Quick answer: Commercial landscape installation in South Florida is the planting, sod and irrigation work a building needs to pass its site final. In many cities, that inspection comes before the certificate of occupancy. Green Image installs for general contractors and developers in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami Dade, working from the plan and closing the punch list in writing.
Landscape is one of the last trades on a commercial job, which means it inherits every delay that came before it. You need a landscape subcontractor that can still hit the CO date, and that hands you closeout paperwork your owner and your lender will accept. This page explains how we run commercial installs, from plan review to turnover, and how we handle HOA and commercial renovations on occupied sites.
Why does landscape installation hold up the certificate of occupancy?
Landscape installation holds up the CO because many Florida cities will not issue one until the landscape is complete and inspected. Pompano Beach, for example, writes it into its code: no certificate of occupancy, permanent or temporary, is issued unless the landscaping requirements are met (Pompano Beach Code 155.125). Miami Dade requires a landscape compliance certification at final inspection.
So a late landscape crew does not just delay its own scope. It can hold up retainage on the whole prime contract, the closing and the next lender draw, because those often key off the CO or substantial completion. That is why we plan the landscape schedule backward from your CO date at the start of the job, not after the building is dried in.
How we run a commercial landscape install, from plans to final grade
Every commercial install follows the same order, so your superintendent always knows what we need and when. The steps below are what you can expect on your job.
- Plan review before pricing. We read the landscape and irrigation plans before we price them, and we send written questions on conflicts or missing details. You get answers into the RFI log early, instead of a surprise in the field.
- A proposal with named scope and named exclusions. Each line ties back to the plan sheets, so you can compare our number to the other bids line by line.
- Sequencing with the other trades. Irrigation sleeves have to go in before paving, often months before planting, so we flag sleeve locations at the start. Drainage and grading are coordinated with your site contractor, so final grade is ready when plant material arrives.
- Material ordered against your schedule. Specimen trees and palms can take months to source, so long lead items are ordered as soon as the plan is approved. Sod is timed to the season, because warm season turf roots best in warm soil.
- Installation to the plan. Trees, palms, shrubs, groundcover, sod and mulch go in as drawn, with irrigation tested zone by zone before the beds are finished.
- Punch list and closeout. Each punch list item is photographed when it is complete, so you can close it without a second walk.
See Our Paperwork Before You Call
Real documents from real commercial installs, with names removed.
Today
AfterSample Proposal
A written proposal from a real community entrance job, with photos of the site today, renderings, named scope and named exclusions, so you can compare it line by line against other bids.
Arrival
DepartureSample Daily Job Log
The daily report your project manager receives for each day on site, with arrival and departure photos, work marked done or next, and problems and extra work, so your superintendent always knows where the install stands.
Substitutions and field changes, in writing
Substitutions and field changes are documented in writing before anything goes in the ground. Nurseries run short on specific material in South Florida, especially specimen palms, so a substitution request is common on larger jobs.
When a plant on the schedule is not available, we send you the proposed replacement, its size and the reason before we order. You decide, and the decision goes into the job file. That keeps the landscape architect, the inspector and your owner looking at the same plant list at the site final.
What is in our scope, and what is quoted separately?
Our standard installation scope covers removal of existing material, bed preparation, planting and mulch. Irrigation, sod and hardscape are quoted as separate lines, so you can award them together or carve them out.
| Work | How we handle it |
|---|---|
| Trees, palms and shrubs | Installed by our own crews, using tree installation methods suited to the site |
| Sod | Its own line, timed to the season |
| Irrigation | Its own line, installed and tested by our crews |
| Drainage | Catch basins and French drains quoted on their own |
| Concrete and asphalt | Sent to licensed subcontractors and coordinated under our scope |
Because the scope names what is excluded, your buyout sheet shows exactly where our work stops and the next trade’s work starts.
What closeout documents does a landscape subcontractor provide?
A landscape subcontractor should hand you everything your closeout package needs from its scope, at the time you need it. On a typical commercial job, that means the items below, and we confirm your project’s exact list at kickoff.
- Lien waivers for each pay application, with final waivers in the closeout package.
- Irrigation as built drawings and the controller chart.
- The final plant list, including any approved substitutions.
- Photos of each completed punch list item.
- Care instructions for the owner or the association taking over the property.
Missing paperwork is one of the most common reasons final payment slips, so we track these items from the first pay application instead of assembling them at the end.
The GC Field Guide to Selecting a Landscaper
Landscape is one of the last trades on the job, so a late or incomplete scope lands on your CO date. This free guide helps you check a landscape subcontractor before you award the scope.
- The 9 step install order, so you know what has to happen before final
- 10 red flags to catch in a bid before you sign
- A 50 point scorecard to compare landscape subcontractors on the same terms
Plants chosen to survive the site
Plant material is chosen for what the site will face after turnover, not just how it looks at the site final. A property near the ocean needs salt tolerant species, while an inland parking island needs plants that handle heat and reflected light off the pavement.
When a plan calls for material that will struggle on the site, we say so in writing during plan review. Enroll in Plants for Life, and we replace any plant we install that dies of natural causes for the life of the plant.
Landscape renovation for HOA and commercial properties
Renovation on an occupied property is a different job from new construction, because residents and tenants are on site every day. For HOA boards and commercial property managers, we phase the work by area, so entrances, walkways and parking stay usable.
The proposal shows each phase with its own scope, so a board can approve the full plan or start with 1 area. Smaller refresh work, like bed replacements and seasonal color, is covered on our landscape enhancements page.
After turnover
After turnover, Green Image can stay on as the maintenance contractor for the owner or the association. That gives the new owner 1 company that knows what was planted, where the irrigation runs and which items were substituted. Our commercial grounds maintenance page explains how that program works.
Frequently asked questions
Do you work as a landscape subcontractor for general contractors?
Yes. Green Image is a landscape subcontractor for commercial general contractors in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami Dade. Our general contractors page covers how we work with your project team.
Can you price from plans before the site is ready?
Yes. Send us the landscape and irrigation plans, and we review them before pricing. Our written questions come with the proposal, so open items are visible before award.
What areas do you cover for commercial installation?
We install across Palm Beach, Broward and Miami Dade, from our office in Boca Raton. See our guide to commercial landscaping in South Florida for every city we serve.
Do you install for homeowners?
No. Green Image works only on commercial properties, new construction for general contractors and developers, and HOA and condo communities.
Send us the plans
Send us your landscape and irrigation plans, and we will review them and come back with written questions and a proposal. Our free GC Field Guide to Selecting a Landscaper covers what to check before you award the landscape scope.