How to choose a landscaper or lawn care company in Pennsylvania

Updated November 10, 2026 · KeystoneProGuide editorial team

Where should you start?

With the job, not the company. "Landscaper" covers firms that only mow, firms that run fertilizer and weed programs, garden designers who plant, and crews that build patios and walls. Each kind of work has its own Pennsylvania credential, so the first step is to write down what you want done. Then you know which record to check.

What Pennsylvania requires explains each rule. This guide is about using them to choose.

How do you check a lawn care company?

Penn State Extension's advice for choosing a lawn care company starts with the paperwork. Verify a current Pennsylvania pesticide applicator certification or registered technician card for the person who will treat your lawn, and the company's business license, which requires insurance specific to pesticide work. Ask to see the card and look for category 7, lawn and turf. For shrubs and flowers the category is 06.

Two quick checks need no phone call. The business license number, "BU" followed by 4 or 5 digits, must appear on both sides of any vehicle used for pesticide work. And the Department of Agriculture's business license page links to a public search of licensed businesses by category and county.

If the company only fertilizes, no license is required. But the department says a provider using fertilizer that contains a pesticide, which is what weed and feed and pre-emergent crabgrass products are, must be licensed. Ask which products are in the program.

The Department of Agriculture also suggests three questions for any lawn care provider:

• Does the company test the soil to decide what your lawn needs?
• What other factors does it consider in deciding how to treat the lawn?
• Is it aware of the Pennsylvania Fertilizer Law, and does it comply?

How do you check a hardscape or drainage contractor?

For patios, retaining walls, walkways, drainage systems and lighting, the Attorney General's guidance is that landscapers doing such work must register. Look the company up on the Home Improvement Contractor Search by number or name. The registration number, PA followed by digits, should be on the estimate.

Read the registration for what it is. The Attorney General says it is not an endorsement of a contractor's honesty or quality of work, and advises checking references, getting more than one bid and looking for complaints with the Better Business Bureau. Penn State gives the same advice for lawn companies and adds the local Chamber of Commerce.

What about plants?

A landscaper that buys plants and resells them to you is a nursery dealer in the Department of Agriculture's terms, and certification commits it to deal only in inspected, certified plants. The department's PaPlants search can be filtered by county and by operation type, including "Landscape Contractor".

Do trade certifications mean anything?

They show tested knowledge, not a license. Two are common:

• Landscape Industry Certified Technician. The National Association of Landscape Professionals, a trade association, describes this as a credential earned by passing an exam with a common core, including safety and underground utility color codes, and one specialty: softscape installation, hardscape installation, turf maintenance, ornamental maintenance or irrigation.
• CMHA Certified Installer. The Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association, a trade association, certifies installers of interlocking pavers, segmental retaining walls and permeable pavers, and keeps an online directory of them. Certification requires an exam and renewal.

Neither is a state requirement. If a company names one, ask which specialty, and whether the person holding it will be on your job.

What should a good proposal contain?

The Federal Trade Commission says a written estimate should describe the work, the materials, the completion date and the price, and that the contract should carry the contractor's name, address, phone and license number and any promises made in conversation. For a Pennsylvania home improvement over $500, the Attorney General says the contract must be in writing, signed by both sides, with start and finish dates, the total price and notice of your right to cancel.

For a landscaping job, also look for:

• The plants. Species, size and number. A plan that says only "shrubs" cannot be compared.
• The base and drainage. For a patio or wall, what goes under and behind it.
• The 811 call. Pennsylvania One Call advises asking a hired contractor for its One Call serial number before work begins.
• Clean-up and disposal. Who removes soil, sod and debris.
• Ongoing care. Who waters new plants or sod, and for how long.

Is the cheapest proposal the right one?

Not by default. Penn State says cost should not be the most important factor, and to consult several companies before signing. The FTC says not to choose the lowest bidder automatically, and to ask for an explanation when estimates differ a lot. For price ranges to test a quote against, see the cost guide. Local businesses are listed on the landscapers directory page.

Sources

1. Choosing a Qualified Pest Management or Lawn Care Company, Penn State Extension
2. Pesticide Application Businesses, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
3. Homeowners and Applicators, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
4. Fertilizer FAQs, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
5. Frequently Asked Questions: Home Improvement Contractor Registration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
6. Home Improvement Contractor Search, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
7. Home Improvement Contractor Verification, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
8. Nursery / Dealer Search, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
9. Plant Merchant Certification, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
10. Certified Landscape Technician, National Association of Landscape Professionals
11. Certification Programs, Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association
12. FAQs Homeowners, Pennsylvania One Call System
13. How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam, Federal Trade Commission