To choose a landscaper in Tampa, check four things before you sign: the licences and certificates the work needs, proof of insurance, who pulls any City permit, and a written estimate you can compare line by line. Florida has no general state landscaping licence, so ask what each part of your job requires. For prices, see our landscaping cost guide.
Checklist
What to check before you hire a landscaping company
Licences and certificates
Fertilizing for pay and pesticide work each need their own state certificate, so the right question depends on the job on your quote.
Anyone who applies commercial fertilizer to a Florida yard for pay must hold the state limited urban landscape fertilizer certification. It needs GI-BMP training and expires after 4 years. Just ask the applicator to show it.
Anyone who applies pesticide to lawns for hire must hold their own state certification or work under a licensed Lawn and Ornamental operator. A Commercial Landscape Maintenance card covers plant beds, not turf. Ask who will apply any weed or pest treatment and which state licence they hold.
Sprinkler work has its own rules. Ask any sprinkler installer which licence they work under and check it before you sign. Florida law also requires every automatic lawn sprinkler system to have working technology that stops it when there is enough moisture, and a licensed contractor working on a system must test it and fix or add one.
The Federal Trade Commission advises you to confirm a contractor's licence with the state or county and to ask for proof of insurance.
Insurance
Ask for a certificate of insurance sent from the business's insurance agent. The City of Tampa's contractor registration guide says contractors who pull permits in Tampa register their licence with the City and keep a workers' compensation certificate or exemption on file. It asks for no liability certificate, so ask for that one yourself.
A Florida pest control business must be licensed and carry insurance of at least $250,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, or a $500,000 combined limit. That covers lawn pest control companies.
Permits and who pulls them
Inside Tampa city limits, the Construction Services Division issues building permits through the Accela Citizen Access portal. Addresses in unincorporated Hillsborough County go to the county instead. The City's fee schedule lists $475 for a residential privacy or retaining wall and $214 for a residential driveway, patio slab or deck, plus the state surcharge of 2.5% of the permit value, $4 minimum. Compare those numbers with the permit line on your estimate.
Trees have their own rule. In Tampa, removing a tree 5 inches or more across at breast height (except invasive species) needs a permit, and every removal must be replaced by new tree planting, or paid into the city tree fund if there is no room on site.
Since July 1, 2021, Florida law (House Bill 735) has pre-empted local contractor licensing to the state. A contractor who asks you to pull the permits yourself is on the FTC's scam list. Tampa Landscaping Pros pulls the City permit when the job needs one.
Checklist
How to compare landscaping quotes and estimates
Get the price after the crew sees the yard
A company that quotes without seeing the yard cannot know what it needs, so get a price after an on-site look. Ask for a written, itemized price after the crew walks your Tampa yard and measures it. Tampa Landscaping Pros gives a written price before any work starts.
What a written estimate lists
The FTC says a written estimate should list the work, the materials, the completion date and the price. Ask for a written start date and finish date with the quote. Compare bids for the same work, and ask for an explanation if the estimates differ a lot. Labor is one line to check: Bob Vila's tree planting guide (2023) puts planting labor at $50 to $150 an hour nationally.
Tampa conditions the bid should handle
Ask how the plan fits the rules your yard lives under. Under the regional water shortage order that runs until March 31, 2027, Tampa water customers may water lawns once a week, on a day set by the last digit of the house number. New sod in Tampa still may not be watered between 4 a.m. and 8 p.m.; the City points to the UF/IFAS 30-day establishment schedule, then normal days apply. Lawn and landscape fertilizer with nitrogen or phosphorus may not be applied in Tampa from June 1 to September 30. The City lists the watering rules in its water use restrictions and the fertilizer season on its stormwater fertilizer page.
Drainage is a fair question too. Many Florida flatwoods soils have a weakly cemented organic hardpan, usually 12 to 40 inches down, and a water table that rises to within 5 to 20 inches of the surface. Ask how the bid handles water after a storm.
Contract, payment and warranty
The FTC says the contract should give the contractor's name and licence number, start and finish dates, every promise made about scope and cost, and a written right to cancel. Make sure no blank spaces are left.
Don't pay the full amount up front, and don't make the final payment until the work is done and you are satisfied. Paying by check or card is better than cash. In Florida, a licensed contractor who takes more than 10 percent of the price up front must apply for any needed permits within 30 days and start work within 90 days after permits issue, unless you agreed otherwise in writing. A residential contract over $2,500 must carry a lien warning: unpaid subcontractors or suppliers can claim against your property even if you paid the contractor in full, so ask for a written release of lien.
Ask for the workmanship warranty in writing, with what it covers and for how long. A planting company may offer a warranty or replacement if a tree it planted does not survive. Ask how long new plants are guaranteed and what watering the guarantee expects. For maintenance work, know how renewal works before you sign, because some lawn care contracts renew on their own until you cancel.
Red flags
Red flags and your right to cancel
The FTC lists these scam signs:
- They knock on your door because they are "in the area".
- They claim to have leftover materials.
- They push for a decision now.
- They want everything up front, or cash only.
- They ask you to pull the permits.
- They steer you to their lender.
Search the company name online with words like "scam", "review" or "complaint", and read reviews with a critical eye.
Under the FTC Cooling-Off Rule you can cancel a sale made at your home of $25 or more until midnight of the third business day after the sale, for a full refund. Saturdays count; Sundays and holidays don't. Florida law gives the same three business days for a home solicitation sale over $25, by written notice, and the seller may not keep any cash down payment. Florida's definition excludes a sale that results from your own request for specific goods or services, so do not count on it when you called the company first.
If a job goes wrong, first try to settle it with the contractor and follow calls with a certified letter. If a contractor problem can't be settled, contact Florida's consumer protection office or the attorney general.
Checklist
Questions to ask every landscaper
Put these to each company you call, and write down the answers so the bids line up.
- Who will do the work, and who will apply any fertilizer or pesticide?
- Who pulls the permit, and what is the permit line on the estimate?
- Who calls Sunshine 811? Florida law requires the call at least 2 full business days before digging, and the locate ticket is good for 30 calendar days.
- What is the start date, and what is the finish date?
- What does the workmanship warranty cover, and for how long?
- How will new plants be watered under Tampa's once-a-week lawn watering rule?
- Will any fertilizer go down between June 1 and September 30?
- What is the payment schedule, and when is the final payment due?
- Where will the grass clippings and yard waste go? In Tampa they may not be blown or placed into the street.
- How do you handle a tree that has to come out?
- Can I see a certificate of insurance from your agent?
FAQ
Does Florida require a landscaping licence?
No, Florida has no general state landscaping licence. Fertilizing and pesticide work for pay need their own state certificates, so ask who holds them.
What should a landscaping estimate include?
A written estimate should list the work, the materials, the completion date and the price. Ask for a written start date and finish date with the quote.
How much can a landscaper ask for up front?
Never pay the full amount up front. In Florida, a licensed contractor who takes more than 10 percent of the price up front must apply for permits within 30 days and start within 90 days after they issue, unless you agreed otherwise in writing.
Who pulls the permit for landscaping work in Tampa?
Ask before you sign. A contractor who asks you to pull the permits is a scam sign on the FTC's list, and Tampa Landscaping Pros pulls the City permit when the job needs one.
Can I cancel a landscaping contract after signing?
Often yes, within three business days for a home sale of $25 or more. The cancellation right depends on how the sale began, so read the contract and ask before you sign.