By the Templateez Team · Licensed Attorney · June 2026

Landscaping Intake: What to Capture Before the First Site Visit

A homeowner calls and says they want their yard "fixed up." That could mean a $200 mulch refresh or a $40,000 full-property redesign with retaining walls, drainage correction, and an irrigation system. If your crew shows up for a site visit without knowing which end of that spectrum this is, you have already wasted half a day. Landscaping intake is not just "describe the job." It is the process that determines what equipment to bring, how many people you need on site, and whether this is even a project you want to take on.

Property Fundamentals

Before you load the truck, you need the physical facts about the property:

• Property size — total lot size and approximate area to be worked. A quarter-acre suburban yard and a two-acre rural property require different crews, different equipment, and different pricing.
• Lot type — flat, sloped, terraced, hillside. Slope changes everything about drainage, erosion control, equipment access, and labor hours. If the client says "it's a little hilly," you need to know whether that means a gentle grade or a 30-degree slope that requires retaining walls.
• Sun exposure — full sun, partial shade, heavy shade, or mixed across zones. This drives every plant selection decision and determines whether a lawn will even survive in certain areas.
• Existing irrigation — is there a system in place? Sprinklers, drip lines, or nothing? How old is the system? Does it work? Zones and coverage? An existing irrigation system that has not been serviced in five years is functionally the same as no system at all. If the scope includes irrigation work, see our dedicated irrigation and sprinkler system intake guide for the full breakdown of zones, water supply, and controller details.
• Grade and drainage — does water pool anywhere? Is there runoff toward the foundation? Are there existing French drains or swales? Drainage problems are invisible in dry weather and catastrophic in wet weather. Ask before you discover it during installation.

Scope: Hardscape vs. Softscape

This distinction changes the entire nature of the project and the subcontractors involved:

• Softscape — planting beds, sod installation, tree planting, garden design, mulching, seeding. This is plant material and soil work.
• Hardscape — patios, walkways, retaining walls, fire pits, outdoor kitchens, fencing, pergolas. This is construction. It may require permits, engineering, and concrete work. If the project is primarily a fence installation, a dedicated fencing intake captures material type, gate specs, property-line surveys, and underground utility checks that a general landscaping form does not go deep enough on.

Many clients do not know the difference. They say "I want a nice backyard" and mean both. Your intake form needs to separate these clearly because a softscape-only project and a hardscape-plus-softscape project are different bids with different timelines, different crews, and different insurance requirements.

What Is Already There

The existing conditions section is where site visits get shortened or extended:

• Existing plantings to keep — mature trees, established gardens, specimen plants the client loves. Damaging a 30-year-old Japanese maple during a patio installation is the kind of mistake that does not get fixed with an apology.
• Existing structures — sheds, play sets, pools, decks, underground utilities. You need to know what stays, what goes, and what is in the way.
• Pet and play areas — dogs that dig, children who need safe zones, areas that take heavy foot traffic. Plant selection and material choices change entirely when a 90-pound Labrador uses the yard.
• Problem areas — bare spots, erosion, invasive species, tree root damage, compacted soil. The client may not mention these unless you ask.

HOA and Municipal Restrictions

This is the section that saves you from tearing out work you just installed:

• HOA rules — fence height limits, approved plant lists, color restrictions on hardscape, setback requirements, approval processes. Some HOAs require architectural review before any exterior work begins. If the client does not submit for approval and the HOA rejects the project after completion, that is a dispute you do not want to be in the middle of.
• Municipal codes — fence permits, tree removal permits, impervious surface limits, stormwater management requirements. In some jurisdictions, adding a patio above a certain square footage triggers a stormwater management plan. If the scope includes significant tree work — removal, pruning, or stump grinding — a dedicated tree service intake captures the hazard assessment and permit details that a general landscaping form does not.
• Historic district restrictions — if applicable, these override everything else. Plant species, wall materials, fence styles may all be prescribed.

Seasonal Scope and Maintenance

The intake should establish whether this is a one-time project or an ongoing relationship:

• One-time installation — design, install, hand off. The client maintains it going forward.
• Seasonal maintenance contract — mowing, edging, leaf cleanup, seasonal plantings. How often? Weekly? Bi-weekly? Spring and fall only?
• Year-round full service — maintenance plus snow removal, plus irrigation winterization and spring startup, plus seasonal color rotations. This is a different business relationship with different pricing. If snow and ice management is a significant part of the engagement, our snow removal intake guide covers trigger levels, contract types, and slip-and-fall liability documentation in detail.

The answer to this question affects crew scheduling for months. A maintenance contract in April means you need to account for this property in your route every week through October. That is a capacity decision, not just a sales decision.

Budget and Decision-Making

Two fields that every landscaping intake needs and most skip:

• Budget range — not an exact number, but a range. Under $5,000, $5,000–$15,000, $15,000–$30,000, over $30,000. If the client wants a full backyard renovation but their budget is $3,000, you need to know that before you spend four hours drawing up plans.
• Decision-maker — is the person calling the person who approves the spend? If both homeowners need to agree, you need both of them at the design presentation, not just the one who made the call.

For a comparison of how other trades handle their intake process, see our guides for contractors and HVAC companies. All of our trades intake forms are also available together in the Trade Services Bundle.

Landscaping is one of the most seasonal businesses out there — your entire year hinges on having crews, materials, and paperwork ready before the first warm week hits. If you want a structured approach to getting your forms, contracts, and intake process dialed in before the rush, our seasonal business intake guide covers how to prepare your documentation for peak season across every seasonal trade.