What's included
- Weekly Lawn Maintenance Visit — 9 steps
- Spring / Fall Cleanup Procedure — 8 steps
- Daily Equipment Inspection — 7 steps
- Mulch and Bed Maintenance — 7 steps
Weekly Lawn Maintenance Visit
The standard checklist for every residential maintenance visit.
- Arrive on schedule. Check the property notes for any client-specific instructions (skip backyard, dog is loose on Tuesdays, gate code, etc.).Notes: _______________________________________________
- Walk the property before starting. Look for obstacles, new objects, pet waste, sprinkler heads, or anything the mower could hit or damage.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Mow the lawn at the height set for this property and season. Alternate mowing direction from the previous visit to prevent ruts and grain.Notes: _______________________________________________
- String trim all edges — along sidewalks, driveways, fence lines, beds, and around trees, mailboxes, and posts. Clean lines make the difference.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Edge hard surfaces (sidewalks, driveways) with a blade edger. Maintain the existing edge line — don't widen it.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Blow all clippings off sidewalks, driveways, patios, and beds. Blow toward the lawn, not into the street or onto the neighbor's property.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Quick visual check of beds and shrubs — pull any obvious weeds that take less than a minute. Note anything that needs attention for the next service visit.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Final walkthrough from the street. Look at the property the way the homeowner will see it when they pull into the driveway. Fix anything that stands out.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Take a photo if the property is a new client (first 4 visits) or if you noticed and fixed anything unusual. Send to the office.Notes: _______________________________________________
Spring / Fall Cleanup Procedure
Seasonal cleanup workflow for residential properties.
- Arrive with full cleanup equipment: backpack blowers, rakes, tarp, debris bags, bed edger, and pruners.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Blow out all beds, under shrubs, along fence lines, and off hard surfaces. Work from the back of the property toward the front, pushing debris to collection points.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Rake and collect all leaf and debris piles. Tarp large volumes to the truck or trailer. Bag what won't fit.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Cut back dead perennials and ornamental grasses (spring). Remove any frost-damaged or dead branches from shrubs.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Re-edge all bed lines with a blade edger. Clean, defined edges are the single biggest visual impact of a cleanup.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Apply pre-emergent to beds if included in the service (spring). Spread fresh mulch if scheduled — 2 to 3 inches, pulled back 2 inches from tree trunks and plant stems.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Final blow of all hard surfaces. Walk the entire property from the curb — nothing should be left behind.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Note any irrigation heads that need adjustment, dead plants that should be replaced, or areas where turf is thin and needs overseeding. Report to the office for client follow-up.Notes: _______________________________________________
Daily Equipment Inspection
Pre-route equipment check every crew lead performs before leaving the shop.
- Check mower blades — sharp blades cut clean, dull blades tear grass and leave brown tips. Swap or sharpen if needed. Note hours on each mower.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Check mower oil level and air filter. Top off fuel. Look under the deck for built-up clippings and scrape clean if needed.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Inspect trimmer line — reload if low. Check that the guard is in place. Verify the trimmer starts on the first or second pull.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Test backpack blowers. Confirm full power and no unusual sounds. Check air filter.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Inspect edger blade — replace if worn past the indicator mark. Verify belt tension.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Check trailer tires, lights, and hitch pin. Confirm all equipment is strapped down securely.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Verify the truck has the route sheet, gate codes, and any special instructions for today's properties.Notes: _______________________________________________
Mulch and Bed Maintenance
Standard procedure for mulch installation and bed maintenance visits.
- Calculate mulch needed before delivery: measure bed square footage, divide by 108 for cubic yards at 3 inches deep. Order 10% extra for irregularly shaped beds.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Prep all beds before mulch arrives: pull weeds, remove old mulch that's decomposed to soil, re-edge all bed lines.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Apply pre-emergent weed barrier if included in the service. Follow label rates exactly — too much can damage desirable plants.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Wheelbarrow mulch to each bed. Dump in small piles and spread with a rake. Work from the back of the bed toward the front to avoid stepping in finished areas.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Maintain 2 to 3 inches of depth throughout. Pull mulch 2 inches away from tree trunks and plant stems — mulch volcanoes damage bark and invite rot.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Blow all stray mulch off sidewalks, driveways, and lawn areas. Clean edges make the job look professional.Notes: _______________________________________________
- Final walkthrough: check depth consistency, clean edges, no mulch on hard surfaces, no mulch touching trunks.Notes: _______________________________________________
Want your crew to run these on their phone?
Import these checklists into WithoutMe. Your crew checks off each step at the job site. You see who finished what.
Start with Landscaping procedures — free No signup required.Common questions
What checklists does a landscaping business need?
Every landscaping business needs at minimum: weekly lawn maintenance visit, spring / fall cleanup procedure, daily equipment inspection, and mulch and bed maintenance. Start with the one your crew asks about most often or the one that leads to the most complaints and callbacks.
How do I get my landscaping crew to actually use a checklist?
Print it and hand it to them. A checklist in a binder nobody opens is worthless. Keep it short, make the steps specific to how your company does the job, and check that it's being followed for the first two weeks. If you want them to use it digitally, share a link they can pull up on their phone at the job site.
How many steps should a landscaping checklist have?
Keep it under 15 steps. A checklist with 30 steps won't get used because it takes too long to follow on a live job. Focus on the steps that matter most: the ones your crew skips, forgets, or does inconsistently. You can always add detail later.