Summary
A landscaper builds and cares for outdoor spaces. Work can include planting, mulching, pruning, installing patios and walls, irrigation and seasonal cleanups, usually as part of a crew.
Describe whether your work is maintenance, installation or both. Candidates choose jobs by the kind of work they will do most days.
Duties and responsibilities
- Plant trees, shrubs and flowers, and prepare beds with soil and mulch.
- Prune, trim, weed and clean up plant beds and grounds.
- Install hardscape such as pavers, stone, edging and retaining walls, if your work includes it.
- Operate hand tools and equipment safely, and keep them clean and in good condition.
- Load, unload and secure equipment and materials on trucks and trailers.
- Follow the crew lead’s instructions and the design or work order.
- Leave each property clean and tell the lead about any problems.
Skills and qualities
- Physically strong and comfortable working outdoors all day.
- Careful with plants, property and customers’ belongings.
- Able to follow a plan or design.
- Works well on a crew and takes direction.
- Attention to detail on finished edges and lines.
- Dependable on early starts.
Typical requirements
- Ability to lift the weight you name, bend, kneel and work in heat, cold and rain.
- A valid driver’s license if the job includes driving a truck or trailer.
- A state license where required for tasks such as applying certain products or doing irrigation work. Rules differ by state.
- Experience that matches the work you offer, or willingness to train.
Requirements differ by state, city and employer. Check the licensing, age, safety and pay rules that apply to your business before you post. This page is a starting point, not legal advice.
Schedule and conditions
Landscaping is seasonal in many areas. Say whether the job is seasonal or year-round, and what winter work, if any, looks like.
State the usual start time, whether Saturdays are possible and how rain days are handled.
Nice to have
- Experience with hardscape or irrigation installation.
- Knowledge of plants and basic plant care.
- Experience operating small equipment.
- Experience leading a small crew.
Tips for posting this job
- Say whether the work is maintenance, installation or both.
- Name what you provide: tools, equipment, uniform, safety gear.
- Describe the season and the typical crew size.
- Give the service area.
- Explain how new hires move up, for example to crew lead.
Put your real pay, schedule and location in the posting. Candidates skip posts that leave them out.
Sample job post
Copy this, then change the words in brackets to match your business.
Landscaper: [maintenance / installation] crew in [city or service area]
[Company name] is hiring a landscaper to join a [maintenance / installation] crew working on [homes / commercial properties] in [service area]. You will plant, prune, mulch and [build patios and walls / keep grounds neat] alongside a crew of [crew size].
Pay: [pay rate or range]. Schedule: [days and start time], [seasonal from start month to end month / year-round], with [how rain days are handled]. Start: [start date].
- Plant trees, shrubs and flowers, and prepare beds with soil and mulch.
- Prune, trim, weed and clean up plant beds and grounds.
- Install pavers, stone, edging and walls, if the job includes hardscape.
- Operate tools and equipment safely and keep them in good condition.
- Load and secure equipment and materials, and leave each property clean.
- Requirements: [experience, or willing to train], the ability to lift [weight] and work outdoors in all weather, and a valid driver’s license [if driving a truck or trailer].
- We provide: [tools, equipment, uniform, safety gear, training, other benefits].
Interview questions for a landscaper
- What kind of landscaping work have you done most: maintenance, planting or hardscape?
- Walk me through how you prepare a bed and plant a shrub.
- What equipment have you used, such as trimmers, skid steers or plate compactors?
- How do you make sure edges and lines look right when you finish?
- Tell me about a time you worked on a crew that fell behind. What did you do?
- How do you feel about early starts and working in heat, cold and rain?
- Would you like to become a crew lead one day? What would you need to learn?
Ask every candidate the same questions so you can compare answers fairly. HRGP keeps your questions, notes and scores with each applicant.
Questions and answers
What does a landscaper do?
A landscaper builds and cares for outdoor spaces, usually as part of a crew. The work includes planting, mulching, pruning, weeding and seasonal cleanups, and on installation crews it can include patios, walls, edging and irrigation. Landscapers also load and run equipment safely and leave each property clean.
Does a landscaper need a license or training?
Most landscaping crew jobs do not need a license, and many employers train new hires. Some tasks, such as applying certain products or installing irrigation, may need a state or local license, and some places license landscape contractors. Rules differ by state, so check locally.
What are the main landscaping duties in a position description?
A landscaping position description usually lists planting, pruning, mulching, weeding, cleanups, safe equipment use and loading trucks and trailers, plus hardscape or irrigation work if you offer it. Add the season, crew size, start time, service area and what you provide so candidates know what the job is really like.
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