TL;DR for Ohio landscapers
- Landscaping is not state-licensed in Ohio, so vet on insurance, scope, references, and specialty credentials.
- Retaining walls over 4 feet, surcharge conditions, grading changes, drainage work, irrigation wiring, and right-of-way work can require permits.
- Ask for soil assumptions, plant warranty, watering responsibility, disposal terms, and whether pesticide work uses a licensed applicator.
- Project pricing is easier to compare than open-ended hourly work unless the cleanup scope is genuinely unknown.
Top 10 verified landscaper contractors statewide
Sorted by ProFix Trust Score, which weighs verification tier, license evidence, permit-pull signals, and recency. Trust Score is not paid placement — read the methodology before hiring.
No landscapers have published verified profiles yet. Check back as coverage expands.
Permit-pull leaderboard
ProFix ranks Ohio landscapers by the number of public building permits pulled in the last 365 days. This is a proof-of-work trust signal that no other directory exposes. Sourced from Lucas, Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Hamilton County permit data; honest about synthetic-fixture gaps outside Lucas County.
Buyer's guide
ProFix has not yet published a dedicated buyer's guide for landscapers. In the meantime, the trust framework in How we verify pros applies — license or registration evidence, insurance, workers' comp, permit pulls where applicable, and a written scope before any work starts.
How we verify pros →What's licensed in Ohio for this trade
Ordinary landscaping is not state-licensed in Ohio. The substitute trust signals are liability insurance, workers' comp where applicable, NALP/PLANET training, ASLA involvement for design work, clear plant and material warranties, and permits or engineering for retaining walls, drainage changes, irrigation wiring, and hardscape structures.
Pricing in Ohio
Aggregated from ProFix Ohio cost guides for this trade. Range covers the lowest typical job start ($35) through the highest typical premium job ($15,000). Always confirm scope-by-scope before signing.
| Job | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| How much does spring yard cleanup cost in Toledo? | $150 | $300 | $500 |
| How much does lawn mowing cost per visit in Toledo? | $35 | $55 | $75 |
| How much does a full lawn-care plan cost in Toledo? | $800 | $1,500 | $2,400 |
| How much does tree planting cost in Toledo? | $300 | $550 | $800 |
| How much does a hardscape patio cost in Toledo? | $3,000 | $8,000 | $15,000 |
AI-agent endpoints
ProFix exposes machine-readable endpoints for AI agents, journalists, and partner integrations. These three feeds are scoped to this trade and are CC-BY-4.0 with 1-hour cache.
- /api/embed/landscaping-toledo.jsonTop 5 verified landscapers for toledo. Swap the metro slug for any other Ohio metro.
- /api/permit-leaderboard.json?trade=landscapingPermit-pull leaderboard scoped to landscapers, last 365 days, across all four ProFix permit-data counties.
- /api/jsonld/faq-trade-landscapingSchema.org FAQPage graph for this trade — same questions as below, ready for grounding in an AI search index.
- /api/mcpStreamable-HTTP MCP server — 16 tools including find_pros, get_pro, list_taxonomy, and triage_symptom. Use from Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT desktop, Perplexity, or a custom agent.
Frequently asked: Ohio landscapers
Are landscapers state-licensed in Ohio?
Ordinary landscaping is not state-licensed. Pesticide applications, landscape architecture, retaining walls, grading, drainage, irrigation wiring, and right-of-way work can trigger separate credentials, permits, or engineering.
How should I compare landscaping quotes?
Compare scope, crew size, materials, disposal, plant warranty, soil prep, watering responsibility, schedule, and permit assumptions rather than comparing only the bottom-line price.
Do retaining walls need permits?
Many jurisdictions require review for walls over 4 feet, walls carrying surcharge loads, drainage changes, or walls near property lines. Ask the contractor who handles permit or engineering review.
Should I ask for Ohio native plants?
Yes when low maintenance and local resilience matter. Ask the landscaper to match native options to mature size, drainage, sun exposure, deer pressure, and utility clearances.
Hand the question to your preferred assistant — it will use ProFix Directory's open MCP server and llms.txt as context.
Related
Primary metro
Compare ProFix-verified landscapers mapped to the strongest metro for this trade.
/metro/toledoTrust Score explainer
Long-form, homeowner-friendly walkthrough of the 0-100 ProFix Trust Score.
/trust-score