How to Quote Landscaping Jobs Profitably (With Real Margin Numbers)

Landscaping quotes are where good businesses lose money: long jobs, big material bills, variable site conditions and labour that runs over. Quoting profitably isn't about padding numbers — it's about knowing your real costs and tracking them while the job runs.

Build the quote from real cost rates

Start with labour: your true cost per hour per person (wages, super, insurance, vehicle) — not what feels right. Add materials from supplier pricing with a handling margin, typically 15–25%. Then site factors: access, disposal, machinery hire. Quote line-by-line — 'retaining wall: $6,800' wins fewer jobs than a clear breakdown, and a breakdown lets you track margin per line later.

Track spend against the quote while the job runs

A four-week job can drift $3,000 without anyone noticing. The fix is linking every supplier receipt to the quote line it belongs to as you buy: when the turf receipts hit 90% of the turf allowance in week two, you know now — not at the end. Taskr does this automatically: photograph the receipt, the AI reads it and links it, and the job's live margin updates.

Close the loop

At job's end, compare quoted vs actual per line. Blocks came in under? Your supplier pricing has headroom. Labour ran 15% over on planting? Your estimate per square metre needs revising. Do this on every job and your quoting accuracy compounds — that's how the profitable operators price with confidence.