Seasonal Contracts and E-Signatures for Landscapers
Landscaping businesses run on seasons: spring sign-ups, summer maintenance, fall cleanups and, in many states, snow removal. Each season is a wave of agreements that used to mean door hangers, paper forms and chasing signatures. Codec Document lets you send the season agreement once, get it signed from a phone and keep a clear record of what each client ordered.
Recurring work without a written agreement is fragile
A weekly mowing client who never signed anything can stop paying mid-season and dispute the last four visits. A design client can change their mind after you bought plants. A snow removal client can argue the trigger depth. None of these are unusual, and all of them are easier when the terms were written and signed before the season started. The agreement is not about distrust; it is about both sides knowing what happens when plans change.
How it helps landscapers
Season agreements signed in spring
Services, visit frequency, price per visit or per month, and how to pause or cancel, sent to your whole client list and signed from their phones.
Design proposals that become contracts
A proposal with plant lists, hardscape details and a deposit schedule that the client signs to approve, so you never buy material on a verbal yes.
Snow removal terms that prevent arguments
Trigger depth, response times and per-push pricing written down before the first storm, when nobody is angry yet.
Every client file in one place
Signed agreements for each property, with dates and audit trail, available when a client asks what they signed up for.
Recurring charges and online consent
If you charge clients automatically, federal and state law expect clear disclosure and express consent. The Restore Online Shoppers Confidence Act, 15 U.S.C. § 8403, requires that material terms of a negative option arrangement sold online be clearly disclosed and that the consumer give express informed consent before being charged, with a simple way to stop recurring charges. Several states add their own automatic renewal statutes. An electronically signed agreement that states these terms is valid under the ESIGN Act, 15 U.S.C. § 7001.
The two-inch question
A landscaping company in Michigan offered snow removal by the push. After a winter with many light snowfalls, a commercial client refused to pay for plowing at one and a half inches, saying the deal was two. Nothing was written. The next season the company sent a one-page snow agreement stating a one-inch trigger and per-push pricing, signed by every client in November. They say the winter billing conversations went from weekly arguments to none.
What to put in writing before the season starts
- The services included, the visit frequency and the price per visit or per month.
- How rain days, drought restrictions and skipped visits are handled and billed.
- For snow removal, the trigger depth, the areas cleared and the per-push or seasonal price.
- For design and installation, the plant list, the deposit and a warranty on plant material, if any.
- How the client pauses or cancels, and the notice required.
- Responsibility for irrigation lines, underground utilities and damage to hidden objects.
Questions people ask about this
Can I send the same agreement to all my clients at once?
Yes. Bulk sending gives every client their own link and their own signed copy, while you track who has signed from one place.
Can clients sign from a phone?
Yes. Most clients sign in under a minute from the link on their phone, without creating an account.
Can I add a deposit schedule to a design proposal?
Yes. Payment milestones can be written into the proposal, so the client approves the schedule when they approve the design.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. You can start free without a credit card, and move to a paid plan when you send agreements every week.