- Register as a sole proprietor or incorporate with BC Registries (~$40–$380)
- File your Richmond business licence ($150–$350/yr)
- Get general liability insurance
- Set your rates ($50–$80/hr, or maintenance contracts from $150–$400+/month per property)
- Build a brand, website, and online booking
- Set up card payments and simple bookkeeping
- Launch a Google Business Profile focused on Richmond
Richmond's yards come with the territory — large single-family lots, newer estate homes, and a rapidly densifying City Centre — and that terrain shapes the work. Big flat lots are Richmond's gift to landscapers — larger properties, larger contracts, and estate hedging/lawn programs that renew year after year. The skills are the easy part; the business wrapper — registration, a Richmond licence, insurance, a real brand, and online booking — is what wins the job.
Why Richmond specifically
Richmond's flat, oversized lots are the best landscaping real estate in the region — larger properties, larger contracts, and estate maintenance programs that renew annually almost by default.
For a landscaper, that means annuity thinking: flat-lot estate programs that renew every single year.
Where the work is: Big flat lots are Richmond's gift to landscapers — larger properties, larger contracts, and estate hedging/lawn programs that renew year after year. Neighbourhoods like Steveston, Terra Nova, Broadmoor each have their own client base — your Google Business Profile and local pages should name them.
The Richmond startup budget
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| BC business registration (sole prop) | ~$40 |
| Name request fee | ~$30 |
| Richmond business licence | $150–$350/yr |
| General liability insurance | $500–$1,200/yr |
| Equipment & supplies | $1,500–$4,000 (mower, trimmer, blower, trailer or truck setup) |
| Branding, website & booking setup | $0 DIY – $3,000+ agency |
Government fees change — confirm current amounts with BC Registries and the City of Richmond. Richmond's business licence fees run a little higher than neighbouring cities ($150–$350/yr depending on category) — Prontco prepares and files the application as part of every launch.
What the money looks like
Expect to charge $50–$80/hr, or maintenance contracts from $150–$400+/month per property in this market. Solo operators who stay booked commonly reach $5,000–$10,000+ per month solo in season, with recurring maintenance smoothing the off-season; the spread comes down to niche, area, and whether you look like a business worth premium rates. No certification required for general landscaping; pesticide application requires a licence.
Let's name it
Here's the worry that stalls more Richmond launches than money ever does. “What if equipment damages a client's property, or the weather kills my schedule?” A weather-delay clause, a liability waiver, insurance, and recurring contracts smooth both — and every Prontco launch includes the paperwork done properly.
Talk it through on a free callLandscaping Pricing Calculator
Work out what to charge before you quote your first job in Richmond. Set the job size, condition and the hourly rate you need to earn, and get a defensible number in seconds.
Open the calculator →Your first clients in Richmond — the landscaping playbook
- Sell annual estate programs (lawn, hedging, seasonal colour) — Richmond's flat big lots renew year after year.
- Pitch hedge and privacy-screen programs specifically; large properties maintain perimeter plantings religiously.
- Ask for referrals on the same street after every install — one Terra Nova yard sells the neighbours.
The shortcut
None of this requires Prontco — it just requires weeks you may not have. We compress it into about 10 business days: registration, the Richmond licence, a real brand, a booked-ready website, payments, and accounting — plus 30 days of hands-on support after launch. From $997. Every account is yours.
Related guides
How to start a landscaping business in BC · How to start a business in Richmond · The complete BC startup guide · Free calculators & checklists