What to include in a property-maintenance brief
Ongoing grounds care is easier to compare, and easier to live with, when it starts from a written brief. The brief does not have to be long. One page that lists the areas, the tasks and a few ground rules is enough for each landscaper to quote the same work.
List the areas
Name each lawn section, hedge, group of shrubs and bed, and mark the areas that need special access. A photo of each area and one overview photo help more than a long description.
Separate the tasks
Mowing, edging, hedge and shrub trimming, and spring and fall cleanups are different tasks. Garden beds and plantings often need something different from the lawn. Say which tasks you want, and keep larger garden work, such as new beds or planting, as a separate project.
Say how often, and when
Choose the frequency for each task, for example weekly or bi-weekly mowing and a cleanup in spring and fall. Say which period you are planning for. Ask the proposal to explain how the frequency is set.
Agree on weather and access
Ask what happens when rain or waterlogged ground prevents suitable work, and how you are told. Explain gates, stairs and any times when the property cannot be entered.
Decide what happens to material
Ask what happens to clippings and leaves, and whether anything is removed from the property. A price that leaves material on site cannot be compared with one that removes it.
Agree how changes work
Ask how extra work is approved and priced, and how you can pause or end visits. Ask whether a deposit applies, and when invoices are due.
Name one contact
Say who arranges access and approves changes. For shared properties, name the person who can approve the scope.
A request you can copy
Fill-in template“I would like ongoing care for ____. Please quote these tasks: ____. I would like them every ____, from ____ to ____. Access is through ____. Please explain how rain, extra work and changes to visits are handled.”