HOA Landscaping Contracts: What Your Board Should Include

HOA boards are made up of volunteers, and they turn over. The person who negotiated the landscaping contract three years ago may not be on the board today. When residents complain that the entrance looks tired or the leaves sat on the common lawn for a month, the board needs to know one thing: what does our contract actually say?

A clear HOA landscaping contract answers that question in writing. This guide covers what it should include, section by section, with a checklist your board can use at its next meeting.

1. Why the Contract Matters More Than the Bid

The bid is how you choose a company. The contract is how you hold them to it. A low price attached to a vague contract can cost the HOA more by the end of the year, because anything not written down becomes an extra charge or an argument.

If you are still collecting bids, start with our guide on how to compare commercial landscaping bids, then use this guide to check the contract before the board signs.

2. Define the Common Areas

The scope should leave no doubt about where the crew works. The clearest contracts list every common area by name or attach a simple map.

• Entrances, monument signs and the plantings around them
• Common lawns, green strips, parks and open space
• Planting beds and shrubs along shared walkways, fences and boundaries
• Walkways, paths and any common parking areas
• Areas that are not included, such as individual yards, ponds or natural areas

Listing what is excluded matters as much as listing what is included. It stops the “I thought that was covered” conversation before it starts.

3. Set the Schedule by Season

Eugene’s grass grows fast in spring, slows when it is dry, and nearly stops in winter. A good contract states visit frequency for each season, not one number for the year, and describes what happens on every visit.

• Spring: weekly mowing during peak growth, spring bed cleanup and edging.
• Summer: mowing as growth slows, with more time on trimming, shrub shaping and weeding.
• Fall: leaf removal from common lawns, beds and walkways.
• Winter: dormant-season pruning, storm debris cleanup and keeping walkways clear.
• Every visit: mowing where needed, edging along walks and curbs, string trimming, blowing clippings off hard surfaces and litter pickup in common areas.

4. Seasonal and Extra Work

Most disputes between HOAs and landscapers come from work that sits between “regular maintenance” and “extra.” The contract should name each of these and say whether it is included or priced separately.

Fall leaf cleanup

In Eugene this is a major job, not a side task. State whether it is part of the monthly price, how often it happens in October and November, and which areas it covers.

Bark and mulch

Usually refreshed in spring and priced separately. The contract or an attached price sheet should show the cost per yard or per bed, so the board can approve it with a clear number.

Pruning

Routine shaping is usually part of bed care. Heavier pruning, hedge reductions and work on trees should be described separately. Tree removal is specialized work and is often handled by a separate licensed company.

Storm and debris cleanup

Say how wind and storm debris are handled and whether an extra visit is billed.

5. Who Approves Extra Work

This is the clause most HOA contracts leave out, and it causes real friction. Without it, a crew member can agree to extra work with any resident who asks, and the board sees it for the first time on the invoice.

• Name who can approve extra work, usually the board president or community manager.
• Set a dollar limit. Anything above it needs approval from the full board.
• Require extra work to be quoted in writing before it starts.
• State that requests from individual residents go through the board or manager, not straight to the crew.

6. Communication and Reporting

The board should never have to wonder who to call or whether a problem was noticed.

• One named point of contact for the HOA
• How the board or manager submits requests and how quickly they are answered
• How the crew reports damage, trip hazards, drainage problems or irrigation issues it notices
• How the board is told about schedule changes, such as weather delays

7. Insurance and Licensing

Ask for a certificate of insurance before work starts, and keep it with the contract. Many associations also ask to be named on the certificate; check what your HOA’s governing documents or insurer require.

In Oregon, routine landscape maintenance such as mowing, pruning, weeding and bark refresh is not licensed by the state. Landscape installation work, such as planting trees or installing new irrigation, requires a license from the Oregon Landscape Contractors Board or Construction Contractors Board, and applying pesticides requires a license from the Oregon Department of Agriculture. If your contract includes any of that work, confirm the company holds the right license.

8. Term, Renewal and Termination

Many HOA landscaping contracts run for a year, which covers a full growing season and leaf season. Whatever the length, the board should know:

• The start date and how long the contract runs
• Whether it renews automatically, and how prices can change at renewal
• How much notice either side needs to cancel
• Whether there is a fee for ending the contract early, and how it is calculated

None of these terms are red flags on their own. A longer term often lets a company plan the full season around your property. What matters is that the board understands them before signing.

How PP&M Solutions Handles HOA Contracts

We start with a free site walk of your common areas with a board member or your community manager. Afterward, the board receives a written scope with clearly defined services, visit frequency and pricing, with items like bark or mulch quoted separately. You get one point of contact, and our crews pass along anything they notice in the common areas, so the board hears about problems before residents do.

See the property types we serve, or our commercial landscaping services in Eugene.