Every landscaping estimate comes down to the same five numbers. Here’s how each one shapes the price.
Price plants, mulch, soil, pavers, and irrigation parts as their own line so material costs never get absorbed into a rough labor guess.
Enter crew hours and your crew rate for design, install, and cleanup to capture the real labor cost of the job.
Add irrigation specialists, hardscape crews, or a lighting electrician as subcontractor costs that flow into the total price.
Include equipment rental, fuel, and disposal so the cost of running the crew is priced into every job, not just materials and labor.
Set the margin you need — including on recurring maintenance work — and the calculator solves for the price that defends it.
A backyard patio and planting install with a subcontracted irrigation line and standard equipment overhead.
| Cost Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Materials (pavers, plants, soil, mulch) | $3,100.00 |
| Labor (40 hrs × $55/hr) | $2,200.00 |
| Subcontractors (irrigation install) | $800.00 |
| Overhead (equipment rental + disposal) | $300.00 |
| Total Job Cost | $6,400.00 |
| Target Profit Margin | 35% |
| Selling Price | $9,846.15 |
| Built-In Profit | $3,446.15 |
How the selling price is calculated: Selling Price = Total Costs ÷ (1 − Profit Margin). Here, $6,400.00 ÷ (1 − 35%) = $9,846.15, which builds in $3,446.15 of profit at the target 35% margin.