The spring rush is the whole ballgame
Most landscaping revenue is decided in an est. 8–10 week spring window, so the marketing budget should be front-loaded into late winter, not spread evenly. Rankings and reviews built in January collect the March searches. Starting to market in April is paying peak prices for leftover demand.
Maintenance vs design-build changes what you sell online
Recurring maintenance is a proximity-and-reviews game — map pack, service-area pages, renewal emails. Design-build sells with a portfolio: before/after photography converts better than any ad copy, and project pages ranking for "[project type] [city]" bring the high-ticket calls. The calculator's split follows your mix.
What the est. ranges assume
Home-services convention: est. 4–6% of revenue to maintain, est. 8–12% to grow, with a floor around est. $600–$1,000/month for small crews. Commercial contracts change the math entirely — those are won by bid lists and relationships, and the site's job is credibility, not lead volume.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a landscaping company spend on marketing?
The est. home-services convention is 4–6% of revenue to maintain and 8–12% to grow, with a practical floor around est. $600–$1,000/month for small operations. An $800k landscaping company aiming to grow typically lands around est. $5,300–$8,000/month.
Where should the first marketing dollars go?
Local search: Google Business Profile, reviews and service-plus-city pages. That traffic converts at intent paid ads must pay for repeatedly. Local Services Ads usually come second because the pay-per-lead model caps downside while reviews build.
Are Local Services Ads worth it?
Usually yes as a second channel: you pay per lead rather than per click and the Google Guaranteed badge helps conversion. Rank within LSA is driven heavily by review count and response speed, so the review system has to come first.
What should I expect from an agency at this budget?
Named deliverables monthly, call tracking tied to jobs booked (not clicks), and no long contract. Guaranteed rankings or lead counts are the red flag — nobody controls Google. My pricing is published: $800 or $1,500/month, no contract, you keep everything.