Professional Property & Maintenance Solutions
Switching Landscaping Companies Without a Gap in Service
Unhappy with your current landscaper but worried about a gap, a contract penalty or a messy handoff? Here is how to switch commercial landscaping companies in Eugene cleanly, step by step.
Most property managers stay with a landscaping company longer than they should. Not because the service is good, but because switching feels risky: what if the grass goes a month without mowing, the old company bills a penalty, or the new one does not know where anything is?
Those risks are real, and all of them can be planned around. This guide walks through how to change landscaping vendors at a commercial property or HOA without a gap in service.
1. Signs It Is Time to Switch
- Visits are missed or late, and you only find out when a tenant or resident complains.
- The same problems come back, like leaves left on walkways or beds full of weeds, no matter how many times you ask.
- Nobody can tell you who your point of contact is, or calls go unanswered.
- Invoices include extras you did not approve.
- The work has quietly shrunk: fewer visits, less detail, parts of the property skipped.
- You have no written scope, so there is nothing to hold the company to.
One bad week happens to everyone. A pattern of these is a reason to start looking.
2. Read Your Current Contract First
Before you call anyone, find your current landscaping contract and note:
- The end date, and whether the contract renews automatically.
- The notice period to cancel, and whether notice must be in writing.
- Any early termination fee, and how it is calculated.
- Cancellation for poor performance: some contracts let you cancel if the company fails to fix problems after written notice.
- Anything prepaid, such as seasonal work paid in advance.
Auto-renewal is the trap most managers miss. If the notice deadline passes, the contract may roll over for another full term.
3. The Best Time to Switch in Eugene
You can switch any time of year, but some months are easier than others.
- Late winter (January and February): the easiest switch. Growth is slow, and the new company can plan the whole season, including spring cleanup and any bark or mulch refresh.
- After leaf season (December): also clean. The heaviest fall work is done, and the new company starts with a fresh slate.
- Mid-spring: the hardest time. Grass grows fastest, and a missed week shows quickly, so plan the handoff carefully.
- Mid-fall: possible, but make sure leaf cleanup is clearly assigned to one company or the other.
If the current service is failing, do not wait months for the ideal window. A planned switch in a busy season is better than another season of complaints.
4. Line Up the New Company Before You Give Notice
The gap in service happens when a manager cancels first and starts looking second. Do it the other way around.
- Collect bids and walk the property with each company.
- Compare written scopes line by line. Our guide to comparing commercial landscaping bids has a free comparison sheet.
- Choose the company and agree on a start date that matches the old company’s last visit.
- Only then give notice to the current company.
For an HOA, the board will usually need to approve the new contract first. Our HOA landscaping contract guide covers what that contract should include.
5. Give Notice the Right Way
- Send notice in writing, by email or letter, following the method the contract requires.
- State the date service should end.
- Ask the company to confirm their last service date in writing.
- Keep a copy with your contract records.
- Keep it professional. You may need their cooperation on keys, codes or a final invoice.
6. What to Hand the New Company
A new landscaping company can only maintain what it knows about. Before the first visit, give them:
- A map or list of every area to maintain, and any areas that are excluded
- Gate codes, keys and any access instructions
- Where the irrigation controller is and how it is currently set, if irrigation is in their scope or they need to work around it
- Problem spots: drainage, heavy leaf drop, areas tenants or residents complain about
- Site rules, such as quiet hours, parking, where trucks can stop and where debris can go
- Who to contact on site, and who approves extra work
7. The First 30 Days
The first month sets the tone for the relationship.
- Expect a catch-up visit if the property has fallen behind. Overgrown beds or leftover leaves are often handled in a one-time cleanup, quoted separately and up front.
- Walk the property after the first visit. Point out anything that does not match what you expected while it is fresh.
- Set the communication rhythm: how requests are sent and how problems are reported back to you.
- Tell your people. Let tenants, residents or the board know who the new company is and how to raise an issue.
8. Free Landscaping Switching Timeline
Print this timeline and work through it, starting two to three months before your current contract ends.
| When | What to do | Done |
|---|---|---|
| 60 to 90 days before the contract ends | Read the current contract. Note the end date, notice period, auto-renewal and any early termination fee. Start collecting bids. | |
| 30 to 60 days before | Walk the property with new bidders, compare written scopes and choose a company. Agree on a start date. | |
| By the notice deadline | Send written notice to the current company. Ask them to confirm their last service date in writing. | |
| Two weeks before the switch | Give the new company the handoff details: map of areas, gate codes, keys, irrigation controller location, problem spots and site rules. | |
| The week of the switch | Confirm the current company's last visit and the new company's first visit so there is no gap. Tell residents, tenants or the board. | |
| First visit | Walk the property with the new company afterward. Note anything that needs catch-up work or a change to the scope. | |
| 30 days in | Review how it is going: visits on schedule, problems reported, requests answered. |
Landscaping switching timeline from PP&M Solutions · ppmsolutions.net · (971) 429-6150
Switching to PP&M Solutions
We start with a free site walk and send a written scope with clearly defined services, visit frequency and pricing. We can plan the start date around your current contract, so the handoff meets without a gap. If the property has fallen behind, any catch-up work is quoted up front, before it starts. You get one point of contact from the first call, and our crews pass along anything they notice on the property.
See the property types we serve, or our commercial landscaping services in Eugene.
Common Questions
Can I switch landscaping companies in the middle of a contract?
Often, yes. Check your current contract for the notice period and whether there is a fee for ending early. Some contracts allow cancellation for poor performance after written notice. Line up the new company first, then give notice so the last visit and the first visit meet.
How much notice do I need to give my current landscaper?
It depends on the contract, commonly 30 days, but some require more. Give notice in writing, keep a copy, and ask the current company to confirm the date of their last visit.
When is the best time to switch landscaping companies in Eugene?
Late winter, before spring growth starts, is the easiest time, because the new company can plan the whole season. Right after fall leaf season also works. If service is failing, do not wait for the perfect month; plan the handoff and switch.
Will the new company need to do a cleanup first?
If the property has fallen behind, usually yes. Overgrown beds, leaves left from last season or shrubs that have lost their shape are often handled in a one-time catch-up cleanup before regular visits start. Ask for it to be quoted separately, up front.
Build Your Maintenance Program
Tell us about your property and we'll set up a time to walk it with you. You'll get a written scope with clearly defined services, visit frequency and pricing.