Compare payroll software for landscaping businesses, lawn care companies, and teams managing crew payroll plus seasonal workers and 1099 subs.
Landscaping and lawn care companies need payroll that handles W-2 crew and office staff, seasonal hires, and 1099 subcontractors—with labor cost that ties to properties or jobs when you use QuickBooks. Our picks work for small and growing operations, from those running books in QuickBooks to teams that want an all-in-one platform or simple flat-rate payroll.
Our top payroll picks for landscaping.
Best overall for small landscaping companies4.8From $49/moAll-in-one payroll with 1099 support for subs, contractor self-service, and automatic tax forms. Handles W-2 and 1099 in one system. Built-in time tracking helps with crew hours. No sales cycle—good for owners and office managers running payroll.
Best for landscaping companies using QuickBooks4.6From $30/moPayroll inside QuickBooks so labor cost flows into job or property costing. Ideal when you run invoicing and books in QuickBooks. Pay crews and 1099 subs in the same system; time tracking can tie hours to jobs.
Best value for straightforward payroll4.5From $40/moFlat pricing and one plan. Pay W-2 employees and 1099 subcontractors with tax forms included. Simple for small teams and seasonal workforce—works with any accounting software. Support included.
Best for growing landscaping teams4.4From Custom pricingPayroll and HR that scale to more crews and locations. Custom pricing and optional dedicated support. Good when you're expanding and want a full-service partner for compliance and multi-state.
Side-by-side at a glance.
| Software | Best for | Starting price | Payroll types | Standout feature | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gusto | Best overall for small landscaping | $49/mo | W-2, 1099 | 1099 subs; time tracking; all-in-one | Read review |
| QuickBooks Payroll | Landscaping using QuickBooks | $30/mo | W-2, 1099 | Labor cost in jobs; job costing | Read review |
| OnPay | Best value; straightforward payroll | $40/mo | W-2, 1099 | Flat pricing; 1099 included | Read review |
| ADP | Growing landscaping teams | Custom pricing | W-2, 1099, multi-state | Scale; optional dedicated support | Read review |
What to look for when you're choosing payroll as landscaping.
Landscaping companies often have W-2 crew and office staff plus 1099 subs for specialized work (e.g. irrigation, tree work). Your payroll system should handle both in one place—correct withholding for W-2, no withholding for 1099, and the right tax forms (W-2 vs 1099-NEC) at year-end. Contractor self-service lets subs view pay stubs without extra admin.
Peak season means more crew; off-season may mean fewer. Choose payroll that makes it easy to add and remove seasonal employees without long contracts or complex setup. Gusto and OnPay are month-to-month and straightforward; QuickBooks Payroll fits the same pattern when you're already in QuickBooks.
When labor works across properties, routes, or jobs, you need labor cost allocated correctly for pricing and profit. QuickBooks Payroll posts labor to jobs in QuickBooks—ideal if you run books there. Gusto and OnPay sync to QuickBooks but don't push cost to jobs the same way; they're still strong for running payroll and tracking hours.
Crew hours can be captured with mobile apps, time clocks, or manual entry. The best setup syncs hours into payroll so you're not re-entering data. Gusto has built-in time tracking; QuickBooks Payroll integrates with QuickBooks Time for time-by-job. Accurate hours support job costing and overtime compliance.
1099 subcontractors need 1099-NEC at year-end. Confirm your payroll provider includes 1099 runs and e-file without per-form fees. Running contractor payments through the same system as W-2 payroll keeps one record and simplifies reporting.
Many landscaping companies have an owner or office manager running payroll. Choose software that's straightforward to set up and run—published pricing, no long sales cycle, and support when you need it. Gusto and OnPay are built for self-serve; QuickBooks Payroll fits if you already use QuickBooks; ADP offers dedicated support when you're ready to scale.
How each pick fits landscaping: what to validate in a trial, with links to our full reviews and official sites.
Gusto is solid payroll software for landscaping companies that blend seasonal W-2 crews, year-round leads, and 1099 subs for specialty installs or snow overflow. Self-serve onboarding helps when spring hiring spikes before mulch season. During your first payrolls, confirm deposits, overtime on long daylight routes, and easy add-remove for temps without breaking tax accounts. Run a test cycle with maintenance contracts, a one-off hardscape partner paid 1099, and per-job bonuses to see how reimbursements and class splits behave. If you tag crews by route or branch, scan payroll detail before pushing to job costing. You can layer benefits for office staff while field headcount still flexes.
QuickBooks Payroll is payroll software landscaping operators pick when QuickBooks already tracks properties, phases, or jobs, and they need crew labor to post for gross margin by account. One ledger keeps maintenance recurring revenue honest against direct labor. On trial payrolls, reconcile payroll to a few active contracts and a large spring clean job to confirm hours land on the right customers or jobs. Sync QuickBooks Time or another tracker so drive time, shop time, and crew lead time do not get retyped. Validate locals if municipalities layer occupational taxes on top of state withholding. Clean feeds protect pricing when you renew HOA bids.
OnPay is payroll software for landscaping businesses that want flat, understandable pricing while crews grow and shrink with the seasons. Support helps when a late freeze compresses installs into the same pay week as overtime snow pushes. Use early payrolls to prove deposits, new-hire reporting for H-2A adjacent workflows if you hire domestically, and 1099 payouts for irrigation or lighting partners. Import hours with Saturday makeups and split crews across two branches to stress any dimensions you export. Map accounting once if QuickBooks is downstream so class tracking survives. Predictable bills matter when fertilizer invoices hit before client autopays clear.
ADP is payroll software to evaluate for landscaping enterprises with multi-state routes, nursery divisions, or snow operations that need serviced payroll depth as they scale. Quoted programs align complex earning codes with how you report branch P&L to investors or franchisors. After go-live, audit tax registrations for every state where seasonal crews camp during large municipal contracts, not just your yard address. Test multi-location labor splits if you separate design-build from maintenance books. If union municipal work or prevailing wage appears, review certified payroll samples with ADP before agencies ask. Benchmark total serviced cost after those proofs.
Head-to-head comparisons to narrow your choice.
Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll both handle W-2 and 1099 payroll with automatic tax filing, but they target different workflows. Gusto is a sta…
Compare →Gusto and OnPay both serve small businesses with payroll, tax filing, and benefits, but they take different approaches. Gusto offers more HR…
Compare →Gusto and ADP both offer payroll, tax filing, and HR, but they serve different scales. Gusto is built for small businesses with transparent…
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ADP and Paychex are two of the largest full-service payroll and HR providers. Both use custom pricing and serve small business through enter…
Compare →For more options across all use cases, see our best payroll software roundup. To compare platforms side-by-side, see our payroll software comparisons.
Quick answers for this use case.
