Most lawn care and maintenance companies use a contract of some sort for their services. The purpose of the contract is to summarize for both parties what is expected. It outlines what your services include, how often you will work for them and for how long. It reassures the customer that they will be taken care of and reminds them how much and when they are expected to pay. This way everyone is clear on the terms of your relationship and no confusion will arise in the future. Everyone creates this type of agreement differently, but I would like to share with you my favorite, the proposal for landscape maintenance, which has all the elements of a contract presented neatly and professionally.
The proposal for landscape maintenance contains the following information:
* Both parties involved (your company and the name / address of the customer)
* Terms for service- the aspects of maintenance you will provide
* The period of service- start date and finish date
* The price for your service
* Both parties sign to accept
* Date of the agreement
Although this form could be construed as a legal document and might very well be legally binding, I am not a lawyer and encourage you to seek out a lawyer in contract matters.
At the acceptance of this agreement I let my customers know that neither they nor I am bound to it and that they may cancel service at any time. Likewise I am free to cancel service as well for any reason. This puts them at ease and makes them feel less obligated, and if you do a good job odds are they will not fire you. And although the contract has a start date and an end date specified, I have never had to recreate a new one for the following year. I simply continue service on a month to month basis.
Contract sample A, or Proposal for landscape maintenance, can be viewed here in your browser window. Also available is it for download in the .pdf format at our website Www.maintenance-business.com