Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Maintenance Work FAQ

Frequently asked questions about landscape maintenance

 
Mowing, edging, small shrubs and tree pruning, weeding, refreshing bark mulch, adjusing sprinkler heads for coverage, programming irrigation controllers, planting of outdoor pots and containers when the pots and containers can be moved without the use of power equipment when empty or filled.
No. Landscape maintenance is not regulated by the State of Oregon. However, you should check with your city or county for possible local license or permit requirements.
Anyone can advertise for landscape maintenance work. A landscape license is not required with the Landscape Contractors Board.
A landscape maintenance business may perform a limited amount of landscape work called casual, minor, or inconsequential only if ALL the following criteria below are met: 
  • Performing ongoing maintenance work for a regular customer during the year. 
  • Limited to $500 (labor and materials) of this type of landscape work per job site, per year. 
PLEASE NOTE: You CANNOT advertise for this work since it can only be performed for existing customers.

Casual, Minor or Inconsequential means:
  • ​Replacement planting of shrubs, vines, and nursery stock which are similar in habit and culture. 
  • Replacement of existing lawns. 
  • Planting of annuals, perennials and bulbs in existing beds. 
  • Non-concrete landscape edging
  • Replacement of three or fewer malfunctioning sprinkler heads with heads of the same or of a similar type and hydraulic equivalency per job site.


​Yes. Either an LCB or a CCB license will allow you to perform this work.  However, if you also want to plant trees, you must have an LCB license.  A CCB license does NOT allow you to plant trees.
No. A landscape maintenance business may replace trees if the maintenance business primarily performs maintenance work on the property and the replacement value of all labor, materials or other items supplied for the work does not exceed $500.
You must meet the requirements of casual, minor or inconsequential work. See FAQ for definition. You may do patch repair work to fill-in or even-out the lawn area for a regular maintenance customer.
You can "refresh" the gravel of an existing path or walkway. You cannot create a new walkway or install edging.
Landscape design work does not require a license as long as the designs do not include construction details or specifications.
No. You would be required to have an LCB or CCB licene in order to arrange and contract for the installation work.
The Department of Agriculture issues Pesticide Applicators Licenses. You can contact them at 503-986-4550 for their requirements.