Sales Toolkit for Landscaping Contractors: Win Work From Builders and GCs
Landscaping contractors win work from builders and general contractors by reaching them before the landscaping package is awarded, sending a bid that is easy to compare and following up as the build moves. The window runs from about 65% of the way through the build to about 90%, with the last realistic approach at about 95%. Builtie, a sales automation platform for construction trades, counted 36,174 landscaping projects inside that window across 25 markets on October 9, 2026 and finds each builder's decision maker; this toolkit has the timing, copyable bid and follow-up templates, and where the work is.
The same four steps, whether the buyer is a builder, a designer, an owner or a company you want to acquire.
How landscaping contractors win work from builders and GCs
- Find the projects early, on building permits: most private landscaping work is awarded by the builder or general contractor without a public bid.
- Call inside the window: from about 65% of the way through the build to about 90%, with the last realistic approach at about 95%.
- Reach the person who buys landscaping work. The builder or developer awards landscaping near completion, often because occupancy or the site plan requires it; on custom homes the owner decides, sometimes with a landscape architect.
- Send a bid that is easy to compare: scope, price and validity, exclusions, allowances and a schedule tied to the build.
- Follow up when the build moves, not on a timer, and ask for the builder's next project when this one is decided.
When landscaping work gets picked
Builtie times landscaping work from about 65% of the way through the build to about 90%, with the last realistic approach at about 95%. That is near the end of the build, so a project permitted a year or more ago can still be open.
Tap a stage. The highlighted stage is where landscaping is typically awarded.
The window is a share of the build, so its dates depend on how long the build runs. Builtie's own estimate sets the build length from the declared construction value on the permit; in weeks after construction starts:
| Declared value | Window opens | Window closes | Last realistic approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| $250k to $1M (7-month build) | week 20 | week 27 | week 29 |
| $1M to $5M (13-month build) | week 37 | week 51 | week 54 |
| $5M to $25M (20-month build) | week 56 | week 78 | week 83 |
| $25M to $100M (30-month build) | week 85 | week 117 | week 124 |
Check one project: the award window calculator takes a trade and a stage (or months since the permit was issued) and says whether landscaping work is before, inside or past its window.
Bid cover note template
Send this with the price. It answers the questions an estimator asks before comparing bids: what is in, what is out, what is an allowance, and when you can start. Replace everything in [brackets].
Subject: [Project address]: Landscaping price from [Your company] Hi [First name], Attached is our landscaping price for [project address], based on [drawings / specification, revision and date]. Scope: grading, sod, planting and hardscape per landscape plan [sheet]. Price: $[amount] [plus tax], valid until [date]. Excludes: irrigation unless listed; rough grading by others; maintenance after handover unless listed. Allowances: plant material at $[amount]; [number] weeks of watering after install. Schedule: Landscaping work is usually decided between about 65% and 90% of the build. We can hold [crew / production slot] for [weeks or dates] if we hear back by [date], and will confirm again when the occupancy date is set. Why us: [show completion and occupancy dates, grading, sod and planting packages, and maintenance after handover]. One question: [the one thing that would change the price, such as a spec choice or a phasing date]. [Your name] [Company] | [phone] | [email]
Three-touch follow-up and a LinkedIn note
Three emails, each tied to the project rather than to a calendar: the first a few days after the bid, the second when the occupancy date is set, the third before the window closes at about 95% of the build. The LinkedIn note is for the estimator or project manager you have not met.
Subject: Re: [Project address]: landscaping price Hi [First name], Checking the landscaping price for [project address] reached you and reads clearly. If anything in the scope or the exclusions does not match your other bids, tell me and I will line it up so you are comparing like for like. [Your name] | [phone]
Subject: [Project address]: landscaping schedule Hi [First name], I see [project address] is moving: the occupancy date is set. That is usually when landscaping work gets decided. We are still holding [crew / production slot] for [dates]. Can I get 10 minutes this week to confirm the scope, or is there a revision I should price? [Your name] | [phone]
Subject: [Project address]: releasing our landscaping slot Hi [First name], We will release the [crew / production slot] we held for [project address] on [date] unless you need it. If landscaping work has been awarded, no problem: what is your next project, and when does it go out to price? [Your name] | [phone]
Hi [First name], saw [Company] has [project address] in the works. We do landscaping work for builders and GCs in [city] and price to your schedule. Worth a look before landscaping work is awarded? [Your name]
Where landscaping projects are open now
| Market | State or province | Projects in the award window |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | New York | 15,654 |
| Austin | Texas | 7,671 |
| Miami-Dade | Florida | 3,275 |
| Calgary | Alberta | 1,958 |
| Los Angeles | California | 1,562 |
| Toronto | Ontario | 1,553 |
| Chicago | Illinois | 959 |
| Nashville | Tennessee | 959 |
36,174 landscaping projects were inside the award window across 25 markets in the United States and Canada on October 9, 2026: 15,871 new buildings and 20,303 renovations or alterations. Every market: landscaping leads by city.
More for landscaping contractors
- Sales automation for landscaping contractors
- How to find clients for landscaping contractors
- How to find landscaping projects
- How to get more landscaping jobs
- New construction projects for landscaping contractors
- CRM for landscaping contractors: what to track
- Landscaping construction leads by city
- The award window calculator
- Construction sales email templates
- Sales toolkits for every trade
Plans
Builtie's Starter plan is $79 per seat per month (CAD) for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects and adds the LinkedIn and email outreach you run yourself. Opening a project spends one credit, and the decision makers, emails, phones and AI call script inside it are included. Your monthly credits reset at each renewal, and extra credit packs are valid for 30 days. The free trial runs 7 days with 10 projects. Custom, where Builtie's team runs the outreach for you, starts from CAD $1,500 a month on top of a Growth seat.
Frequently asked questions
How do landscaping contractors win work from builders and general contractors?
By finding projects early on building permits, reaching the builder or general contractor while the landscaping package is still open (from about 65% of the way through the build to about 90%, with the last realistic approach at about 95%), sending a bid that states scope, exclusions, allowances and schedule, and following up as the build moves.
When is landscaping work awarded on a new building?
Builtie times landscaping work from about 65% of the way through the build to about 90%, with the last realistic approach at about 95%. The builder or developer awards landscaping near completion, often because occupancy or the site plan requires it; on custom homes the owner decides, sometimes with a landscape architect.
What should a landscaping bid cover note include?
The drawings and revision it is based on, the scope (grading, sod, planting and hardscape per landscape plan [sheet]), the price and how long it holds, what it excludes, the allowances, and a schedule tied to when landscaping work is decided.
How should I follow up on a landscaping bid?
Three touches tied to the project: a few days after sending, when the occupancy date is set, and before the window closes at about 95% of the build. If the package is gone, ask for the builder's next project.
Is Builtie a CRM?
No. A CRM stores the contacts and deals you already have. Builtie is sales automation: it finds the projects from building permits, times each one to your trade's award window, finds the decision maker and runs the LinkedIn and email outreach. Most customers keep their CRM or job-management tool for the work they win.
What does Builtie cost?
Starter is $79 per seat per month (CAD) for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects and adds LinkedIn and email outreach. There is a 7-day free trial with 10 projects.