Smart Winter Jobs for Landscapers
What do landscapers do in the winter? With jobs like pressure washing and leaf removal, they keep earning money.
Make cleanup a breeze with a roll off dumpster:
5 Winter Landscaping Jobs to Try This Year
Snow removal is a natural winter service for any lawn care business that operates in a cold climate. However, all it takes is a mild winter to knock the option off the board and cut a vital income stream from the books.
We rounded up some off-season ideas to keep in your back pocket to help generate some more business that don't depend on the weather
1. Gutter Cleaning
Cleaning out gutters is a simple service everyone needs and that you can offer without investing in any additional equipment. Most homeowners recognize the importance of cleaning out their gutters before winter, but many would be happy to hand that chore over to someone else.
2. Pressure Washing
Warm winter days make for perfect pressure washing conditions. If you don't have the equipment, you can often find a pressure washer. that’s up to the job for under $200. Some pressure washing services you can offer are:
- Decks
- Fences
- Roofs & siding
- Porches & patios
- Driveways & walkways
You can even use a pressure washer to easily clean out gutters. Just be sure to familiarize yourself with the right detergent type for each different surface before you start offering this service.
3. Winter Lawn Prep
There are plenty of tasks to not only prepare your lawn for winter but also maintenance to perform during the cold months. Most people would probably be glad to hand them over to you. These include:
- Draining sprinklers.
- Fertilizing the lawn.
- Trimming trees and shrubs.
- Dethatching and aerating the lawn.
- Wrapping young trees in protective burlap.
- Planting bulbs that will sprout in the spring.
- Removing dead plants from flower beds and planters.
- Moving patio furniture and other lawn and garden items into storage.
You can easily put together various winter prep and in-winter packages offering different combinations of services.
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4. Leaf Removal
This is a great way to bring in on-going business during the off-season that doesn’t depend on snow fall. While many customers will opt for a one-time cleanup in late fall, plenty of others, especially those with lots of trees on their property, will want regular leaf removal throughout the season. Depending on how late in the year trees in your area go bare, this could mean up to eight cleanups for these customers — including some in the early winter before the first snow falls.
5. Christmas Light Installation & Removal
This is one of the most profitable winter jobs for landscapers. Between materials and labor, a single house could net you up to $1,000 for the installation (depending on your area and the size of the project), plus the fee for removal. Some landscapers also offer to store customers’ lights until next year for an additional fee.
However, getting into this business takes more effort and planning than the other ideas. Here’s what you need to know:
- This job involves working on ladders and, at times, on roofs. You’ll likely need additional workers' compensation and liability insurance due to the added risks you’ll take on.
- You may also need professional insurance to cover potential issues such as overloading a customer’s circuit breaker or even causing a fire.
- If you plan to store lights for customers after removal, you may need theft insurance, too.
- You’ll need to find a commercial wholesaler to buy materials from. Brite Ideas and Holiday Bright Lights are popular options.
If you decide this is the right move for your business, you’ll also need to work out a removal schedule that keeps your customers happy. Most people want to leave their lights up until New Year’s Day but want them down by January 31.
Depending on how many customers you get, this tight window could leave you paying overtime during the off-season. So, make sure not to overextend yourself if paying overtime isn’t feasible.
Everybody’s Workin’ For the Winter
Whether you combine these jobs with snow plowing or not, these ideas for off-season work will keep your lawn care business busy throughout the winter. They could be a good extension of your already established client-base, or even bring in new customers that will help keep your schedule filled year-round.
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