Recent research based on a survey of 510 commercial landscaping professionals revealed a key shift in the industry. While 59 percent of contractors plan to grow revenue this year, nearly half say increasing margins is now a top priority. The survey was conducted by Aspire Software, a ServiceTitan company as part of its 2026 Landscaping Technology Trends Report.
The findings suggest many contractors are learning that being busy does not necessarily translate to being profitable. The data shows that contractors with deeply integrated systems are better positioned to protect margins, reclaim time, and scale with confidence.
"For years, growth was defined by adding more crews and winning more contracts," said Eli Zevin, General Manager at Aspire Software. "Now contractors are realizing that without real-time visibility into job costs and labor performance, growth can quietly erode profitability. The businesses pulling ahead are the ones that can see what is happening before a job closes, not after."
Revenue Growth Outpaces Margin Visibility
While 59 percent of contractors plan to increase revenue in 2026, the report found 47 percent say margin improvement is a top priority. However, many contractors lack the operational systems needed to achieve both.
Among contractors relying primarily on manual tools, none reported profit margins above 15 percent. Spreadsheet users clustered heavily in the 4 to 7 percent margin range, with only 9 percent reaching above 11 percent. More than half of manual-tool users believe their current systems will restrict growth over the next five years, and 40 percent forecast a decline in profits this year.
By contrast, contractors operating on deeply integrated platforms show stronger financial performance. One in five Aspire users reported profit margins above 11 percent, and 49 percent forecast profit growth in the year ahead.
"Every year we have been on the system, we have made more money," said Ben Collinsworth, Founder of Native Land Design. "The visibility into performance while jobs are still in progress changes how you manage the business."
The difference, the report found, is not simply whether software exists, but how deeply it is embedded into daily operations. Businesses that regularly compare estimated hours to actual production and review job margins before invoicing report greater financial stability and stronger growth confidence.
Software Alone Does Not Solve Operational Challenges
Nearly half of contractors with software in place still struggle with core operational functions. The report found that 46 percent of contractors struggle with scheduling and 43 percent struggle with invoicing, even with software tools. Among non-Aspire enterprise users, 43 percent report lacking estimating tools and 35 percent lack job costing capabilities, two functions directly tied to margin control.
Contractors operating on consolidated platforms also report fewer disconnected systems. Sixty-five percent of those users operate with only one to four core systems, while 17 percent of those on non-consolidated setups juggle seven or more. Fewer, more integrated systems correlate with higher reported margins and lower administrative burden.
Time Savings Translate Into Strategic Growth
The operational impact extends beyond margin performance. Contractors using manual tools typically save less than five hours per week through their current setup. In contrast, contractors on optimized platforms are five times more likely to save 11 to 20 hours per week, nearly half of a full-time role without adding headcount.
Across key workflows, integrated platform users report measurable efficiency gains, including 26 percent in route planning, 23 percent in scheduling, 22 percent in job costing, and 15 percent in estimating.
Sixty-one percent of Aspire users cite labor efficiency improvements as a top driver of profit, more than any other surveyed platform.
Scale Feels Different With Real-Time Visibility
The research highlights a clear divide in how contractors perceive growth opportunities. Among integrated platform users, 79 percent feel prepared to scale over the next five years and 61 percent identify their platform as a competitive advantage. Sixty percent of Aspire users rate the platform's innovation as industry-leading or above average.
For contractors relying on manual tools, scaling often feels riskier. Reporting delays, manual reconciliation, and limited forecasting visibility create operational friction that compounds as revenue grows.
The report concludes that the most confident contractors share a common capability: reporting that reflects field performance close to real time, with estimating, job costing, scheduling, and invoicing connected without manual reconciliation.
While revenue growth may still be achievable through hustle alone, the data suggests profit growth increasingly depends on visibility.
About the Research
This research was conducted by Thrive Analytics on behalf of Aspire, polling more than 500 commercial landscaping professionals representing a variety of geographical regions, business growth stages, and revenue levels. This research is for informational purposes only, and neither ServiceTitan nor Aspire provide any assurances (express or implied) regarding the accuracy of the survey data. Forward-looking economic and industry outlooks represent the views of the survey respondents, and may not represent the view of ServiceTitan, Aspire or their affiliates. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied.
