Terms and conditions for a gardening and grounds maintenance business

A maintenance business sells time, on a schedule, in the weather. Its disputes are about the visit that did not happen, the visit that happened when the customer was not there, the hedge that was cut too hard and the contract the customer thought they had cancelled. Terms that deal with scheduling, access, waste and notice are what I draft, for a fixed fee of £995 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. 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 stops the argument in February.

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 weeds. 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, and the terms should say whether removal is included or charged. Pesticide use is separately regulated 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 around your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want to know how much of a problem they are. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

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 email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of terms drafted around your business, not a template with your name inserted
• A covering note in plain English explaining every commercial choice I made and why, so you can defend the terms in a negotiation without ringing me
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions set at a level that will survive a procurement review
• Consumer-facing wording drafted to be enforceable where you sell to consumers
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly, which is where most businesses actually fail
• One round of amendments after you have read them

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers
• 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

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.