BLS wage data says landscapers in Texas earn $18.33/hr. That's 1.6% below the national average. Here's what that means for your bids.
BLS Hourly Wage
$18.33
Customer Rate
$39–$53/hr
Markup Factor
2.5x
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2023. Customer rate = wage × markup.
Texas
National Avg
| Service | Texas Price Range |
|---|---|
| Lawn mowing (average lot, weekly) | $39–$79 |
| Seasonal cleanup (spring/fall) | $148–$394 |
| Mulching (per cubic yard installed) | $59–$118 |
| Shrub trimming and pruning | $49–$148 |
| Sod installation (per 1,000 sq ft) | $394–$885 |
| Flower bed design and planting | $295–$1476 |
| Retaining wall (per linear ft) | $25–$74 |
| Irrigation system install | $2460–$4919 |
| Full landscape design-build | $2951–$14757 |
Prices adjusted from national averages using Texas BLS wage data. Your local market may vary.
Pre-loaded with Texas rates. Enter your job's square footage and type to get a starting price.
Estimated per-job price for Texas (—–—/hr effective rate)
Based on BLS wage data for Texas (TX). Rates reflect state-level labor costs.
State averages hide the gap between metros. Here's what landscapers actually charge in the largest Texas markets.
Largest landscaping market in TX by revenue. North Dallas (Plano, Frisco, Highland Park) supports premium rates and full-service contracts; south and east Dallas track mid-tier metro pricing. HOA-driven master-planned communities are a major contract source.
Year-round growing season means weekly mowing March–November and biweekly in winter. Hurricane prep and post-storm cleanup are recurring revenue. Master-planned communities (Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Katy) drive high-density route economics.
Austin is the highest-priced TX market for landscaping. Tech-corridor clients want xeriscape, native-plant gardens, and drip irrigation — design-build margins are higher than mow-and-blow. Tight HOA rules in master-planned communities (Lakeway, Cedar Park, Round Rock).
Lower price point than Austin; hill-country and Stone Oak submarkets support 15–20% premium over baseline. Drought-tolerant landscaping and irrigation maintenance are heavy categories due to Edwards Aquifer water restrictions.
Lowest landscaping rates in Texas. Year-round mowing season, predominantly residential and small-commercial. Citrus-tree care and palm trimming are higher-margin add-ons.
The factors that actually move landscaping bids in Texas — beyond the BLS wage number.
Texas landscaping runs 50+ weeks of active service vs. 28–32 weeks in the Midwest. But June–August heat (95–110°F) cuts crew productivity 20–30% — bids should price labor at a heat-adjusted rate or quote shorter early-morning windows. Recurring contracts that don't adjust seasonal load lose money in summer.
Most TX metros enforce stage-based outdoor watering restrictions during summer drought (1x/week, by zip code). This shifts demand toward drought-tolerant landscape installations, drip irrigation upgrades, and lawn-recovery work in fall. Bid scope changes in restriction periods — a 'mow weekly' contract isn't always doable when grass is dormant.
Coastal TX (Houston, Galveston, Beaumont, Corpus) and to a lesser degree central TX face hurricane debris cleanup 2–4 times per decade and severe-storm tree-down work several times per year. This is often per-job emergency pricing ($85–$150/hr labor, $300–$1,200/day for chipper-truck combo). Set out-of-scope language in recurring contracts so storm cleanup is billed separately.
Texas has the highest density of master-planned communities in the US (Houston, Dallas, Austin suburbs). HOAs set turf-height, edge-quality, and front-yard appearance standards — a non-conforming yard generates fines and complaints. Bid these neighborhoods at full-service tier (mow + edge + blow + bed maintenance), not the budget tier. Underbidding means complaints from the HOA, which the client passes to you.
Texas has no state income tax but high property tax. Homeowners are price-sensitive on recurring services — recurring weekly mow contracts get squeezed on price more aggressively than in income-tax states. Margin lives in add-ons (fertilization, aeration, pre-emergent, drainage, hardscape), not in base mow rates.
The most common landscaping jobs in Texas, with what to focus on in the bid and what to watch out for.
What to know about Texas-specific licensing, permitting, and compliance before bidding landscaping work.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with the Texas licensing board and your local jurisdiction before bidding.
Based on BLS wage data, landscapers in Texas typically charge between $39 and $53 per hour. The actual rate depends on the job type, scope, and whether materials are included.
Landscaping labor costs in Texas are 1.6% below the national average. The BLS-reported hourly wage in Texas is $18.33, compared to $18.63 nationally.
Start with your labor cost ($18.33/hr in Texas), apply a 2.5x markup to cover overhead, supplies, insurance, and profit. That puts your customer-facing rate around $39–$53/hr. Then adjust for job scope: complex jobs command higher rates.
The biggest factors are metro vs. rural (cities within Texas can vary 30–40%), job complexity, and recurring vs. one-time work. Recurring contracts cost less per visit because there's no re-quoting or onboarding.
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Sample bid sheet with line items, scope, and payment terms — pair with the Texas rates above.
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