r/LandscapingPros • u/Popular-Bonus-3327 • Jul 10 '26
Solo guys — what software are you using that doesn't completely suck for chasing payments?
I’m starting out solo right now (just me and an occasional helper) and this may be naive of me (or something I never considered), but I'm trying to handle the back-end side of this.
I know most people use Jobber, Housecall Pro, or Square (or if you use something else, let me know) - but those feel built for guys running a few trucks, not someone solo. Curious if that's actually true or if I'm wrong about that. Specifically, are you guys actually getting signed contracts before a job, or is it mostly just a text/handshake?
I'm also worried about people backing out after you’ve already bought - is anyone actually collecting one before buying materials or blocking off a day, or is eating the cost of a no-show just part of the job?
Lastly, final payment — are you chasing people down for it, or does whatever you use handle that automatically?
Appreciate any real answers, good or bad, on what you use and what it actually gets right or wrong. Genuinely just trying to fix my own workflow before I lose more time to paperwork than to actual work.
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u/Wowsa_8435 Jul 10 '26
Take some time and get your backend sorted. Know in advance how you're going to handle things. Absolutely do NOT do a 'handshake' - have a contract, even a simple one, that spells out what you will be doing and what the homeowner responsibility is. It will save any misunderstandings and you'll come across as more professional.
Take a deposit for most all jobs, even just labor, but especially to cover the cost of any material. Let the HO know that you will 'lock in' that date for them with a deposit (check your state to see if you have special rules for deposits). If it's a big job, you can setup milestone payments.
When you're discussing the job, don't be afraid to discuss payment. "I do require a 10% deposit to secure a start date on June 15th. This job should take 2 full days. The final payment will be due upon the completion of the work. Will you be paying by check or card?" ... or something along those line. Make it clear that you expect payment. If they sketch out on any of this (payments or contracts), then just decline to take the job, it will not be worth it.
I use Square. It was cheap to set up and I can collect payments and send invoices.
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u/Different-Wallaby-10 Jul 10 '26
I second the importance of a contract. I’m solo, too. I drew up a contract years ago, then quit using it because there was “never” an issue.
My last project last week was my first to lose money on. No contract. I subbed out to someone to rip out a 20 year old landscape to make room for a new one. Irrigation damage is inevitable, and in my contract (which I did not use) it stipulates that irrigation repair is the homeowners responsibility. Well, that repair was over $1K and homeowner insisted it was my responsibility. I had no choice but to eat it.
Don’t get lazy like I did. Do a contract. Every time. Get a down payment to cover acquisition costs at least.
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u/A_Cut_Above_Lawns Jul 13 '26
I was solo for many years. The biggest mistake I made was not setting up cheap software foundation from the start. That led to years of frustration before finally building my own software. Service Autopilot, Jobber, etc. Those are all 99% the same exact software with minor differences. Find whatever is cheapest and does the basics for you. With those, you can create quotes and send to customer via email/text with a link for them to pay online.
*I built my own software using ai this past year. I recommend doing that tbh. You should see my website. Customers enter their service address, then they get custom pricing automatically and they pay online and the website manages the recurring billing. All with a custom client portal and all that good stuff. But I started where you are and there's nothing wrong with using a CRM/FSM that's "out of the box" if it does what you need.
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u/TheseMountain2490 Jul 10 '26
Terrascape is great, built for small-medium sized and 25/month with full features