Boards and management companies decide who to invite before the request for proposals goes out. If they don't know you, you never see it.
Landscaping play · HOA contracts
HOA landscaping contracts, won by reaching the board before the bid goes out.
One HOA contract can be worth more than a hundred residential lawns, and it renews every year. Spur finds associations in your area through their common-area parcels, identifies the board or management company, and mails a proposal letter timed ahead of budget season, so you're on the bid list before it's written.
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USPSFirst-Class
Ray Alvarez, Board PresidentVal Vista Lakes Community Assn.Gilbert, AZ 85234Scan for our HOA proposal
Ray A. downloaded your HOA proposal · 2 days ago
AI-written for this owner · Mailed in 2 days
1 contractcan equal 100+ residential maintenance accounts
Board + managerboth reached, because both influence the bid
Before budgettimed ahead of annual budget and renewal cycles
The problem
HOA contracts go to whoever was on the bid list, and most landscapers aren't.
There's no single public list of HOAs. Most landscapers rely on word of mouth and the few communities they already maintain.
The volunteer board votes, but the management company often shortlists vendors. Reaching only one of them leaves the other unconvinced.
How it works
From list to mailbox in one workflow.
Five steps from an association map to a proposal on the board's agenda.
app.usespur.com
See it in Spur
An HOA prospect list in Spur
Sample associations in Gilbert and Chandler, AZ, found through HOA-owned common-area parcels. Names are partly masked.
Gilbert + Chandler, AZHOA-owned parcel150–1,500 homesCommon area 5+ acres
- Val Vista Lakes Community Assn.1,300 homes · lakes, parksManaged by AAMBoard: R. AlvarezBuilt 1986–1995
- Finley Farms HOA580 homes · greenbeltsSelf-managedContract renews JanBuilt 2002
- Seville Community Assn.1,100 homes · golf frontageManaged by FirstServiceBuilt 200418 acres common
- Cooper Commons HOA210 homes · retention basinsSelf-managedBuilt 1999Board turnover
- Layton Lakes HOA760 homes · parks, trailsManaged by CCMCBuilt 2008Reserve study due
AI draft for Val Vista Lakes Community Assn. · Board
Dear Mr. Alvarez and the Val Vista Lakes Board,
Many Gilbert associations review landscape maintenance contracts in the fall, ahead of the new budget year. If Val Vista Lakes is planning to bid its landscaping, we would welcome the chance to be included.
Desert Ridge Landscape Management maintains 22 communities in the East Valley, including several with lakes and park systems like yours. We assign a dedicated account manager, send the board a monthly report with photos, and have helped associations cut water use by converting turf to low-water plantings where it makes sense.
Scan the code to download our HOA proposal and references. We'd be glad to walk the property with your manager and provide a detailed bid at no cost.
Marco Diaz · Desert Ridge Landscape Management · AZ ROC #297104 · (480) 555-0128
Sample data for illustration. Your results depend on your market and filters.
Playbook
How to win HOA landscaping contracts
Homeowners associations are one of the largest buyers of landscape maintenance in the country. The Community Associations Institute estimates that more than 75 million Americans live in about 365,000 community associations, and landscaping is often one of the biggest line items in an association's operating budget. A single master-planned community can be worth tens of thousands of dollars a month, with a contract that renews year after year.
Winning that work starts long before the request for proposals. Most associations invite a short list of vendors to bid, and that list is set by the board and, if the community is professionally managed, the management company. If neither knows your company, you never see the bid. The goal of direct mail is to get on that list.
Finding associations is the first challenge, because there's no single public directory. Common-area parcels owned by an association, such as entrance monuments, parks, retention ponds, greenbelts, and open space, show where HOAs exist and roughly how big they are. Public records and state filings often list each association's mailing address and registered agent. Many larger communities are run by management companies, which handle vendor selection for several associations at once.
Reach both audiences. Write to the board, which votes on the contract, and to the community manager, who shortlists vendors and manages day-to-day service. Name the community, its common areas, and its size, and explain what matters to boards: reliable crews, clear communication, monthly reporting, responsiveness to homeowner complaints, and, in dry climates, water savings from smart irrigation and low-water plantings.
Time your mail to the budget cycle. Many associations set budgets and review major contracts in the late summer and fall for a January start, though cycles vary. Mail two to three months ahead, offer a free site walk and proposal, and follow up before the board meets.
Be ready for the bid. Boards will ask for proof of insurance, licenses, references from other associations, sample reports, and a clear scope of work. Have them in a downloadable proposal linked from the QR code, so a board member who scans can share it with the rest of the board before the meeting.
102×return on a year of Spur Team from one $60,000-a-year HOA contract
One HOA contract pays for Spur many times over.
- Spur Team: $49/mo billed annually = $588/yr
- 120 associations × 2 contacts × 2 letters = 480 letters at $1.29 = $619
- One $60,000-a-year contract and one $36,000-a-year contract = $96,000 a year, about 80× the software and postage combined
Example math. Contract size, bid cycles, and win rates vary by market and community. Run your own numbers →
One tool, not four
Spur vs. the usual way to find HOA work
What you needThe usual waySpur
Every association mapped by parcelWord of mouth✓ Built in
Board and manager both reachedOne cold call to the office✓ Built in
Letter about their communityGeneric capabilities brochure✓ Built in
Timed to the budget cycleReach out after the bid is awarded✓ Built in
Proposal downloads trackedNo signal before the meeting✓ Built in
HOA Contracts by the numbers
Why HOAs are a large, recurring landscaping market
75M+
Americans live in about 365,000 community associations
Top line item
landscaping is often one of the largest costs in an HOA operating budget
102×
return on a year of Spur Team from one $60,000-a-year HOA contract
FAQ
HOA landscaping contract questions
How do landscapers get HOA contracts?
Get on the bid list before the request for proposals goes out. Find associations through their common-area parcels, mail the board and the management company a letter about their community, and offer a free site walk and proposal.
How do I find HOAs in my area?
Search for parcels owned by an association, such as entrances, parks, retention ponds, and open space. Public records and state filings often show each association's mailing address and registered agent.
When do HOAs bid landscaping contracts?
Many review major contracts during budget season, often late summer and fall for a January start, but cycles vary. Mail two to three months before the board sets its budget.
Who decides on an HOA landscaping contract?
The board votes, but in professionally managed communities the management company often shortlists vendors. Reach both with the same proposal.
What do HOA boards look for in a landscaper?
Reliable crews, clear communication, monthly reporting, quick response to homeowner concerns, proof of insurance and licensing, references from other associations, and, in dry climates, water savings.
Keep exploring
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