Landscaper job description template: maintenance, installation or chemical work, pesticide licensing, equipment and minors
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"Landscaper wanted, hard worker, must be able to work outside" describes three different crews. A maintenance crew mows, trims and blows a route of properties every week. An installation crew builds beds, lays sod, sets pavers and installs irrigation. A lawn care or plant health technician drives alone and applies fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide, which most states license. Each needs different skills, equipment experience and credentials, and the age rules for mowers, trimmers and trucks shape who you can hire for the summer. A useful landscaper job description names the crew type, the equipment, the driving, any chemical work and the season. Below are the crew types, the pesticide, equipment and age lines with sources, a copy-ready template, screening and scorecard rows, and common mistakes. For the call, use landscaper screening questions.
Not legal advice. The pesticide, child labor and licensing points below were checked against the eCFR (40 CFR Part 171), the Florida Statutes, 29 CFR Part 570 on Cornell's Legal Information Institute, the Department of Labor, the California Contractors State License Board and BLS as of October 2026. Pesticide rules are run by state lead agencies and differ widely.
Name the crew type
| Crew type | What the week looks like | Must-have that separates it |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance crew member | Weekly route of commercial or residential properties: mowing, string trimming, edging, blowing, pruning shrubs | Has run commercial zero-turn or walk-behind mowers and trimmers safely |
| Installation or enhancement crew | Planting, sod, mulch, grading, pavers and retaining walls, small equipment such as skid steers | Install experience; operates the named equipment |
| Irrigation technician | Installing and repairing sprinkler systems, controllers, valve and wiring diagnosis | Can trace a zone fault and repair valves and wiring |
| Lawn care or plant health technician | Solo route applying fertilizer and pest control products, customer notes, record-keeping | Holds or can obtain the state applicator license for the category |
| Crew leader | Drives the truck and trailer, runs a crew of [N], plans the day's route, talks to property managers | Valid license, clean record, has led a crew |
Settle the season and hours with the branch manager too: start date, typical weekly hours in peak season, what happens in winter (snow removal, reduced hours or layoff), and the start time at the yard. BLS notes that grounds maintenance workers typically need a month or less of on-the-job training, while pesticide workers may need up to a year of additional training (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, last modified September 14, 2026).
Pesticide applicator licensing, with examples
BLS notes that most states require licensing for workers who apply pesticides. Three layers matter for the posting:
- Federal restricted use pesticides. Under 40 CFR Part 171, it is unlawful to use a restricted use pesticide other than in line with the certification rules; certified applicators hold a certification issued under an approved state, tribal or federal plan, and "ornamental and turf pest control" is a federal commercial category (40 CFR Part 171). A commercial applicator must be at least 18 years old (40 CFR 171.103).
- State licensing for general use products. Many states also license people who apply general use products for hire. Florida's limited certification for commercial landscape maintenance personnel lets the holder apply herbicides to control weeds in plant beds, driveways, sidewalks and patios, using products without a signal word or labeled "caution," with handheld or backpack equipment only. It requires an exam, proof of the employer's insurance, renewal every year with 4 classroom hours of continuing education, and does not cover applying pesticides to turf (Florida Statutes § 482.156).
- Company licensing. Business licenses are separate. California, for example, licenses C-27 landscaping contractors.
In the posting, name the license and category by the state's own title, and say whether you will sponsor and pay for the exam: "State pest control applicator license in [category], or able to obtain within [N] days at our cost." For crew members who never apply chemicals, leave the license out and say so.
Equipment, driving and minors
Equipment. List the equipment by type (zero-turn mowers, string trimmers, hedge trimmers, blowers, skid steer, trencher) and say that you train on it. BLS notes that tree trimmers and pruners have one of the highest injury and illness rates of all occupations, so tree work deserves its own posting.
Minors aged 14 and 15. They may do cleanup work and "maintenance of grounds," but not with power-driven mowers, cutters, trimmers, edgers or similar equipment (29 CFR 570.34), may not operate any power-driven machinery other than office equipment or drive, and may not work from ladders (29 CFR 570.33). Hours are limited to 3 on a school day and 18 in a school week, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day).
Minors aged 16 and 17. Hazardous Occupations Order 2 bars driving on public roads and riding as an outside helper, with a narrow exception for some 17-year-olds; HO 14 covers power-driven saws, shears and cutting tools; and HO 17 covers most trenching, such as deep irrigation or drainage trenches (DOL Fact Sheet #43). See hiring minors and work permits before posting summer jobs.
The landscaper job description template
Landscaper — [Maintenance Crew / Installation Crew / Irrigation
Technician / Lawn Care Technician / Crew Leader], [Seasonal /
Year-Round]
[Company], [yard location, city, state], serving [area]
Pay: $[min]–$[max] per hour. [Overtime in peak season.] [Benefits
summary, if required.] Season runs [month] to [month]; [winter
work: snow removal / reduced hours].
SUMMARY
You will [maintain a weekly route of about [N] properties (an
estimate) / install landscapes and hardscapes / apply lawn care
treatments on a solo route] as part of a crew of [N]. Crews meet at
the yard at [time] and usually finish by [time], [days].
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Operate [zero-turn mowers, trimmers, edgers, blowers / skid steer
/ irrigation tools] after our training.
- [Plant, mulch, lay sod and set pavers to plan.]
- [Apply fertilizer and pest control products according to the
label and keep application records.]
- Load and secure equipment on trailers and keep it maintained.
- Leave each property clean and report damage or issues.
YOU MUST HAVE
- [Age line: "18 or older" if the job involves driving, power
equipment or pesticide application.]
- [Valid driver's license and a record that meets our insurer's
standard, for crew leaders.]
- [State applicator license in [category], or able to obtain
within [N] days at our cost, for lawn care technicians.]
- Ability to work outdoors in heat and cold, lift up to [N] pounds
and walk most of the day, with or without reasonable
accommodation.
NICE TO HAVE
- Experience with [named equipment, plant identification,
irrigation controllers].
- [Language] for crews or customers who speak it.
No experience? We train maintenance crew members.
[EEO STATEMENT]
To request an adjustment to apply or interview, contact [contact].Pay and EEO
Post the hourly range, overtime expectations in peak season and what happens in winter. The BLS grounds maintenance workers profile linked above (last modified September 14, 2026) publishes pay data; this page does not quote figures. Check pay transparency laws by state and close with a short EEO statement covering the characteristics the EEOC lists. A driving record check is usually a consumer report; follow the FCRA background check process.
From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
| Must-have | Screening question | Scorecard competency | Evidence of a strong answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment experience | "Which mowers and trimmers have you run, and what do you check before starting a zero-turn?" | Equipment handling | Names models or types; checks fuel, oil, tire pressure, blades, guards and the area for debris |
| Slope and property safety | "You reach a steep bank on a commercial property. How do you decide how to cut it?" | Safety judgment | Assesses the slope, uses a walk-behind or string trimmer where the mower is unsafe, follows the company rule |
| Label and records (lawn care) | "Wind picks up halfway through a herbicide application. What do you do?" | Regulatory care | Stops if drift is likely, follows the label, records conditions and what was applied |
| Crew leadership | "Your crew is two properties behind at 2 p.m. How do you replan the afternoon?" | Planning | Calls the manager, reorders the route, splits tasks, keeps quality standards |
| Season and start time | "We start at the yard at 6:30 a.m., Monday to Friday, March through November. Does that work?" | Not scored | Knockout confirmed |
The interview guide for skilled trades covers short practical checks, such as starting and loading equipment. If the role is year-round grounds work on a campus or property, compare it with the maintenance technician job description template.
Common mistakes in landscaper job descriptions
One posting for every crew
A mowing crew member and a lawn care technician need different credentials. Post them separately.
"Licensed" without the category
Pesticide licenses come in categories. Name the one your work needs and offer to sponsor it.
Hiring teens for mowing
Federal rules keep 14- and 15-year-olds off power mowers and trimmers. Write teen postings around the work they can do.
Hiding the season
Say when the work starts and ends and what happens in winter. Candidates plan around it.
Before you publish
- Crew type, season and start time are in the title and summary.
- Any pesticide license line names the state category and who pays.
- Age lines match the equipment and driving the job involves.
- Pay, overtime, EEO statement and accommodation contact are present.
Questions people ask
Does a landscaper need a pesticide license?
It depends on what they apply and where. BLS notes that most states require licensing for workers who apply pesticides. Federal rules require certification to use restricted use pesticides, and a commercial applicator must be at least 18. States add their own categories; Florida, for example, has a limited certification that lets commercial landscape maintenance workers apply certain herbicides in plant beds with handheld or backpack equipment.
Can a 14- or 15-year-old work on a landscaping crew?
Federal rules allow 14- and 15-year-olds to do maintenance of grounds, but not with power-driven mowers, cutters, trimmers, edgers or similar equipment, and not driving. Their hours are limited to 3 on a school day and 18 in a school week, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., or 9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day. States can be stricter.
Can a 16- or 17-year-old drive a landscaping truck?
Federal Hazardous Occupations Order 2 bars workers under 18 from driving motor vehicles on public roads and from working as outside helpers on vehicles, with a narrow exception for 17-year-olds who meet strict conditions for driving cars or small trucks in daylight. Most landscaping postings that require driving set 18 or older and a valid license.
Should a landscaper posting require a contractor license?
Usually not for crew members. Licensing tends to apply to the business; California, for example, licenses landscaping contractors under the C-27 classification. Ask employees only for the credentials their own work needs, such as a pesticide certification or a driver's license.