Landscape Contractor (Residential)
License required by 48 states
66th most burdensome licensing requirements.
19th 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-eight states license landscape contractors working on residential properties. On average, states require 198 days in education and experience and $203 in fees. Thirteen states also require at least one exam (California requires three). These requirements rank as the 66th most burdensome.
States With Licenses
| Burden Rank | State | States Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 48 | $1,253 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 2 | California | 48 | $579 | 1460 | 4 years | 3 | 0 | 18 | |
| 3 | Hawaii | 48 | $615 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 4 | Arizona | 48 | $586 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 5 | Maryland | 48 | $533 | 730 | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 6 | Virginia | 48 | $320 | 731 | 8 clock hours | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 7 | Oregon | 48 | $730 | 730 | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Utah | 48 | $589 * | 733 * | 20 clock hours * | 2 years * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Mississippi | 48 | $0 | 730 | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Louisiana | 48 | $214 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 11 | North Carolina | 48 | $75 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 12 | Alabama | 48 | $325 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 13 | Tennessee | 48 | $505 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 14 | North Dakota | 48 | $175 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 15 | Georgia | 48 | $75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 16 | West Virginia | 48 | $192 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 17 | D C | 48 | $442 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 18 | Alaska | 48 | $300 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 19 | Arkansas | 48 | $200 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 20 | New Jersey | 48 | $185 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 21 | Washington | 48 | $176 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 22 | Minnesota | 48 | $150 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 23 | Idaho | 48 | $130 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 24 | Ohio | 48 | $125 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 24 | South Dakota | 48 | $125 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 26 | Nebraska | 48 | $115 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 27 | New York | 48 | $100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 27 | Oklahoma | 48 | $100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 29 | Colorado | 48 | $90 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 30 | Kansas | 48 | $85 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 31 | Iowa | 48 | $75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 31 | New Mexico | 48 | $75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 31 | Texas | 48 | $75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 34 | Illinois | 48 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 34 | Indiana | 48 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 34 | Missouri | 48 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 37 | Kentucky | 48 | $40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 48 | $40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 39 | Michigan | 48 | $35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 40 | Wisconsin | 48 | $30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 41 | Florida | 48 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 41 | Maine | 48 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 41 | Montana | 48 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 41 | New Hampshire | 48 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 41 | Wyoming | 48 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 46 | Vermont | 48 | $20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 47 | Connecticut | 48 | $0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 47 | Delaware | 48 | $0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
