Understanding the Proposed Landscaping Budget and Bidding Process
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
As part of the proposed 2027 budget and annual dues discussion, the Board has been evaluating the cost of maintaining Briarwood's common areas through professional landscaping services.
This article explains why additional landscaping funding is being proposed, how the Board developed the requested scope of work, what the proposals received to date tell us about current market pricing, and what to expect as the contractor selection process moves forward.
Our goal is to provide homeowners with the information needed to understand the proposed budget before voting on the annual dues increase.
Why Is the Board Proposing Additional Landscaping Funding?
The Association's current landscaping contract is nearing the end of its term. The Board requested renewal information from the current contractor on multiple occasions, but did not receive a proposal for continued service.
Rather than simply replacing the existing contract, the Board used this opportunity to evaluate whether the current level of service still meets the community's needs.
Over the past several years, homeowners have expressed concerns about the appearance of Briarwood's entrances, park, landscaping beds, and overall curb appeal. At the same time, volunteer participation has steadily declined, making it increasingly difficult to maintain these areas through volunteer workdays alone.
Many of the services included in the requested scope of work reflect requests and feedback the Board has received from homeowners over the past several years
How Was the Scope of Work Developed?
Instead of requesting proposals that matched the Association's current contract, the Board developed a broader scope of work designed to provide more consistent maintenance across all Association-owned common areas.
Compared to the current contract, the requested services include:
Current Contract | Requested Scope of Work |
Front entrance and neighborhood park only | Front entrance, neighborhood park, and rear entrance |
Primarily bi-weekly mowing during the growing season | Weekly routine maintenance |
Limited mowing and cleanup | Routine mowing, edging, trimming, and blowing |
No scheduled shrub maintenance | Regular shrub pruning |
No landscape bed maintenance | Bed maintenance and weed control |
No routine tree maintenance | Tree pruning |
Minimal storm cleanup | Expanded cleanup options (varies by contractor) |
Because the requested scope of work is significantly broader than the current contract, the cost of providing these services is expected to be higher.
Current Contract vs. Current Market Pricing
The Association's current landscaping contract costs $4,800 per year and primarily provides seasonal mowing for the front entrance and neighborhood park.
To better understand the cost of expanded professional landscaping services, the Board requested proposals from multiple licensed landscaping companies.
The comparison below reflects the proposals received to date.
Feature | Current Contract | Proposal Received 1 | Proposal Received 2 | Withdrawn Proposal* |
Annual Cost | $4,800 | $38,000 | $11,220 (Year 1) | $10,800 |
Contract Term | 2 Years | 2 Years | Annual (3% annual increase) | 2 Years |
Growing Season Routine Maintenance | Bi-weekly (every other week) | Weekly | Weekly | Weekly |
Off-Season Service | As needed | Bi-weekly | As needed: Up to a total of 51 visits annually | As needed |
Front Entrance | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Neighborhood Park | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Rear Entrance | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Shrub Maintenance | — | Bi-weekly | Included | Monthly |
Landscape Bed Maintenance | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Weed Control | — | Included | Certified program | Included |
Tree Maintenance | — | Limited | Up to 10 feet | Included |
Leaf Removal | — | — | — | ✓ |
Pine Straw / Mulch | Installation only (materials extra) | Included (2 applications/year) | Extra | Extra |
Annual Flowers | — | Not specified | Extra | Extra |
Storm Cleanup | Minor only | One cleanup annually | Extra | Extra |
*The withdrawn proposal is included for transparency because its estimated annual cost was used in developing the proposed budget and was discussed during the budget presentation. The contractor has since withdrawn from consideration and is no longer being evaluated.
The proposals received to date demonstrate that providing expanded professional landscaping services across all common areas is expected to cost substantially more than the Association's current landscaping contract.
Why Is a Dues Increase Being Proposed?
The Board is proposing an increase in annual dues from $75 to $125 per household.
This represents:
$50 per year
Approximately $4.17 per month
With 326 homes, annual HOA revenue would increase from approximately $24,450 to $40,750.
The proposed dues increase would fund enhanced professional landscaping services, along with other expenses included in the proposed Association budget.
Approval of the budget and annual dues does not select a landscaping contractor. Rather, it provides the Association with the financial resources needed to contract for professional landscaping services that meet the community's needs.
What Happens Next?
The Board is continuing to accept proposals from licensed and insured landscaping companies using the same scope of work.
Proposal submission deadline: July 14, 2026
Homeowners who know of qualified landscaping companies that perform HOA or commercial landscape maintenance are encouraged to share that information with the Board before the submission deadline.
The process moving forward is expected to follow these steps:
Step | Status |
Develop landscaping scope of work | ✓ Complete |
Request proposals from landscaping companies | ✓ In Progress |
Homeowners vote on proposed budget and annual dues | Next (July 21, 2026) |
Proposal submission deadline | July 14, 2026 |
Board evaluates all active proposals | After submission deadline & dues vote |
Board selects landscaping contractor | Following proposal evaluation |
If the proposed budget is approved, the Board will evaluate all active proposals received and select the contractor that best meets the Association's needs within the approved budget.
If the proposed budget is not approved, the Board will revisit the landscaping scope of work and available funding. This may require requesting new proposals for a reduced level of service that better aligns with the Association's approved budget and available dues revenue.
Proposed Contractor Selection Process
To further promote transparency, the Board recommends using the following process when selecting a landscaping contractor:
Accept proposals through the published submission deadline using the same scope of work for all bidders.
Review all active proposals using consistent evaluation criteria, including cost, services provided, contract terms, and overall value.
Discuss all proposals received during a public Board meeting.
Conduct a public Board vote to approve the selected contractor, with each Board member voting Yes or No, and record the vote in the meeting minutes.
Require any Board member with an actual or perceived conflict of interest to disclose that relationship and recuse themselves from participating in the discussion and vote on that proposal.
The Board believes this process promotes transparency, fairness, and accountability while ensuring the Association selects the proposal that best meets the community's needs.
Final Thoughts
The Board's goal is to maintain Briarwood's common areas in a way that reflects the community's expectations while responsibly managing Association funds.
The proposed dues increase is intended to provide the financial resources needed to support a higher level of professional landscaping than the current contract provides.
If the proposed budget is not approved, the Board will revise the scope of services and continue working toward a solution that fits within the Association's available funding.
We encourage all homeowners to review the proposed budget, ask questions, and participate in the upcoming budget meeting.
