Guides ›

How to bid a landscaping contract for a Florida HOA

Write one scope, get comparable bids, and avoid the usual surprises in Florida landscape maintenance contracts.

General information for Florida associations. This isn't legal advice. Check your governing documents and ask your association's attorney about your situation. Last reviewed October 2026.

Landscaping is often an association's largest recurring contract. The single best way to get fair, comparable prices is to write one scope of work and have every bidder price exactly that.

Know the bid rule

For Florida HOAs, section 720.3055, Florida Statutes requires service contracts to be in writing. It also requires competitive bids when a contract's payment exceeds 10% of the association's total annual budget, including reserves. The association doesn't have to accept the lowest bid. Condominiums have a similar rule in section 718.3026. Check with your association's attorney on how these apply to you.

Build the scope

  • Mowing frequency by season. For example, weekly in the growing season and every other week in cooler months, with the number of cuts per year stated.
  • Edging, string trimming, and blowing of hard surfaces after each visit.
  • Shrub and hedge trimming (how many times a year) and palm trimming (how many times, which palms, removal of seed pods).
  • Mulch or pine straw: depth, how many times a year, which beds.
  • Seasonal color: number of rotations and plant counts per bed.
  • Weed control in beds and turf, and lawn fertilization and pest control. Ask who holds the FDACS license.
  • Irrigation: are wet checks and minor repairs included, and what's the approval limit for extra repairs?
  • Storm cleanup: what's included versus billed extra after a named storm.
  • A map of maintained areas, so everyone bids the same acreage.

Compare bids fairly

Put the bids side by side on a spreadsheet, line by line. Ask each bidder to note anything they excluded. A bid that's much lower often leaves out palms, mulch, or irrigation.

Contract terms to look for

Term and renewal, a termination clause (many associations want a 30-day termination-for-convenience option), insurance requirements, a defined response time for complaints, and photo or written visit reports.

Find vendors: browse this category.

Hiring guides