Starting A Landscaping Business? Here Is What You Need To Know

If you’re thinking of starting a landscaping business in 2021, you’ve come to the right place. We’re sharing our top tips and everything you need to know to get your business off the ground. 

The process of starting a landscaping business can be split into three steps:

1. Register your landscaping business

Registering your business with the ATO and deciding on the right business structure is important for tax purposes. Businesses in Australia fall under four categories: sole trader, partnership, company and trust. Many landscaping businesses register as sole traders, as this is the simplest business structure. 

2. Get the right insurance

Getting the right insurance cover for your business is essential for protecting your employees and assets and reducing risks. At Tradesure, we offer complete Landscaper Insurance packages, including Public Liability Insurance, Landscape Contractor Tool and Equipment Insurance, Mobile Machinery and Motor Vehicle Insurance for Landscapers, Landscaper Sickness and Accident Insurance, Contract Works Insurance, Worker’s Compensation, and Landscape Gardener Insurance.  

3. Invest in the right tools

In landscaping, each job may require specialist tools and equipment. Figure out which tools you use most often and invest in high-quality, durable tools to ensure you can perform.

Types of landscaping businesses 

While landscaping and gardening may seem similar, landscaping is more focused on changing and creating the current landscape and usually doesn’t include plant care. 

For your landscaping business, you can specialise in a variety of different niches, including:

• Lawn mowing
• Landscape maintenance
• Turf installation and seeding
• Weeding, fertilizing and pest control
• Interiorscaping (landscaping inside office buildings or large houses)
• Design work (landscape related)
• Structural landscaping

The different landscaping work available allows for businesses to focus on a single line of work or grow to provide various services. 

How much does it cost to start a landscaping business?

The cost of starting a landscaping business will depend on the type of business you are registering, whether you have a vehicle, and the tools you’ll be investing in. The initial cost of registering starts from around $500. This includes:

• Business Name Fee
  Cost: starting at A$35 (for one year)
• Company Registration Fee
  If you’re registering as a company it will cost you A$475.
• Australian Business Number (ABN)
  Cost: free

For landscaping tools and equipment, a realistic starting price is from $5000 to $10,000. Depending on the services you provide, machinery could cost up to $40,000. 

Landscaping Licences

To practice as a professional landscaper in Australia requires a licence. In Queensland, you’ll need a landscaping license if the work you’re providing is valued over A$3,300. For paving and erecting structures you’ll need a Structural Landscaping license.

Ready to start your landscaping business? Talk to Tradesure for Landscapers Insurance and get a quote today.