Looking at our 2025 numbers at Grunder Landscaping Co., we performed over $150,000 in warranty work. That's a big number, which had us asking some hard questions about where we could tighten things up for 2026.

Warranty work is part of the business. We stand behind our installations, and that commitment to quality is what keeps clients coming back. But there's a difference between honoring legitimate warranties and creating unnecessary work for ourselves through unclear contracts or predictable problems.

Here's what we're changing:

1. Adding Monthly Visits in the Off-Season

Our landscape maintenance contracts have always included leaf cleanups in fall, but we've realized we need to adjust our service schedule. Even after we complete a thorough cleanup and leave a property spotless, leaves blow in from neighboring properties. Then we're back out there doing another cleanup (work we weren't expecting and that the client wasn't paying for).

For 2026, we're building standard monthly visits into our contracts during what we've typically considered our off-months. It's a simple fix that sets the right expectation with clients and ensures we're compensated for the work we're actually doing.

2. Creating a "Not Recommended" Plant List

As our design team has grown, we've brought on talented people who can design beautiful landscapes. But some plants that technically work in our zone just don't perform well in our specific market because of things like pests or soil conditions.

Plants like red twig dogwood, certain azaleas, and hollies that prefer acidic soil look great on paper but have given us headaches in the past. Our experienced team members avoid them, but newer designers sometimes spec them in.

We're formalizing our "not recommended" list so everyone's on the same page. And if a client insists on one of these plants? We'll install it, but we're excluding that plant from the warranty and making sure that's crystal clear in the contract.

The Bigger Picture

These changes came from looking closely at where money was leaking out of our business. We weren't losing six-figure contracts; we were losing it $500 at a time through unplanned return trips and plant replacements we could have avoided.

This is the kind of conversation we'll be having at GROW! 2026 in Dallas on February 10-12. Where are the small drips in your profitability? What patterns keep showing up that you could prevent with better systems or clearer contracts? Sometimes the best growth strategy isn't landing bigger jobs, it's keeping more of what you're already earning. We'll have sessions designed to help you do just that, and I hope to see you there. 

I'll talk to you next week!

Marty Grunder
Founder & CEO
The Grow Group & Grunder Landscaping Co.