Get Quotes from Top Landscapers in Nashville, TN

Are You Licensed to Practice as a Landscaper in Nashville?

Landscaper licensing and regulation in Nashville is handled at the state level by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance through its Board for Licensing Contractors.

Per the requirements of this board, landscapers in the city who wish to perform projects worth a total value of $3,000 - $24,999 must possess a Home Improvement License. Likewise, landscape contractors who want to work on projects worth $25,000 or more must have a valid BC-29 Landscaping Contractor License. Individuals who provide landscaping services without possessing the appropriate licenses can face Class A misdemeanor charges, which are punishable by civil penalties of up to $5,000 in fines.

Contractor and home improvement license applications can be completed online via the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance's CORE platform. Applicants will have to register a user account to complete the application process. The department provides contractor license and home improvement license instruction resources that interested parties can access to glean information on the application process for their required licenses.

Note that the payment of an application fee and the submission of documents like proof of insurance and letters of reference may be required during this application process. Applicants who wish to obtain a contractor license must also write and pass a business and law examination. You can contact the state's Board for Licensing Contractors via phone numbers (615) 741-8307 and (800) 544-7693 or email to get more information on its licensing requirements and procedures for landscapers in Nashville. Inquiries can also be made directly to the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance at (615) 741-2241.

Ensuring that your intended landscaper has been duly licensed is a necessary step in ensuring the success of your project. To this end, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance provides an online License Search and Verification platform that members of the public can use to authenticate the licenses of professionals they intend to hire. You can also consider using the search tips provided by this department when authenticating your landscaper's license to ensure that you get adequate results.

How Much Do You Charge Compared to Other Landscapers in Nashville?

While landscapers in the Nashville area are estimated to earn an average hourly wage of $14, the actual cost of hiring one of these professionals is affected by several variables. These variables include:

• The nature of your landscaping project
• The types of landscaping materials needed for the project and their respective costs
• The size of the area that requires landscaping
• The amount of work needed to prepare the site for the landscaping

In addition, not all landscape contractors in the city utilize an hourly billing structure, and some of these professionals may charge you per square foot or linear foot of area that is being landscaped or flat fees for specific services. To ensure that you get a proper estimate of the potential cost of your landscaping project, you should request bids from at least two or three landscapers and compare these bids. Getting bids from several contractors can also help you eliminate possible fraudulent contractors that inflate their rates or deliberately undercharge to deceptively get you to contract with them.

A landscaper in Nashville earns an average wage of $29,450 annually. The table below provides a cost comparison of the average hourly wages of landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Nashville against those of this category of individuals across the rest of Tennessee and other major American cities:

Do You Comply with the Nashville Landscape Ordinance?

Chapter 17.24 of the Code of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County provides standards and requirements for landscaping, buffering, and tree-related activities in Nashville. This ordinance makes provisions for several landscaping-related matters, including tree protection and replacement, scenic land easements, parking area screening and landscaping, buffer yards, street trees, streetscapes, and landscape materials. However, the requirements of this landscaping ordinance do not apply to certain types of projects, such as:

• Projects that involve improving or repairing interior and exterior features of existing structures. This includes the partial or total conversion of non-residential buildings to residential use, per local statutory requirements.
• Projects for which a previously authorized building permit was issued or a final site plan of planned unit development was approved, provided that this permit or approval is still valid and has not expired as of the effective date of this law.
• Projects that involve dealing with excessive tree damage caused by natural disasters

Hiring a landscaper who is conversant with the requirements of the city's landscaping ordinance and implements them when working on your project goes a long way in ensuring its success. You can get additional information on the city's landscaping ordinance and find out the specific provisions of this law that apply to your project by contacting the Nashville Department of Codes and Building Safety at:

Questions can also be directed to the city's Urban Forestry Division at (615) 862-6488.

Will You Get the Landscaping Permit Required as per the Nashville Code?

A tree removal permit is usually required before trees that are at least 6 inches in truck width can be removed from commercial property in Nashville. Parties wishing to obtain these permits may do so by contacting the city's Urban Forestry Division at (615) 862-6488 or (615) 862-6886.

Excluding commercial tree removal permits, specific landscaping permits are typically not required for landscaping activities in Nashville. However, per Chapter 17.24 of the Code of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, a landscape plan must be submitted along with final site plan approval applications for the construction of permanent structures in the city. Likewise, building permits may be required for landscaping projects that involve construction-related activities like the installation or alteration of patio covers, decks, and porches.

Building permit applications can be submitted online via the city's E-Permit System. Note that only licensed contractors can utilize this system. Homeowners that wish to obtain building permits themselves will have to do so in person at the Nashville Department of Codes and Building Safety's Development Services Center located at:

In-person applicants are advised to book appointments before visiting the center by calling (615) 862-6500 or via email. Email bookings should include the applicant's phone number and property address. The city official assigned to process the building permit application typically acts as a contact and guide for the applicant to ensure the permitting process is as smooth as possible. Note that the payment of fees and the submission of additional documentation like site plans and renderings may be required during the permit review process. Also, once permit applications have been reviewed, approved, and issued, the permitted work will be subject to inspections by authorized city officials to ensure that it is being done in compliance with all relevant local codes and ordinances.

Questions concerning the Nashville final site plan approval, permitting, and inspection processes can be directed to (615) 862-6500.

What Kind of Landscaping Services Do You Offer?

You should always determine the area of specialization of landscapers in Nashville and ensure that it aligns with your project's requirements before hiring them. Professional landscape contractors in the city are generally experienced in several kinds of landscaping services, such as landscape design and construction, lawn maintenance services, new lawn installations, hydroseeding, mulching and blowing, and shrub planting and trimming.

Nevertheless, always get verbal confirmation on this from your intended landscaper and go a step further by requesting verifiable references and a copy of their portfolio. Doing this can help you ascertain whether they actually have the right skill set and tools to handle your job.

Be wary of landscapers who cannot provide you with the requested information, and strongly consider striking them off your list of potential hires. Once you have determined that a landscaper can provide your specific landscaping service, you should ask them for a cost estimate. Cost estimates for some commonly requested landscaping services in Nashville are provided below:

What are the Best Types of Grass for Lawns in Nashville?

Nashville has a transitional climate and experiences relatively cold winters, hot, muggy summers, and frequent thunderstorms during these summers. According to the city's 2021 Sustainability Advisory Committee Report, there will likely be an increase in climate risks, such as intense storms and tornadoes, frequent flooding, and extreme heat days in the coming years. As such, when considering grasses for your lawns, it is necessary to consider the city's current climate and future changes to this climate. To this end, the best choices for lawn grasses in Nashville are cool-season and warm-season grasses with moderate-to-high drought tolerance like:

• Turf-type tall fescues
• Fine fescues
• Zoysiagrass
• Centipedegrass
• Bermudagrass
• Bluegrass
• Ryegrass

However, before planting any of these grasses, you should consider factors like the availability of sunlight and shade on your lawn, foot traffic, and the level of maintenance you are willing to do. Retaining a landscaper's services can help you select the best type of grass that will flourish under your lawn's unique conditions. You can find good landscaping companies in Nashville by getting referrals from trusted relatives and friends or through online resources like the Better Business Bureau and the National Association of Landscape Professionals. Note that it is your responsibility to ensure that any landscaper you hire in the city possesses a valid occupational license.

Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Landscapers in Nashville?

Landscapers in Nashville must meet certain mandatory insurance requirements before they can legally offer their services to interested parties in the city. These requirements include obtaining workers' compensation insurance for their employees and carrying general liability insurance. The minimum coverage amount for this general liability insurance typically depends on the type of license that the landscaper possesses as well as the monetary limit on the license, and it ranges from $100,000 to $1,000,000. In addition, landscapers with a home improvement license must also provide proof of financial responsibility in the form of a $10,000 surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit.

Always ensure that your intended landscaper is duly insured and bonded where necessary, as this provides financial and legal protection in the event of unforeseen situations like property damage or on-the-job accidents during your project. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that over 100 fatal and 10,000 non-fatal work-related injuries occurred amongst landscapers in 2020 alone. Working with uninsured professionals makes you liable for these injuries, leading to avoidable out-of-pocket expenses.

Confirm your intended landscaping contractor's insurance and bonding status by requesting and authenticating proof of this insurance and bonding with the relevant issuing organizations. You can also contact the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance's Board for Licensing Contractors at (615) 741-8307 or (800) 544-7693 to get additional information on the mandatory insurance requirements for Nashville landscape contractors.