Bidding on Municipal Mowing and Large Commercial Landscape Contracts

A landscape contractor asks: (1) Who to contact for median/roadside mowing bids? (2) Websites for public landscape bids? (3) How to price a 3-day/week shopping center maintenance contract?

Public Roadside Mowing

• Agency: State DOT, county public works, or city streets department—whichever owns the road.
• Private roads/HOAs: Contact the homeowners association management company.
• Requirements: Business license, liability insurance, workers' comp, bonding, often pre-qualification.
• Bid sources: Agency websites (RFP/RFQ postings), local newspaper legal notices, BidNet, GovernmentBids.com, state procurement portals.

Pricing a Shopping Center Contract

No universal rate exists. Calculate your costs:

• Labor (crew size × hours × wage + burden)
• Fuel, equipment depreciation, maintenance
• Materials (mulch, fertilizer, herbicide, annuals)
• Overhead (insurance, office, admin, marketing)
• Desired profit margin (typically 15–25%)

Factor in: scope complexity (beds, trees, irrigation), frequency (3×/week = 156 visits/year), site access, trash removal, liability exposure. Bid to win, but never below cost.

Expert: Sean J. Murphy, LA, ISA, LEED AP | www.seanjmurphy.com