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Separate your project into maintenance (mowing, trimming, seasonal cleanup), enhancement (planting beds, mulch, sod), or construction (grading, drainage, retaining walls, patios, irrigation, lighting). Maintenance is priced per visit or season; construction is bid against a design or scope and may need permits.

For anything beyond maintenance, a sketch or reference photos and a rough budget range get you dramatically better proposals than a vague request to make the yard nicer.

Water is the most expensive landscape problem to ignore. If water ponds against the foundation, the yard slopes toward the house, or downspouts dump at the corner of the slab, fix drainage before any planting or hardscape. Grading, swales, French drains, and downspout extensions are unglamorous and worth every dollar.

Significant regrading can require permits and must respect where water goes — you cannot legally redirect runoff onto a neighbor's property. A contractor who dismisses drainage questions is not the one for a yard with water problems.

Access (can equipment reach the backyard?), soil condition, demolition of existing surfaces, material choices for hardscape, plant sizes (a 15-gallon tree costs multiples of a 5-gallon), irrigation zones, and lighting all move the number. Mature plants and instant results are the biggest budget lever in planting work.

For hardscape and retaining walls, base preparation and drainage behind the wall determine whether it stands in ten years. Cheap wall quotes skimp on exactly this.

Written quotes should list plant sizes and quantities by name, hardscape materials and base depth, irrigation zone counts and controller type, demolition and haul-away, and warranty terms — plants commonly carry a one-year warranty only if irrigation is included.

For maintenance contracts, compare what each visit includes (edging, blowing, bed weeding), how clippings are handled, and the cancellation terms, not just the monthly number.

Licensing for landscaping varies widely: some states require a landscape contractor license for construction work, irrigation work often requires a separate license or backflow certification, and pesticide application is licensed nearly everywhere. Check your state guide for the rules where you live.

Confirm liability insurance, and workers' compensation for crews. Tree work near structures is high-risk; for significant tree removal, ask specifically about insurance and whether an arborist is involved.

Ask: How does the plan handle drainage and where does the water go? What plant sizes are quoted, and what is the replacement warranty? Who is responsible for irrigation backflow testing and winterization where required? For walls and patios: what base depth and drainage is included? For maintenance: what exactly does each visit include?