Landscape estimates built plant by plant,
zone by irrigation zone.
Landscape is one of those scopes that looks simple from a distance and gets complicated fast when you actually sit down with the drawings. Plant quantities vary by size class and availability and availability changes by region and season in ways that affect both price and substitution decisions. Irrigation zones depend on a system design that might be on a separate drawing set from the planting plan. Hardscape quantities need to match the actual civil layout, not the artist's rendering that the client fell in love with. At Remarkable Estimating, we read every landscape drawing, count every plant, measure every square foot of hardscape, and build each irrigation estimate from the actual zone layout so the number you submit reflects what the job genuinely costs to build.
What Is Landscape Estimating?
Landscape estimating is the process of counting every plant by species and size class, measuring sod, seed, mulch, soil preparation and hardscape areas, taking off the irrigation system from its design drawing, and pricing the materials and labor needed to build the landscape. A landscape takeoff is the quantity part of that work; the estimate adds pricing.
Remarkable Estimating Services, LLC, based in Hawthorne, California, prepares landscape takeoffs and cost estimates for landscape, irrigation and hardscape contractors, general contractors and developers in all 50 states. We work remotely from your planting plans, irrigation design and Division 32 specifications and deliver an itemized Excel or PDF estimate organized by scope, typically within 48–72 hours. We are an estimating firm: we do not perform landscape installation or design.
Grading and site utilities are covered in sitework estimating. For the whole project, see our full-project cost estimating and quantity takeoffs.
Why Landscape Estimates Go Wrong and Where the Gaps Usually Hide
Landscape estimating has a reputation for being relatively straightforward. Count the plants, measure the mulch areas, price the irrigation. In practice, it's more nuanced than that and the gaps tend to show up at the worst possible time, which is after the contract is signed and the planting crew is already scheduled.
Plant pricing is the most volatile element. Unlike building materials that are manufactured to consistent specs, plant material is a living product with seasonal pricing, regional availability constraints, and size class variability that affects cost more than most people expect. A 15-gallon specimen shrub and a 5-gallon shrub of the same species are not interchangeable on the budget and neither is the labor to plant them. When landscape estimates use a generic plant unit price without accounting for the actual size class on the planting plan, the material cost can be significantly off in either direction.
Irrigation is the second area where estimates regularly fall short. Irrigation system cost is driven by zone count, head type, controller size, and main line pipe footage none of which can be accurately estimated from the planting plan alone. The irrigation design drawing is a separate document, and it contains the zone layout, head spacing, pipe sizing, and controller specification that determine what the system actually costs. Estimating irrigation as a percentage of planting cost produces a number that has no relationship to system complexity or site size.
Soil preparation and amendment is consistently the most under-estimated landscape line item. The quantity of imported topsoil, soil amendment, and mulch depends on the area to be planted, the depth of preparation required, and the existing soil conditions none of which a plan area alone can tell you. Soil preparation that gets estimated as a flat cost per square foot without reading the landscape specification for depth and amendment type routinely comes in short when the crew hits poor native soil conditions.
Landscape is one of the few scopes where being right on the plant count doesn't mean being right on the estimate. The plants are maybe half the cost. Irrigation, soil prep, mulch, hardscape, and labor make up the rest and those are the parts that get estimated loosely.
What Our Landscape Estimating Services Include
A complete landscape estimate covers softscape, hardscape, irrigation, outdoor lighting, and all associated site work each scope measured and priced separately. Here's everything we include in a full landscape takeoff.
Our Landscape Takeoffs Include
- Trees by species, size class (caliper or container size), and installation method
- Shrubs and perennials by species, container size, and quantity from planting plan
- Ground cover by species, spacing, and coverage area
- Ornamental grasses and accent plants by size and location
- Sod by species, area, and grade preparation requirements
- Seeding by seed mix, application rate, and area from landscape plan
- Hydroseeding by mix specification and coverage area
- Topsoil import by depth, area, and soil specification from landscape spec
- Soil amendments compost, gypsum, fertilizer by application rate and area
- Mulch by type, depth, and area from planting beds layout
- Root barriers and tree grates where specified
- Plant guarantee and replacement allowances where specified
- Irrigation main lines by pipe size, material, and routing from irrigation design
- Irrigation lateral lines by zone from irrigation design drawings
- Sprinkler heads and drip emitters by type, spacing, and zone from irrigation plan
- Irrigation controllers by zone count and specification
- Backflow preventers, isolation valves, and pressure regulators
- Irrigation sleeves under paving by conduit size and lineal foot
- Walkways and pedestrian paving by material, area, and base section
- Patios, plazas, and outdoor gathering areas by paving type and area
- Decorative concrete, pavers, and natural stone paving (structural concrete: see concrete estimating)
- Retaining walls segmental block, natural stone, and timber by lineal foot and height
- Landscape edging steel, aluminum, and concrete edging by lineal foot
- Decorative rock, boulders, and cobble by size and quantity
- Outdoor lighting fixtures, conduit, wiring, and transformer by fixture type and location
- Site furnishings benches, tables, bike racks, and trash receptacles by count
- Fencing and gates by type, material, and lineal foot
- Water features fountains, ponds, and streams by scope and specification
- Erosion control blankets and permanent erosion control measures
- Labor hours planting, hardscape installation, irrigation, and lighting by scope type (union, open-shop or prevailing wage rates)
Every plant, every irrigation head, every square foot of paving counted from your landscape and irrigation drawings, priced to current regional nursery and material costs.
How Our Landscape Estimating Process Works
From your landscape drawings and irrigation design to a finished, scope-by-scope estimate ready for submission here's exactly how we work through a landscape takeoff from start to finish.
You send us your landscape drawings, irrigation design, and spec
Planting plans, irrigation design drawings, hardscape plans, lighting plans, plant schedule, irrigation schedule, and landscape specifications (Division 32). The plant schedule and irrigation schedule are critical they confirm species, size class, quantity, and system specifications that don't always read clearly from the plan view alone. If the irrigation design is not yet complete, we estimate from the planting plan with clearly documented assumptions. We flag anything that's missing or unclear before we start counting rather than filling in the gaps with guesses.
PDF, CAD, or Bluebeam all formats accepted
We separate softscape, hardscape, irrigation, and lighting before measuring
Planting contractors, irrigation contractors, hardscape subcontractors, and lighting installers are often different crews with different pricing structures. Blending them into a single landscape rate produces a number that's useless for buyout and impossible to verify against sub quotes. We identify and separate every landscape scope at the start softscape, soil prep, hardscape, irrigation, lighting, and site furnishings and estimate each independently so the breakdown maps directly to how the work gets subcontracted and purchased.
Softscape, hardscape, irrigation always separated
Plants counted from the schedule priced at current regional nursery costs
Every plant gets counted from the planting plan cross-referenced against the plant schedule for size class confirmation. Pricing comes from current regional nursery wholesale costs not from a national average that doesn't reflect what your local nursery charges for the species and sizes on your specific project. Plant pricing varies significantly by region, by season, and by species availability. We note the pricing date on every estimate so you know exactly what the plant costs are based on and when they were sourced.
Schedule-based counts · Regional nursery pricing
Irrigation estimated from the design drawing soil prep from the spec
Irrigation quantities come from the irrigation design drawing zone count, pipe sizing, head type and spacing, and controller specification all get measured from the actual design, not estimated as a percentage of planting cost. Soil preparation quantities get calculated from the planting area coverage and the depth and amendment requirements in the landscape specification. A planting bed that requires 6 inches of amended topsoil costs a lot more to prepare than one requiring 3 inches and that difference only shows up when someone reads the spec.
Irrigation from design · Soil prep from spec
Missed-item review, then clean delivery
Before the estimate leaves our hands, we check for the landscape items most commonly missed: irrigation sleeves under paved areas, plant guarantee allowances, root barrier requirements, tree grates in hardscape areas, and outdoor lighting conduit and wiring scope. Delivery is a clean Excel or PDF organized by scope softscape and planting, soil preparation, hardscape, irrigation, lighting, and site furnishings with a complete scope notes and exclusions sheet so nothing is ambiguous at buyout.
Delivered 48–72 hrs · Rush available
Types of Landscape Projects We Estimate
From a backyard residential landscape package to a full exterior landscape and hardscape scope on a large commercial development landscape estimate complexity is driven by the mix of softscape, hardscape, irrigation, and site amenity scope, not just by total area.
Residential Landscape Estimating
Custom home landscaping, backyard renovations, front yard redesigns, and full property landscape packages residential landscape estimates need accurate plant counts by size class, soil preparation quantities, irrigation design takeoffs, and hardscape measurements that reflect what the design actually shows rather than a simplified version of it. We give landscape contractors and homebuilders a complete scope-by-scope breakdown priced to current regional nursery and material costs so the estimate holds up when the plant order is placed.
Commercial Landscape Estimating
Office campuses, retail centers, schools, hospitals, hotels, multifamily residential, and public parks commercial landscape scopes are large, specification-heavy, and frequently involve multiple subcontractors for planting, irrigation, hardscape, and lighting. The irrigation system alone on a large commercial project can be a significant cost driver that requires its own careful takeoff from the irrigation design drawings. We handle the full commercial landscape package scope by scope, with every plant counted, every irrigation zone priced, and every hardscape area measured from the actual drawings.
Industrial Landscape Estimating
Warehouses, manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, and industrial parks industrial landscape scopes typically emphasize low-maintenance plantings, erosion control, perimeter screening, and functional site amenities rather than decorative horticulture. But the cost of seeding large disturbed areas, establishing screening plantings along property lines, and installing irrigation for establishment can still represent a meaningful project budget item. We price industrial landscape scope from the actual drawings and specifications not from a simplified allowance that doesn't reflect what the plans actually call for.
Why Landscape Contractors Choose Remarkable Estimating
Here's what working with us on a landscape scope actually looks like in practice.
Plants Counted by Size Class Priced at Regional Nursery Costs
A 24-inch box tree and a 15-gallon tree are not the same price, even within the same species. We count every plant from the planting plan, confirm size class against the plant schedule, and price from current regional nursery wholesale costs. Plant pricing varies meaningfully by region, season, and species availability a national average rate doesn't protect your margin when the local nursery quote comes in higher than expected.
Irrigation Estimated From the Design Drawing Not as a Percentage
Irrigation system cost is driven by zone count, head type, pipe sizing, and controller specification none of which are visible on the planting plan. We work from the irrigation design drawing to count zones, measure pipe runs, count heads by type, and price the controller and backflow equipment from the actual specifications. Estimating irrigation as a percentage of planting cost produces a number with no relationship to system complexity.
Soil Preparation Calculated From the Spec Not Assumed
The depth and type of soil preparation is in the landscape specification, not on the plan view. A bed requiring 6 inches of amended topsoil and a bed requiring 3 inches of compost are different costs per square foot. We read the landscape spec for soil preparation requirements and calculate quantities from actual bed area and specified depth so the soil prep line item reflects what the work actually requires rather than what someone assumed it would be.
Every Landscape Scope Separated Organized for Buyout
Planting contractors, irrigation contractors, hardscape installers, and lighting crews all price separately. Our estimates break out every landscape scope independently softscape, soil prep, hardscape, irrigation, lighting, and site furnishings so you can compare each scope to sub quotes directly and understand where your number is strong and where it might need attention before you're committed.
Irrigation Sleeves and Lighting Conduit Included Not Left Out
Irrigation sleeves under paved areas and lighting conduit runs are easy to miss because they appear on drawings that don't always get included in a fast landscape takeoff. These items have real material and labor costs, and they need to be installed before the paving goes down making them a scope gap that creates a problem at exactly the wrong time. We include them as line items so nothing falls through the gap between the landscape plan and the civil plan.
48–72 Hour Turnaround, Flat Project Pricing
Standard turnaround is 48–72 hours from receiving a complete landscape drawing set. Rush delivery is available for tighter windows just let us know upfront. Pricing is quoted based on project scope and may be provided as a flat project fee or hourly rate. Flat project fees are agreed upfront. No retainers, no revision fees for reasonable clarification questions. Your drawings and project specifications stay completely confidential throughout the process.
Related Trade Estimating
Get a Free Landscape Estimate
Send us your drawings and we'll come back with a clear scope, a realistic turnaround, and a quote for the estimate, usually within 24 hours. Want to see our work first? Ask for a free sample estimate.
Prefer to send plans directly? Email info@remarkableestimating.com or call (424) 441-4101.
Landscape Estimating Services Across All 50 States
We're based in Hawthorne, California, and work remotely with landscape contractors, irrigation contractors, hardscape subcontractors, general contractors, and developers across the entire United States. Whether you're bidding a residential landscape package in Arizona, a commercial campus in California, a hospital courtyard in Illinois, or a large retail development in Texas you get the same scope-level detail and pricing that reflects your actual regional nursery, material, and labor market. Hover over your state below.
Landscape Estimating FAQs
What does a landscape estimate include?
How fast will I receive my landscape estimate?
What pricing data and deliverables do you use?
Can I see a free sample before sending a real project?
What documents do you need for a landscape estimate?
Do you estimate irrigation separately from planting?
How much does a landscape estimate cost?
Does Remarkable Estimating install or design landscapes?
Got a landscape scope to bid? Let's count every plant and every zone.
Send us your landscape drawings, irrigation design, and project specifications. We'll come back with a scope-by-scope takeoff, clear notes on plant pricing assumptions, and a quote for the estimate before you commit to anything. Want to see our work first? Ask for a free sample estimate.
Mon – Fri, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Pacific · Rush turnaround available