Get Quotes from Top Landscapers in San Francisco, CA

Are You Licensed to Practice as a Landscaper in San Francisco?

Landscapers in San Francisco are licensed and regulated at the state level by the Contractors State Licensing Board (CSLB) of the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA). This board mandates all landscapers to obtain a C-27 - Landscaping Contractor License before bidding for or performing any work on projects with a total value of $500 or more. Note that this value includes the cost of labor, materials, and other necessary items required to execute the project. Noncompliance with this licensing mandate can lead to misdemeanor charges, which carry penalties of up to six months of jail time, $5,000 in fines, or a combination of fines and jail time. Violators can also receive separate administrative fines of up to $15,000 and face even steeper penalties for subsequent violations.

To obtain a landscape contractor license from the CSLB, the following conditions have to be met:

• The applicant must be no less than 18 years old
• The applicant must have attained at least four years of journeyman-level landscaping-related work experience and provide acceptable documentation to verify this experience. Note that this work experience must have been acquired within 10 years from the date the license request is made.
• The applicant must correctly complete and submit an Application for Original Contractor License Form, pay a non-refundable fee, and provide any additional information that the CSLB may request.
• The applicant must pass a CSLB-administered licensing examination.

Applicants who successfully meet these conditions will be issued the requested landscaper license. Note that this license has to be renewed every two years. Also, licensees are generally required to meet certain bonding and insurance requirements during the validity period of their licenses. Queries concerning the CSLB's license application, maintenance, and renewal requirements can be directed to (800) 321-2752. You can also verify that your intended landscaper has a valid CSLB-issued license by calling this number or accessing the board's Check a License portal online.

How Much Do You Charge Compared to Other Landscapers in San Francisco?

When searching for landscape contractors in San Francisco, you should always find out how much these professionals will charge. This category of professionals is estimated to earn about $21 per hour in the city; however, several factors will influence your project's specific cost. These include the nature of the project, its scope, and its labor intensity. Depending on the contractor and the type of landscaping required, you may also be charged square footage or fixed rates for some services instead of hourly rates.

Therefore, it is a good idea to get and compare bids and quotes from multiple landscapers in the city to get a working average for your project's cost. This is also an excellent way to spot contractors that fraudulently hike the prices of their services.

A landscaper in San Francisco earns an average wage of $45,160 annually. The table below provides a cost comparison of the average hourly wages of landscaping and groundskeeping workers in San Francisco against those of this category of individuals across the rest of California and other major American cities:

Do You Comply with the San Francisco Landscape Ordinance?

Ensuring that your landscape contractor is familiar with the provisions and requirements of the San Francisco Green Landscaping Ordinance is necessary for achieving a satisfactory outcome at the end of the day. This ordinance regulates landscaping that relates to permeable surfaces, greening of front setback areas, street trees, parking lots, vehicular use areas, and climate-appropriate plants with the aim of achieving environmental and aesthetic goals. These goals include:

• Providing healthier and more plentiful plantings in the city through screening, street tree, and parking lot controls
• Encouraging responsible water use by increasing climate-appropriate plantings across the city
• Increasing permeability in the city through front yard and parking lot controls

The provisions of the San Francisco Green Landscaping Ordinance apply to new construction projects as well as projects that involve the alteration or modification of existing sites, buildings, and structures. Failure to comply with the requirements of this ordinance typically results in administrative fines, citations, and other city-imposed sanctions. You can get additional information on the San Francisco Green Landscaping Ordinance as well as the specific requirements of this ordinance for your project by contacting the city's Planning Department at (628) 652-7300 or via email.

Will You Get the Landscaping Permit Required as per the San Francisco Code?

The San Francisco Department of Public Works issues individual permits for certain landscaping projects. These include sidewalk landscaping permits, which are required for projects that involve replacing concrete sidewalks with landscaping, and tree planting and removal permits, which are required for planting and removing street trees. Note that tree planting permits are typically issued at no cost. Applications for any of these permits can be completed online or by filling out any of the following pdf application forms:

• Application for Permeable Sidewalk Landscaping Permit
• Application for Tree Planting Permit
• Application for Tree Removal Permit

The duly completed pdf application forms can be submitted to:

Applicants may be required to submit additional documents, such as site plans and proof of the tree damage for projects involving tree removals. Inquiries concerning these additional documents (as well as further information on the landscaping permit issuance process) can be directed to the San Francisco Department of Public Works through its Bureau of Urban Forestry at (628) 652-8733 or via email.

It should also be noted that when an individual landscaping permit is not required for a development project, the project may still need to undergo environmental, design, and discretionary reviews to ensure that all applicable landscaping regulations are adhered to. These reviews are typically done before building permits are issued for the project in question. Queries concerning development project-related reviews can be directed to the San Francisco Planning Counter at (628) 652-7300 or the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection at:

What Kind of Landscaping Services Do You Offer?

Confirming the specific types of services that a landscaper provides is a crucial step in determining their suitability for your intended project. Landscaping involves different areas of service, such as mulching, lawn edging, weed control, aeration and fertilization, corrective pruning, strategic plant installation, and shrub and bush care. Although many professional landscapers in San Francisco typically offer several of these services, some may decide to stick to a particular niche and may not be equipped to deliver your required service properly.

After finding out the contractor's area of specialization, you should consider asking them to provide pictures of past jobs. Professional landscapers will readily provide this information and may take a step further by giving you a list of references that can vouch for the quality of their work. Consider it a red flag if a landscape is hesitant to provide pictures of their past work or verifiable local references.

Listed below are average cost estimates for some of the commonly requested landscaping services in San Francisco:

What are the Best Types of Grass for Lawns in San Francisco?

The San Francisco area has a Mediterranean climate characterized by temperate, wet winters and warm, dry summers. The city also experiences summer droughts that can last as long as seven months, with most rainfall occurring between November and April. However, it also receives significant moisture and cooling from coastal fogs during the summer. The best types of lawn grasses for San Francisco's complex climate conditions are grasses that can survive in drought-prone areas, such as:

• Fescue grass
• Ryegrass
• Kentucky bluegrass
• Bermuda grass

Note that each of these grasses has different qualities and attributes. As such, you should always consult a professional landscaper to help you determine the best type of grass that suits the unique conditions of your lawn. In some situations, this may mean blending two or more types of grasses to get optimal results. You can find qualified landscape contractors in San Francisco by utilizing online search directories provided by reputable bodies like the California Contractors State License Board, the California Landscape Contractors Association, and the Better Business Bureau.

Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Landscapers in San Francisco?

Landscapers face a long list of potential on-the-job hazards and injuries, including, but not limited to, chemical exposure, cuts, lacerations, amputations, slips, trips, and falls. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 110 fatalities and 10,170 nonfatal injuries occurred in the landscaping and groundskeeping industry in 2020.

Given this, it is crucial to make sure that any landscaper you hire has a liability insurance plan that can cover the costs of any detrimental on-the-job occurrences. These include accidents and property damage. Note that landscape contractors in San Francisco are not legally required to carry general liability insurance. However, all licensed contractors in the area must post and maintain a surety bond of $15,000 during the validity period of their licenses. These contractors must also maintain valid workers' compensation insurance for any individuals they employ.

You can verify that your landscaper is duly insured and bonded by requesting copies of their insurance and bonding certificates and validating these documents with the relevant organizations.