How to get commercial landscaping contracts: property managers, HOAs and office parks

To get commercial landscaping contracts, target the people who hire grounds crews for many sites at once: property management companies, HOA and condo managers, and the owners or facility managers of office parks, retail centers and apartment complexes. List every one of them inside the area your crews can reach, contact them before contracts are reviewed (often late summer and fall), and offer a free property walk and a written scope with a fixed monthly or per-visit price. One good property manager can bring several properties, so the first contract is often the start of a portfolio.

Who hires commercial landscapers?#

Commercial landscaping is bought by whoever runs the property. For managed properties that's the property or community manager; for owner-occupied sites it's the owner or facilities manager. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists contracting for landscaping among property managers' duties.

Community associations are a big market. The Foundation for Community Association Research counted about 373,000 community associations in the US in 2025, governed by elected boards of volunteer homeowners. Many of them hire a management company, so the community manager at that company is often the person who brings your proposal to the board.

Public work is a separate channel. Federal opportunities are posted on SAM.gov (search NAICS 561730, Landscaping Services), and cities, counties and school districts post bids on their own procurement portals. It runs in parallel with private outreach; see how to get commercial cleaning contracts for how registration and bid notices work, since the steps are the same.

How do I build a list of commercial landscaping prospects?#

Start from your routes, not a city name. Drive time between sites decides your margin, so keep the list tight around where crews already work.

1. Draw your route area. A polygon or radius around your yard and current routes, or the ZIP codes you want to grow into.
2. Search the managers first. "Property management company", "real estate rental agency", "homeowners association", "HOA management". These are the people who hire for many sites.
3. Then search the properties. "Apartment complex", "condominium complex", "office park", "shopping center", "medical clinic", "car dealer", "church", "hotel". A property's listing or website often names the management company.
4. Search in pieces. One Maps search returns about 120 results. See why Google Maps stops at 120 results.
5. Remove duplicates and drop anything outside the route area.
6. Segment:
   • category: managers vs HOAs vs individual properties. Each gets its own email.
   • reviews: for management companies and apartment complexes, tenant reviews track size. Many reviews means many units.
   • rating: low ratings that mention grounds or upkeep are an opening.
   • website: management company sites often list the communities they manage, which is a ready list of properties.
   • emails with role and source: maintenance@, vendors@ or a named manager beat leasing@.

The property management company list page shows the fields and search terms. If you sell to other landscapers instead (equipment, software, subcontracting), see the landscaper list page.

What should I pitch to a property manager or HOA?#

Pitch reliability, a clear scope, and fewer complaints. Managers hear from residents and owners when the grass is long or the entrance looks tired; they want a landscaper they never have to chase.

• Offer a free property walk and a written scope: mowing frequency, edging, pruning, mulch, seasonal color, leaf cleanup, irrigation checks, and snow removal if you offer it.
• Price clearly. A fixed monthly price or a per-visit price with a list of what's included and what's extra. Managers compare bids line by line.
• Show you're easy to work with. Certificate of insurance, W-9, a named account manager, a visit schedule, and a short report or photos after each visit.
• For HOAs, write the proposal so the community manager can drop it into the board packet. Boards compare scope, price and references.
• Start with one property. Ask the manager for the site that gives them the most complaints. Do it well and ask for the next.
• Add enhancements later. Irrigation repair, seasonal color, tree work and drainage are upsells once you hold the maintenance contract.

When is the best time to pitch commercial landscaping?#

Late summer through fall, before budgets are set and contracts renew, and winter for walkthroughs and proposals. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that much grounds work is seasonal, mainly in spring, summer and fall, so the offseason is when managers have time to compare vendors and you have time to bid.

These are common patterns, not measured results. Fiscal years and board calendars differ, so record each manager's renewal month.

Gatekeepers. At a management company, the receptionist or leasing agent handles tenants. Ask, "Who handles landscaping contracts for your properties?" and "Do you have a vendor packet?" For HOAs, ask the management company which manager runs that community.

What should my email say?#

Short, specific, about their properties. Double-brace fields are columns from the export.

Subject: landscaping for {{business}} properties

Hi there,

We maintain commercial and HOA grounds around {{city}}: weekly
mowing, beds, pruning, seasonal color and irrigation checks, with
a report and photos after every visit.

If any of your properties is reviewing its landscaping contract
this year, I'd like to walk it and send a written scope with a
fixed monthly price. Which property gives you the most complaints?

[Name] · [Company] · [Postal address]
Not interested? Reply "no" and I won't write again.

For a single property, such as a medical office or dealership:

Subject: grounds at {{business}}

Hi there,

We take care of grounds for [type of business] around {{city}}.
Clean entrances and parking islands are the first thing patients
and customers see. I'd like to do a free 15-minute walk of your
property and send a fixed monthly quote.

[Name] · [Company] · [Postal address] · Reply "no" to opt out.

How often should I follow up?#

Three follow-ups over three weeks, then check in before the next renewal. Many contracts change hands because the current landscaper misses visits; you want to be the name the manager remembers when that happens.

1. Day 1: first email.
2. Day 4: "When does your landscaping contract usually renew?"
3. Day 10: something useful: a sample scope, a sample visit report, your COI.
4. Day 21: a polite close. Put the renewal month in your CRM and write again a month before.

What rules apply to cold outreach for landscaping services?#

US commercial email falls under CAN-SPAM: accurate sender and subject lines, a physical postal address and a working opt-out honored within 10 business days. Calls to businesses are mostly exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry, but the FTC's ban on misrepresentations covers business-to-business calls, and under the TCPA autodialed or prerecorded calls and texts to cell phones need consent. Google's Maps Platform terms restrict scraping and building lists from Maps content, a contract issue separate from these laws. See cold email laws and get legal advice for your situation.

Worked example: property managers in Georgia#

Georgia has 2,310 real estate property manager establishments with paid employees (Census County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 53131). That's the whole state; a landscaper serves a route area, but it shows the size of the manager market.

If you want the whole state's managers plus properties, with more than 1,000 checked emails, the Growth plan at $49 a month (100,000 businesses, 5,000 checked emails) covers it. Each business is charged once ever, businesses outside your area are shown free, and unused credits roll over while your plan is active. See pricing.

For a broader view of selling to managers in every trade, see how to sell to property managers.

If you'd rather not build the list by hand, Leadraft finds every property manager, HOA and property type you choose inside your route area and checks the emails it finds against the live mailbox. Try it on the free plan, or see the fields on the property management company list page.

FAQ#

How do I get commercial landscaping contracts?#

Target the people who hire grounds maintenance for many sites: property management companies, HOA and condo managers, and the owners or facility managers of office parks, retail centers, apartment complexes, medical offices and churches. List every one inside the area your crews can reach, contact them before contracts are reviewed, offer a free property walk and a written scope, and price per visit or per month with clear inclusions.

Who decides on landscaping at a commercial property?#

At managed properties, the property manager or community manager usually hires the landscaper, and for HOAs and condos the volunteer board approves the contract. At owner-occupied sites like a medical office or a dealership, it's the owner, office manager or facilities manager. Large corporate campuses often use a facilities manager or an outsourced facilities company.

When do commercial landscaping contracts get decided?#

Many contracts are reviewed during budget season, which for calendar-year budgets is often late summer through fall, with new contracts starting before spring. HOA boards decide at scheduled meetings. Contact managers in late summer and fall, and be ready to walk properties in winter. These are common patterns; ask each manager when their contract renews.

How do I find commercial landscaping leads?#

Search Google Maps for property management company, homeowners association, apartment complex, condominium complex, office park and shopping center inside the area your crews can reach. One search returns about 120 results, so split the area into ZIP codes or a grid. Export with phone, website, reviews and emails, and prioritize managers who run many properties.

How do I price a commercial landscaping bid?#

Walk the site, measure turf, beds and hardscape, and write a scope that lists mowing frequency, edging, pruning, mulch, seasonal color, leaf cleanup, irrigation checks and any snow removal. Price from your own crew hours, equipment, materials, travel time and margin. Show what's included and what's extra so managers can compare bids line by line.

Sources#

1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers (contracting for landscaping and other services).
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Grounds Maintenance Workers (seasonal work in spring, summer and fall).
3. Foundation for Community Association Research, via National Law Review press release, April 1, 2026 (about 373,000 community associations in 2025).
4. U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 (NAICS 53131 establishments by state).
5. SAM.gov, Entity registration.
6. Federal Trade Commission, CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business and Complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule.
7. Federal Communications Commission, Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts.
8. Google, Google Maps Platform Terms of Service.