Terms and conditions for a gardening and grounds maintenance business

A maintenance business sells scheduled visits that depend on the weather and on access. Its disputes concern visits that could not take place, work done when the customer was absent, pruning the customer considers excessive, and contracts the customer believed had ended. I draft terms that deal with scheduling, access, waste and notice, for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Gardeners and grounds maintenance contractors in England and Wales, from a sole trader with a round of private gardens to a company maintaining commercial sites, communal grounds and managed estates. The terms cover regular contracts and one-off jobs, and consumers and business customers, because most maintenance businesses have all four.

What matters in gardening and grounds maintenance terms

Scheduling, weather and missed visits

The terms should describe the visit frequency and what a visit includes, allow visits to move for weather and season, and say what happens when a visit cannot be made: whether it is rescheduled, credited or lost. Hedge cutting while birds are nesting risks an offence under section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and the terms should allow you to defer that work. Winter visits are shorter and summer visits longer, and a term that says the price is for the year's work rather than for a fixed number of hours avoids disputes in the winter months.

Access and the customer who is not in

If the gate is locked, the dog is loose or the customer wanted to be present and was not, the terms should say the visit is chargeable and that you may leave. They should also cover keys, alarm codes, working when nobody is home, and what you are entitled to assume about which plants are to be removed. Damage to a plant the customer did not identify as one to keep is a scoping issue, not a negligence claim, if the terms say so.

Waste, chemicals and equipment

If you take green waste away, you must be registered as a waste carrier with the Environment Agency under the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989, and the terms should say whether removal is included or charged. Pesticide use is regulated by the Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012, which require professional users to hold a specified certificate, and the terms should record that you use only products and methods you are authorised to use, and that the customer must tell you about pets, ponds and children. Your equipment stays yours, your insurance should be stated, and the customer's water and power may be used.

Minimum terms, notice and price changes

A regular contract needs a start date, a minimum term if you want one, a notice period for either side to end it, and a mechanism for annual price changes. Against consumers, a long minimum term with automatic renewal and a one-sided right to change the price is exactly the kind of term the Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats as potentially unfair, so the terms should keep the minimum term short, make the notice period the same both ways, and tie any price rise to notice. A contract sold by phone or email is a distance contract with a 14-day cancellation right under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

Business customers and commercial sites

For managing agents, landlords and businesses, the terms should include a specification with a schedule of works, a right to vary the specification by agreement, a liability cap with consequential loss excluded, and payment monthly in advance or on invoice with interest and compensation on late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. Health and safety on a shared site, and who reports hazards, should be dealt with as well.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Email me at geoffrey@caesar.co.uk with what you need and any documents, and I will confirm the scope and the fee in writing, usually the same working day. If you would rather pay straight away, buying online forms the engagement on payment: the scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I will be in touch promptly to get started.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

Can I charge for a visit when the customer cancels the day before?

The terms can provide for a cancellation charge where the customer cancels at short notice, but against a consumer it must be a genuine estimate of what you lose, not a penalty. A charge for a visit cancelled after you have set out is easier to justify than one cancelled a week ahead.

What if the customer wants me to stop halfway through the year?

That is what the notice period is for. The terms should say how much notice is required and whether any pre-paid amount is refunded, and against consumers the notice period should be reasonable and the same for both sides.

Do I have to guarantee that plants I put in will survive?

You do not have to, and the terms should say that plants are supplied in good condition and that establishment depends on weather and aftercare. If you want to offer a limited replacement guarantee as a selling point, it should be defined in time and scope.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495, if a main contractor or business customer has sent you their terms to sign
• Terms and conditions for a landscaping business, for one-off design and build work
• Terms and conditions for a tree surgeon, if you also do tree work

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.