How to Start a Landscaping Business In Arizona
You must complete certain steps in order to start your landscaping or lawn care company in Arizona. Your Arizona landscaping business could include gardening, lawn mowing, leaf removal, excavation, tree work, and more. You can find the links to help get your new landscaping business registered in Arizona below. You may want to start here: How To Start A Landscaping Or Lawn Care Business. You must do your own thorough research, as laws change regularly.
Getting started– The official website about how to start a business in Arizona is found here: Arizona Business Startup Checklist
One of the first things you will need to do is register your landscaping business name.
Find out more about registering a fictitious name or DBA (“Doing Business As”) here: https://www.azsos.gov/business/trade-names-and-trademarks
More on selecting a name for your new business here: How To Choose A Business Name
Some Name Ideas: Landscaping Business Name Ideas
Before registering your landscaping business, you will need to select your business structure.
Sole-proprietor, LLC, Partnership, Corporation, etc. Find out more here: http://www.azcommerce.com/media/125156/AZEE2013chptr4.pdf
You will need to register your landscaping business with the state of Arizona.
You can register your landscaping business with the state of Arizona here: Arizona Business License
You will need to open a business account at your bank.
You will need to open a separate bank account for your landscaping business with your new business name.
You will need to register your landscaping business for tax purposes and may want to hire an accountant.
If you are a small company, it is not too difficult to file your own taxes. As you grow, it will be easier to have an accountant do the work. More info about taxes here: Arizona Department of Revenue and http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Starting-a-Business
You may need landscaping software.
Landscaping software will streamline your business before you even start, giving you visibility and control over all your leads, sales, jobs, and tasks from a single program to get your company on the fast track toward growth.
You’ll also be able to create estimates, place material orders, automate the boring (but necessary) stuff, empowering you and your team to finish jobs on time and on budget. Try JobNimbus for Free!
Get Liability Insurance.
We work with ContractorsLiability.com because they’re the one-stop-shop for General Liability insurance and are able to get online quotes in all 50 states. Learn more >
More about liability insurance here: Contractor Liability Insurance
Worker’s Compensation.
You will need Worker’s Compensation if you have any employees. Find out more>
You may need to register as a contractor with the state of Arizona.
You may need to register as a landscaping contractor in Arizona. The registration application is found here: Arizona Contractor Registration.
You will be responsible for your own health insurance.
Since you will be self-employed, you will need your own health insurance. If you have employees, you will need a plan that will include their health needs also.
You may need a city license.
You may be required to obtain a license to operate your landscaping business in a particular locale, whether you are a resident, or not.
You will possibly need be responsible for permits and inspections.
Depending on the locale, you may need to apply for permits before commencing certain types of landscaping projects. You may also be subject to inspections depending on the job.
You may need special certifications and licenses.
You may possibly need to be certified or licensed to work with certain fertilizers or other lawn chemicals.
