Commercial Lawn Care Contracts Explained
A commercial lawn care contract is a legal document between a lawn care service provider and a business entity or organization that requires lawn maintenance services for a commercial property. This could include anything from a shopping complex to an office park or a stadium. As can be inferred, such a contract is more involved than a typical residential lawn care service contract since it attempts to cover a larger area of property and generally requires greater input on the part of the service provider and the client. In either case, it’s clear that a commercial lawn care contract needs to be particularly strong, so that it doesn’t leave any room for misinterpretation.
There are a few reasons a company might require a commercial lawn care contract. The first is quantity of work. If a company has many locations or a single location on a large lot, it will likely require extensive service . A lawn care company, in many professions, relies on steady service contracts to create sufficient cash flow to invest in the operations of the business. In addition, most business users of lawn care services are looking to build relationships with their service providers. Having a long-term service contract in place will help the transition from one lawn care service to another much easier if the need arises.
Understanding a commercial lawn care contract is important for both parties to understand the scope of the agreement. This means both parties must be fully aware of what is expected of them. This contract is the instrument that will keep everybody on the same page. The client and the service provider will have specific requirements and expectations, and this document will ensure that these requirements are being met. At the same time, it will also keep the service provider protected by laying out the law governing the agreement.
Essential Components Of A Lawn Care Contract Template
Your commercial lawn care contract template should include the following parts:
Scope of Work
The scope of work section should, in great detail, list the exact services to be performed by the contractor. You can use the contract to describe services for regular maintenance, for specific projects and for the ongoing upkeep of the property. It is a good idea to include an additional services section to list any miscellaneous services that are not covered elsewhere in detail. Once the template is complete, you will be able to use it to quickly add or remove sections as necessary without needing to worry about the details being included or excluded.
Payment Terms
The payment terms section of your lawn care contract template should explain how and when the payments will be made. Although payment terms may be subject to negotiation, the template should cover your business’ requirements. Establishing clear payment terms in advance will protect you from cash flow problems down the road. Specify the billing period (often monthly) and the payment due date. State the payment method and any late payment penalties.
Period of Performance
While a commercial lawn contract template is typically used for ongoing service agreements, you may also make lawn contracts for one-off projects. If you have a commercial account that requires cloning for multiple properties, a comprehensive contract template can help you to save time. Clearly state the expected duration of the contract. Include the start date and termination date, if applicable. You may also want to include clauses for early termination and extensions.
Cancellation Policies
Disputes arise from time to time, and you must have a cancellation policy in place to protect your business from losses due to litigation. Your standard contract template should include a clause stating the conditions that would trigger a cancellation of the contract. Most contracts include a period of notice (for example: 30 days) within which notice of cancellation must be given. Under specific circumstances, most companies reserve the right to terminate contracts with little to no notice. Every commercial lawn service must maintain its own cancellation policy, especially with respect to default under the contract.
Lawn Care Contract Template Considerations
While the elements of lawn care contracts may seem fairly straightforward, it’s important that these agreements include all necessary legal considerations. Failure to do so could lead to major headaches for your business down the line.
For instance, the contract should comply with all relevant national, state/provincial, and local regulations. Compliance may range from ensuring that business licenses are up-to-date to making sure that proper signage is included on jobsites. It’s your responsibility to verify that you and your staff are in compliance with all regulations to avoid legal troubles in the future. You may also want to include a disclaimer pertaining to liability or a force majeure clause (which would address what happens should an act of God or the like force you to discontinue service).
Should you have any questions about legalities, consult an attorney. It’s well worth the additional cost to protect your business from liability.
Commercial Lawn Care Contract Template Customization
A standard lawn care contract template is a fantastic starting point for any lawn care business. However, even the best templates need to be customized to fit the needs of the business using them. One of the most important benefits of using a template is that they can be adapted to your business with relative ease, so you are not starting from scratch. You should include everything that is in an existing contract that you have, but should also add anything that may be missing or any updates that need to be made. How exactly should you go about customizing a template? When you come across wording in the template that does not apply to your business, simply remove it. You may also have additional notes to clarify certain points for your clients . Be specific about your pricing and what is included. For instance, if you do not give free estimates, be sure to say so in the template. If you have a different texting policy for clients, write that out as well. Generalizing is always bad.
Consider all of the specific services that you offer. If you charge extra for services beyond basic lawn mowing, then you should explain that as well. Indicate whether there are discounts for bundling services, so clients can see what a deal it is to have their lawn and shrubbery taken care of by one business. Get creative with the language you use as you make these updates to a standard template. Your clients will appreciate the added effort.
Why Use An Online Lawn Care Contract Template
Benefits of Using a Digital Contract Template for Lawn Care Services
In today’s digital age, almost everything is done electronically, and contract-making is no exception. In fact, many lawn care companies are turning to digital contract templates for ease and efficiency. There are a number of benefits to using digital contract templates in your business, including:
Speed: One of the most significant advantages of digital contract templates is their ability to save time. When you use a digital contract template, you do not have to spend time on the phone asking clients about their needs or trying to create the contract from scratch. Simply add your client’s information to an existing contract and send it off in less than five minutes.
Convenience: You can send digital contracts to clients for signature without leaving your desk; you can even send them while you are out in the field doing estimates. Digital contract management software allows you to stay connected to clients and keep all essential information at your fingertips.
Ease of Use: Digital contracts are easy to create, easy to edit and easy to send. You save time, money and effort when you use a digital contract template.
Better Storage: You do not need to have a filing cabinet full of outdated contracts lying around. Digital contracts are automatically organized for you, so you can access them at any time, no matter where you are. Digital files also take up far less space than paper files.
Less Paper Clutter: With digital contracts, you will no longer need to print out copies and store them in a file cabinet. Instead, you can store contracts on a secure server or in the cloud, so you can access them anytime, from any device with an internet connection.
Lawn Care Contract Template Pitfalls
Common mistakes in lawn care contracts to avoid
While long and boring contracts can be off-putting, they can save you from misunderstanding and dispute. On the flip side, poorly constructed contracts can be worse than having a contract at all. When writing a contract, it is just as important to know what not to do as it is to know how to write a thorough contract.
Here are a few areas where it is all too easy to make a mistake when crafting a lawn care contract.
Not having one at all
This is an obvious one. You might think it is enough just for your client to commit to your services. But if something goes south, not having a contract can leave you with little recourse. Having a thorough contract will mean you’ll be less likely to end up in court in the first place, but it can also make the difference in your favor if you are.
Assuming it will be read and understood
Sometimes, we as business owners forget that we’ve read the same information scores of times . That means we understand it really well, but it can be hard to remember if the information is easy for clients who aren’t already familiar with your policies and procedures. Be sure you have clearly labeled sections and are using straightforward language.
Not being clear about pricing
If you don’t outline exactly how you will bill clients, how they will pay and what will happen if they don’t, you run the risk of confusion and possibly even lost payments. Set out clear terms and conditions so there is no ambiguity and no questions down the line.
Being vague or contradictory in scope and service area
If you don’t define the specific scope of services you will provide and your area of service, clients may try to take advantage of you. If you travel to their location, you could find yourself in the position of driving a long way on a low-paying contract. If you are vague about what is included in your basic services, a customer might try to add on lots of extra services without increasing the cost. Make sure you outline exactly what is included and what costs extra.