Landscaper screening questions: mowers, trimmers, installs, heat and crew work
On this page
Landscaper screening questions should find out which equipment the candidate has actually run, whether they work safely around properties, people and heat, what installation or irrigation work they can do without supervision, and whether they can work the early starts, long summer days and seasonal schedule. Ask which mowers they used, how they trim near parked cars, how they plant a shrub, what they do after breaking a sprinkler head, and how they handle a 95-degree afternoon. A strong landscaper names equipment and describes habits. A weak one says they have "done yard work".
This page covers maintenance and installation crew members. For operators of skid-steers, excavators and loaders, use heavy equipment operator screening questions. If the role includes treating lawns or beds with pesticides, the licensing questions in pest control technician screening questions apply too.
Match the crew before you match the candidate
| Work type | What the job involves | What to screen for |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance (residential or commercial) | Mowing, trimming, edging, blowing, bed cleanup, several properties a day | Mower types, pace, care around property |
| Installation | Planting, sod, mulch, grading, drainage, sometimes small equipment | Planting technique, reading a plan, physical stamina |
| Irrigation | Repairs, controller programming, new zones, seasonal start-up and shutdown | Troubleshooting, controllers, state irrigation license where required |
| Hardscape | Pavers, walls, base preparation, plate compactors and saws | Base prep, cutting safety, lifting |
Eligibility and knockout questions
Age limits matter more in landscaping than in most entry-level jobs, because the core tools are restricted. As of October 2026, 29 CFR 570.33 bars 14- and 15-year-olds from operating power-driven machinery including lawn mowers, trimmers, weed-eaters and edgers, and from work requiring ladders. The Department of Labor's child labor fact sheet explains that, for anyone under 18, Hazardous Occupations Order 2 bans most driving on public roads (17-year-olds may drive in strictly limited circumstances), Order 7 bans skid-steers, backhoes and similar hoisting equipment, and Order 14 bans chain saws and wood chippers. States can be stricter.
| Question | What a strong answer sounds like | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| 1. This role includes [mowers, a chain saw, the chipper, driving the crew truck]. Are you at least [the age the duties require]? | A yes or no. Ask only about the minimum. | Assigning a minor to a mower or chipper. |
| 2. (If driving) Do you have a valid driver's license, and have you towed a loaded trailer? | Yes, with what they towed and how they secured equipment. | Has never backed a trailer, for a role that hauls one daily. |
| 3. We start at [6:30 a.m.], work [Saturdays in spring], and the season runs [March to November]. Does that work? | Yes, with how they get to the yard. | Needs a ride that is not confirmed for a 6:30 start. |
| 4. The work is outdoors in heat and rain, with lifting of [mulch bags, sod rolls up to X pounds]. Can you do that, with or without accommodation? | Yes. | None from the answer. Do not ask about health. |
| 5. (Treatment roles) The work includes applying [herbicide or fertilizer with pesticide]. Do you hold the state license or certification for that? | Names the license and expiry, or agrees to train for it. | Has applied products for years with no license where one was required. |
Pesticide rules can surprise crews. In Florida, for example, the Department of Agriculture says lawn maintenance companies cannot apply pesticides to turf, and only people certified under the limited landscape maintenance certification may apply certain products to plant beds and ornamentals with hand-held sprayers.
Equipment questions
| Question | What a strong answer sounds like | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| 6. Which mowers have you run: walk-behind, stand-on or zero-turn? On what kind of properties? | Names types and sizes, and the properties: small residential lots, commercial campuses, slopes. | "All of them," with no detail. |
| 7. What do you check on a mower before the first property? | Fuel and oil, blades, belts, tires, guards and the operator presence control working. | "Start it and go." |
| 8. How do you trim and blow near parked cars, windows and people? | Changes the angle so debris throws away, uses a guard, stops when someone walks by, checks for rocks first. | Has broken windows and calls it part of the job. |
| 9. How do you mow a steep bank? | Follows the machine's slope limits, uses a walk-behind or trimmer where the slope is too steep for a rider, watches for wet grass. | Takes the zero-turn anywhere it will go. |
Installation and irrigation questions
| Question | What a strong answer sounds like | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| 10. Walk me through planting a shrub. | Hole wider than the root ball and not deeper, root flare at grade, loosens circling roots, backfills, waters in, mulches away from the stem. | Buries the plant deep "so it stays put". |
| 11. A zone is not coming on, or one head is spraying the street. How do you find the problem? | Checks the controller, the valve and wiring, the head and nozzle, flags or fixes the broken part. | Has never touched irrigation, for a role that services it. |
| 12. Before digging a new bed or post hole, what do you check? | Confirms the office has a utility locate ticket through 811 and looks for marks, irrigation lines and lighting wires. | Just digs. |
Crew, heat and customer questions
| Question | What a strong answer sounds like | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| 13. You break a sprinkler head or chip a window on a property. What do you do? | Tells the crew lead right away, takes a photo, follows the company's damage report. | Leaves before the customer notices. |
| 14. It is 95 degrees in the afternoon. How do you and your crew handle it? | Drinks water through the day, uses shade breaks, watches crew members for signs of heat illness, tells the lead when someone is struggling. | Works through it without breaks to finish early. |
| 15. A homeowner asks you to do extra work that is not on the ticket. What do you do? | Politely refers them to the crew lead or office. | Agrees and does it for cash. |
| 16. How many properties did your crew finish on a normal day, and what was your part? | A number and a role: "Twelve residential lawns a day; I ran the trimmer and blower." | Cannot say. |
Heat rules depend on the state. California's heat illness prevention standard covers landscaping and requires water, shade at 80 degrees Fahrenheit, high-heat procedures at 95 degrees and close observation of newly assigned employees for their first 14 days. Tell candidates how the company handles heat; it is a common reason new crew members quit in their first week.
A 10-minute phone-screen flow
- Minute 0 to 1: the company, work type, start time, season and pay.
- Minutes 1 to 3: knockouts 1 to 4, and 5 for treatment roles.
- Minutes 3 to 6: questions 6, 7 and 8.
- Minutes 6 to 8: question 10 or 11 for install and irrigation roles, and 13.
- Minutes 8 to 10: question 14, then the next step: a paid working interview with a crew.
A morning with a crew shows equipment handling and pace better than any call. See how to run a job trial day to keep it paid and consistent.
Scoring the screen
Pass or fail: meets the legal age for the equipment and driving; can work the start time and season; can do the work with or without accommodation; holds any required pesticide license for treatment roles.
Scored 0 to 2 each (10 possible):
- Equipment experience matched to the crew.
- Safety habits around people, property and slopes.
- Install or irrigation skill, where needed.
- Honesty about damage.
- Heat awareness and teamwork.
Legal cautions
General information as of October 2026, not legal advice. Child labor, pesticide and heat rules vary by state. Confirm them for the job's location.
Landscaping crews often hire by word of mouth, which can make screens inconsistent. Ask every candidate the same questions. Do not ask about citizenship or where someone is from on the screen; verify work authorization through the standard process after hire. Set any English requirement from what the job needs, ask about physical duties rather than conditions, and leave out age beyond the legal minimum and family questions. The full list is in illegal interview questions.
Questions people ask
Can a 15-year-old work on a landscaping crew?
Only in a limited way under federal law. The rule at 29 CFR 570.33 bars 14- and 15-year-olds from operating power-driven machinery such as lawn mowers, trimmers, weed-eaters and edgers, and from work requiring ladders. Several hazardous occupations orders also bar anyone under 18 from chain saws, wood chippers, skid-steers and most driving on public roads. Check state rules too.
Do landscapers need a license to apply weed killer or fertilizer with pesticide?
Often, yes, and it depends on the state. In Florida, for example, the Department of Agriculture says lawn maintenance companies cannot apply pesticides to turf, and only people certified under the limited landscape maintenance certification may apply certain pesticides to plant beds and ornamentals with hand-held sprayers. Check the state's pesticide regulator before assigning that work.
What heat rules apply to landscaping crews?
It depends on the state. California's heat illness prevention standard, for example, covers landscaping and requires water, shade when the temperature reaches 80 degrees Fahrenheit, high-heat procedures at 95 degrees and close observation of newly assigned employees for their first 14 days. Other states have their own rules or none specific to heat.
Should landscaper candidates do a working interview?
A short paid working interview with the crew is common and useful, because it shows equipment handling, pace and safety habits. Pay for the time, keep the tasks the same for each candidate, and do not put an untrained candidate on equipment that needs training first.