation plan. Now you need to run it past everybody, ESPECIALLY your customer.

Make sure they understand what will happen and when, and what you’ll need from them, whether it’s access to the property, storage space for materials or final approval on material choices.

Fire up the team

To get ahead of possible calamities, double-check that your team, whether they’re in-house, subcontractors or vendors, are all aware of the implementation plan. They should be crystal clear about where they need to be when, and who will be doing what.

This simple step can mean the difference between your customer feeling like chaos has descended upon them, or being impressed that your project is ticking along like clockwork.

A great method to help keep your team on track is the Goal Setting & Review (GSR) system. It ensures team members are crystal clear about what’s expected of them each week. It also instills accountability, which has proven to empower people to function proactively, with a problem-solving mindset.

Execute and monitor progress

As the outdoor oasis is taking shape, you enter what is arguably the most important phase of the landscaping project plan: tracking progress.

Here are some tips to help make this phase easier:

• Keep a close eye on the budget. Input invoices and receipts as soon as possible so the cost report is always up to date.
• Put a system in place that gives enough visibility to the team that any of them are able to answer straightforward questions from the customer.
• Maintain regular communication with the customer, alerting them to any deviations from the schedule.

There’s no getting around the fact that tech is a HUGE help through this stage. For landscapers, we highly recommend LMN, a custom-designed platform that can make managing your projects a breeze.

Run a smooth wrap-up

Before the last team member packs up the truck for the final time and drives into the sunset, check the site to ensure it has been left tidy. Do a walkthrough with the customer and make sure they’re satisfied (ideally, ecstatic!) with the final outcome.

These final encounters will leave a lasting impression and for the sake of your business, you want them to be good ones. Especially if your company will be handling any maintenance on the property. The end of this project could be the beginning of a new phase of the customer relationship.

Do a debrief

The last step of the plan is one that the customer won’t necessarily be aware of, but it can have a monumental impact on future projects.

Take some time to review how the landscaping project went. Did you meet the profit targets you had in mind? Did you wow the customer? What would you do differently next time?

Celebrate the victories. Learn from the mistakes. And make the next project even better.

That’s how greatness grows.

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Learn more about Breakthrough Academy.