You already run the crew. Build the company.
Weekly maintenance routes, install work, and a company with your name on the truck.
We're looking for experienced Bay Area landscapers, gardeners, and crew leads who want to go independent. We help the people we back get launched, build a route, and handle the business side.
No fee to apply. About 5 to 8 minutes.
Where we're starting
Built for the Bay Area. Five counties first.
Every business in the first cohort launches in one of five counties. That is where we know the market, the licensing, and the neighborhoods, and where we can show up in person.
- Marin CountySan Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley
- San Francisco CountyThe city, all neighborhoods
- San Mateo CountyDaly City to Menlo Park
- Alameda CountyOakland, Berkeley, Fremont, Hayward
- Contra Costa CountyWalnut Creek, Concord, Richmond
Live outside these counties? Apply anyway and tell us where. We expand based on where strong candidates are.
Why ownership
Why owning this business is worth it.
Maintenance recurs
Weekly and biweekly maintenance accounts are steady, predictable revenue through most of the year, and a business asset you own.
Good crews are rare
Homeowners and property managers switch companies because a crew stopped showing up or stopped caring. The lead who never does is who should own the company.
Installs and crews scale
A dense maintenance route funds the first hire. Installs, irrigation, and cleanups add margin. Landscaping companies grow in a clear, repeatable way.
The honest part
What usually makes it hard
Most people who are excellent at this work never start a company. It is rarely the work that stops them. It is everything around it.
- Knowing when a job needs a C-27 contractor license and getting one
- Pesticide and fertilizer rules if you treat lawns and beds
- Building a dense route without paying a lead service for every account
- Quoting installs and cleanups without losing money on them
- Scheduling around weather, seasons, and equipment breakdowns
- Invoicing monthly accounts and collecting on time
- Hiring and keeping a crew through the busy season
What Framework does for a landscaping business
You bring the skill and reputation. We help build everything around it.
If selected, we build a launch plan with you. It includes:
- Company setup
- Licensing and compliance coordination
- Insurance and bonding coordination
- Brand and website
- Customer acquisition and route building
- Phones and lead response
- Route scheduling and crew tracking
- Estimates, invoicing, and payments
- Payroll and bookkeeping systems
- Hiring and crew growth
The specifics depend on the business and on you. We work them out together, in writing, before anyone commits.
No fee to apply. About 5 to 8 minutes.
Apply nowWho we look for
Who is a strong candidate
We care more about your ability and ambition than whether you've started a business before.
- Significant landscaping or garden maintenance experience, ideally leading a crew
- Strong plant, irrigation, and equipment knowledge
- Reliable and trusted by customers
- Comfortable quoting work and talking with homeowners
- Genuine desire to own a company
Licensing and eligibility
In California, maintenance gardening under the state threshold (currently $1,000 including labor and materials, with conditions) does not require a contractor license, but installs and larger projects generally require a C-27 Landscaping license from the Contractors State License Board. Applying pesticides for hire requires a Maintenance Gardener Pest Control Business license and a qualified applicator certificate from the Department of Pesticide Regulation. Local business licenses, bonding, and insurance also apply. We can help coordinate the process, but you must meet all applicable requirements to operate.
Applicants must satisfy all applicable licensing, professional, and regulatory requirements for their field. Framework can help coordinate the process but does not grant, waive, or substitute for any license or credential.
- We put up to $25,000 into customer acquisition for each business we back.
- Framework also covers year-one setup and software costs where applicable, and works alongside you on systems, hiring, and growth.
- You own and control the company.
- There is no franchise fee and no ongoing royalty.
- If your business becomes more valuable, our 7% becomes more valuable too.
Some regulated professions, including law practices, require a different legal structure with similar economics. We review the exact terms with you, in writing, before anyone commits.
Your next chapter
Ever seriously thought about owning your own landscaping business?
Tell us about your experience. If it looks like a fit, we'll set up a conversation. No fee, no commitment.
Let's build what's next, together.
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