Commercial Landscape Maintenance in Vancouver: What Should Be Included?

Commercial landscape maintenance should do more than keep grass cut and shrubs trimmed. For a managed commercial or strata property, a well-defined maintenance program should identify what will be maintained, how often the property will be serviced, which seasonal tasks are scheduled, how issues will be reported, and which services fall outside the regular scope.

That distinction matters when property managers compare proposals. Two landscape maintenance contracts can appear similar at first glance while covering very different visit frequencies, tasks, seasonal work and exclusions.

This guide explains what is commonly addressed in a commercial landscape maintenance program, which services may be scheduled or quoted separately, and what property managers should clarify before approving a proposal.

For information about TERRMONT’s contractor services rather than this informational guide, see our commercial landscape maintenance services.

What Should Be Included in Commercial Landscape Maintenance?

There is no single maintenance package that is appropriate for every commercial property. A retail plaza with extensive parking islands has different requirements from an office property, strata development, industrial site or childcare facility.

However, most proposals should clearly address three areas:

The key is not whether every service appears in every contract. The key is that the proposal clearly states what applies to your property and what does not.

Routine Commercial Landscape Maintenance Tasks

Lawn mowing and edging

Where turf is present, the scope should explain how lawn areas will be maintained during the growing season. This can include mowing, trimming around obstacles, edging where required and clearing clippings from adjacent hard surfaces.

Service frequency should reflect actual growth and seasonal conditions rather than relying on an unclear description such as “regular lawn care.”

Properties with very little turf may require more attention to planting beds, shrubs or hardscape edges instead.

Garden beds and weed management

Commercial planting beds usually need ongoing attention to weeds, debris, plant growth and general presentation.

A proposal should clarify whether weed management is manual, mechanical or part of a broader treatment program. Fertilization and weed-control applications may be included in a maintenance agreement, scheduled separately or quoted as an additional service depending on the property and contract.

Where pesticide use is proposed, property managers should ensure the work follows B.C. requirements. The Province recommends an integrated pest management approach based on monitoring, prevention and appropriate treatment, and notes that professional landscape pesticide use is subject to provincial requirements and potentially local bylaws. B.C. landscape pest-management guidance

TERRMONT also provides dedicated weed control and lawn fertilization services where a property requires a more specific lawn or weed-management program.

Shrubs, hedges and routine pruning

Shrubs and hedges often form a major part of commercial landscaping, particularly around entrances, property boundaries, pedestrian areas and parking lots.

The maintenance scope should identify whether routine shaping and pruning are included and how larger or specialized pruning requirements are handled.

Maintenance should consider more than appearance. Growth around walkways, entrances, signs and visibility areas may need attention so the landscape remains functional as well as presentable.

Landscape cleanliness and general site presentation

Landscape maintenance may also include removing leaves, branches, litter and other debris from maintained landscape areas.

For commercial properties, it is useful to define the boundary between landscape maintenance and broader grounds maintenance. For example, clearing debris from a planting bed may be routine landscape work, while pressure washing, parking-area cleanup or other property services may belong under a separate scope.

TERRMONT’s commercial grounds and specialty services cover additional exterior-property needs that may sit outside a standard landscape maintenance agreement.

Monitoring the condition of the landscape

A maintenance crew is regularly present on the property, making routine visits a useful opportunity to notice developing issues.

A good scope should explain how concerns such as declining plants, damaged irrigation components, drainage-related landscape problems, broken branches or unusual turf conditions are communicated to the property manager.

That does not mean every problem is automatically repaired under the maintenance agreement. It means there should be a clear process for identifying and reporting issues before additional work is approved.

Seasonal Landscape Maintenance

Commercial landscapes in Metro Vancouver change significantly through the year, so the workload should not be expected to remain identical every month.

Depending on the property, seasonal work may include:

• spring cleanup and landscape assessment;
• irrigation startup and scheduling adjustments;
• changing mowing or pruning frequency as growth changes;
• summer watering and plant monitoring;
• fall leaf management and cleanup;
• selected dormant-season pruning; and
• preparation for colder or wetter conditions.

Irrigation scheduling deserves particular attention. Metro Vancouver publishes seasonal watering restrictions for residential and non-residential properties, and individual municipalities are responsible for enforcement. Property managers should therefore confirm that irrigation schedules reflect the current regional stage and applicable municipal rules. current Metro Vancouver watering restrictions

Rather than repeating detailed fall, rainy-season, leaf-cleanup and winter-planning guidance here, those subjects are covered separately within TERRMONT’s Insights library.

Services That May Be Quoted Separately

One of the most important parts of reviewing a commercial landscape maintenance proposal is understanding what is not included.

Depending on the agreement, the following may be separate scheduled services or additional quoted work.

Irrigation repairs

Basic irrigation observation or seasonal adjustments may be part of a maintenance program, while replacing valves, repairing damaged lines, troubleshooting controllers or completing larger system modifications may require separate approval.

Tree services

Routine pruning of smaller ornamental plants is different from specialized tree pruning, removal or work requiring dedicated equipment. The proposal should define where routine landscape pruning ends and tree-service work begins.

Landscape construction and enhancements

Plant replacements, new garden beds, sod installation, drainage improvements, hardscape changes and property upgrades generally fall under landscape construction or enhancement work rather than recurring maintenance.

These projects can be planned separately through TERRMONT’s commercial landscape construction and enhancement services.

Specialty grounds work

Pressure washing, larger cleanup projects, parking-area services and other exterior-property tasks may require a separate grounds-maintenance scope.

Snow and ice management

Snow clearing and ice management should not be assumed to be part of a landscape maintenance agreement. Properties requiring winter coverage should confirm the service area, response arrangements and scope under a dedicated commercial snow and ice management program.

What Property Managers Should Look for in a Maintenance Proposal

The most useful proposal is not necessarily the one containing the longest service list. It is the one that makes responsibilities easy to understand.

Before comparing prices, clarify the following.

1. Is the scope specific to the property?

A proposal should reflect the actual lawns, planting beds, hedges, trees, entrances, access conditions and maintenance priorities on the site.

Generic wording makes it difficult to determine what crews are expected to maintain.

2. Is visit frequency clearly defined?

Ask how frequently the property will normally be serviced and whether that frequency changes through the growing season.

“Regular maintenance” can mean very different things unless the schedule is explained.

3. Are seasonal tasks identified?

Determine which services happen during routine visits and which occur only at certain times of year.

This is particularly important for leaf cleanup, irrigation, pruning, fertilization and other scheduled work.

4. Are exclusions and additional charges clear?

A proposal should distinguish routine maintenance from repairs, replacements, enhancement projects and specialty services.

Knowing this before work begins makes future approvals much easier to manage.

5. How are site issues reported?

Ask whether the contractor provides inspection notes, photographs, service reports or another method of communicating property concerns.

The appropriate level of reporting will vary by property and management requirements, but the process should be clear.

6. What requires property-manager approval?

If a crew identifies a failed plant, irrigation repair or additional cleanup requirement, the agreement should make clear how extra work is communicated and approved.

7. Are regulatory and seasonal requirements considered?

Watering restrictions, pesticide requirements and local bylaws can affect how certain landscape work is performed.

These should be considered as part of property-specific planning rather than treated as an afterthought.

8. How is work managed around property users?

Commercial landscaping often happens around vehicles, customers, residents, employees and pedestrians. The contractor should have appropriate site procedures for managing work safely around an active property.

WorkSafeBC’s guidance for landscaping and lawn-maintenance companies emphasizes hazard identification, risk controls and safe work procedures as part of effective safety management. WorkSafeBC landscaping safety guidance

How Maintenance Priorities Vary by Property Type

A good commercial landscape maintenance program should reflect how the property is actually used.

Retail plazas may place greater emphasis on entrances, parking islands, curb appeal, pedestrian visibility and keeping high-traffic areas tidy.

Office properties may prioritize arrival areas, walkways, building entrances, lawns and consistent presentation throughout the work week.

Strata properties often require attention across larger shared spaces, pedestrian routes and common landscaped areas, with clear communication around scheduled work.

Industrial properties may have fewer decorative landscape areas but still require dependable perimeter maintenance, weed control, sightline management and durable low-maintenance solutions.

Schools, childcare facilities, hotels and senior-living properties may have different scheduling, access and presentation priorities based on how their outdoor spaces are used.

This is why comparing proposals line by line is more useful than assuming every commercial property should receive the same package.

Building the Right Maintenance Program for a Metro Vancouver Property

Commercial landscape maintenance works best when the scope is clear from the beginning.

Property managers should know what will be maintained, how often crews will attend, which seasonal tasks are planned, what reporting will be provided and which services require separate authorization.

That makes proposals easier to compare and gives both the contractor and property manager a clearer understanding of expectations.

If you manage a commercial or strata property in Metro Vancouver or the Lower Mainland, contact TERRMONT to discuss your property and request a maintenance proposal based on the site’s actual landscape and service requirements.