Creating a Landscaping company

[leggomygreggo]

So a friend and I are thinking about starting a landscaping company considering we've been mowing lawns and such for pretty much our entire lives. We are pretty well known in our community so I'm not really worried about getting customers. What I am worried about is the winter season. I'm sure we could make plenty of money during the spring, summer, and fall but not so confident about the winter.

Can anyone help me to decide if it is still worth starting a landscaping business and if it is how would we survive the winter months?

[DerekS]

My landscape contractors always stayed busy during the winter with plow business, tree/arborist work, and drainage projects (usually out of necessity as digging the hard ground isn't easy.)

If you budget appropriately, you should do fine during the winter months. Good luck.

[snowswap]

I agree with Derek. If you live somewhere that gets a lot of snow, plowing will always be needed.

[leggomygreggo]

But that's just it, I usually do not get alot of snow. I'm in Northern Virginia and the snow here is kinda hit or miss.

Also does anyone know about contractors licensing in VA? I went to the websites about it but they are very hard to understand.

[DerekS]

My landscape contractor was DC based and did work in NoVA, DC, and MD. We get enough snow to warrant business throughout the year, especially if you get contracts with big apt complexes/commercial buildings.

A snowfall of 2-4" cost me roughly $1000-1500 a pop, depending on how much handwork was required. We couldn't afford the liability of someone breaking their necks on the ice, so we'd have them out there even if the storm was mild.