Landscape Contractor (Commercial)
License required by 47 states
62nd most burdensome licensing requirements.
20th most widely and onerously licensed occupation.
Landscape contractors contract with clients to landscape or maintain grounds of property using hand or power tools or equipment. Work may involve any of the following: sod laying, mowing, trimming, planting, watering, fertilizing, digging, raking, and installing sprinklers or mortarless segmental concrete masonry wall units.
Typically, only contractors require licenses, not the landscapers who work for them. In some states, licensing requirements differ based on the setting. Those with a residential license may work only on residential properties, while those with a commercial license may work on commercial properties. Other states require the same license regardless of the setting, and this report records that license in both settings. Many states have contract minimums before the contractor’s license applies. See Appendix B for details.
Forty-seven states license landscape contractors working on commercial properties. Eight states require between two and five years of experience working under a licensed contractor, while Alabama and Mississippi require completion of three contracted jobs. Mississippi also requires two years of college. Thirty-seven require no education or experience. On average, states require 228 days of education and experience, $235 in fees, and about one exam—the 62nd most burdensome of the 102 occupations studied.
States With Licenses
| Burden Rank | State | States Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | 47 | $330 | 1825 | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | Nevada | 47 | $1,253 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 3 | California | 47 | $579 | 1460 | 4 years | 3 | 0 | 18 | |
| 4 | Hawaii | 47 | $615 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 5 | Arizona | 47 | $586 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 6 | Mississippi | 47 | $640 | 797 | 2 years | 3 jobs, contractors | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Virginia | 47 | $320 | 731 | 8 clock hours | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 8 | Oregon | 47 | $730 | 730 | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | Utah | 47 | $589 * | 733 * | 20 clock hours * | 2 years * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Alabama | 47 | $721 | 67 | 3 jobs, contractors | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Louisiana | 47 | $674 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 12 | North Carolina | 47 | $75 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 13 | North Dakota | 47 | $175 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 14 | Tennessee | 47 | $505 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 15 | Georgia | 47 | $75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 16 | D C | 47 | $655 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 17 | West Virginia | 47 | $192 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 18 | Alaska | 47 | $300 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 19 | Washington | 47 | $176 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 20 | Minnesota | 47 | $150 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 21 | Idaho | 47 | $130 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 22 | Ohio | 47 | $125 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 22 | South Dakota | 47 | $125 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 24 | Nebraska | 47 | $115 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 25 | Maryland | 47 | $100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 25 | New York | 47 | $100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 25 | Oklahoma | 47 | $100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 28 | Colorado | 47 | $90 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 29 | Kansas | 47 | $85 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 30 | Iowa | 47 | $75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 30 | New Jersey | 47 | $75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 30 | New Mexico | 47 | $75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 30 | Texas | 47 | $75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 34 | Illinois | 47 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 34 | Indiana | 47 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 34 | Missouri | 47 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 37 | Kentucky | 47 | $40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 47 | $40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 39 | Michigan | 47 | $35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 40 | Wisconsin | 47 | $30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 41 | Florida | 47 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 41 | Maine | 47 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 41 | Montana | 47 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 41 | New Hampshire | 47 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 41 | Wyoming | 47 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 46 | Vermont | 47 | $20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 47 | Delaware | 47 | $0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
