Question 1

Beds: Begin here if you are just getting started with Sections

Accepted Answer

This guide introduces you to working with Sections in Elevation Advisor, using the Beds section as a detailed example. While we’ll focus on creating and managing beds within a proposal, the steps and best practices outlined here apply broadly to all landscape sections. By the end, you’ll have a solid understanding of how to measure, structure, and populate any section with confidence.

To illustrate the process, we’ll use a real-world example from a landscape designed by our co-founder’s company.

Elevation Advisor Sample Design

This design is divided into two distinct areas:

The first area, outlined in blue, represents what the client originally requested. In the proposal, we refer to everything within this blue boundary as the Patio Area.
The second area, outlined in red, is called the Garden Area. This portion is presented in the proposal as optional additional work the client may choose to include.

Focusing on the Patio Area, you'll notice a patio, planting beds, various plants, and a walkway. Each of these individual components is treated as a Section in Elevation Advisor.

|| A Section is any distinct part of a landscape design, such as a patio, bed, or walkway, that can be measured, scheduled, and priced independently within a proposal.

Measuring Beds in the Patio Area

Let’s begin by measuring the beds within the blu

Question 2

Onboarding Checklist

Accepted Answer

Welcome to Elevation Advisor!

Q: How to Use Profit Genie

${youtube}<a href="jyw2R247NDY">Master Profit Genie: How Small Changes Create Big Profits</a> Profit Genie is an intelligent budgeting tool that helps you take control of your business finances. If you haven't already done so, make sure you've set up your business in Profit Genie. Our set up guide is available <a href="https://support.elevationadvisor.com/en-us/article/filling-out-profit-genie-wizard-1r36zas/?bust=1758841124883">here</a>. Profit Genie will calculate the daily amount you need to charge to ensure your estimates align with your financial objectives. <h3 id="whyitworks">Why It Works</h3> Profit Genie is built on a simple but powerful idea. Instead of trying to guess what to charge based on materials or industry averages, it calculates your pricing based on three things: <ul> <li>Your labor costs</li> <li>Your overhead expenses</li> <li>Your year-end profit goal</li> </ul> It tells you exactly how much you need to charge per day, per crew, and per hour to hit your goals. This removes the guesswork and gives you a clear, confident path forward. Unlike traditional forecasting methods, which can be time-consuming and unreliable, Profit Genie focuses only on what you can control. That makes it easier, faster, and more accurate. <img src="https://elevation-knowledgebase.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/PG/Images/Using_PG_1.png" alt="Figure 1: Profit Genie dashboard, highlighting key financial metrics and pricing calculations." width="800" height="386" /> <h3 id="thepowerofsmalladjustments">The Power of Small Adjustments</h3> One of the most powerful features of Profit Genie

Q: Creating Change Orders

We have been surprised that to many Landscapers, change orders feel like betrayal. You’re deep into a job, your crews are humming, your schedule is tight, and then it hits. A client wants to add something. Or fix something. Or change something they swore was final. Suddenly, you’re chasing down old texts, decoding half-remembered conversations, and trying to make sense of sticky notes and voicemails. You’re not just managing a job anymore; you’re managing chaos. And worst of all, you’re the one who has to call the next client and say, “We’re delayed.” Again. But here’s the truth: change orders aren’t the enemy. They’re the moment your client says, “I trust you.” They’re proof that your work is so good, they want more of it. And statistically, they’re worth it. Most change orders increase the total contract value by 5–10%, and contractors who embrace them as part of their process see a 30%+ boost in revenue without chasing new leads. What makes Elevation Advisor unique is that it’s the only software purpose-built for landscape contractors that fully automates change orders. It treats them as full proposals with integrated pricing, scheduling, budgeting, and invoicing. Even better, change orders in Elevation Advisor aren’t just a way to stay organized. They’re a powerful part of your ISPS (Integrated Sales Psychology and Strategies) toolbox. They allow you to present upgrades with clarity, build trust through transparency, and increase project value without chasing new

Before you dive into creating proposals or exploring Profit Genie, this checklist will walk you through the essential setup steps to ensure your numbers are accurate, your pricing is profitable, and your business is ready to run at full speed.

Think of this as your guided path to success, each step builds the foundation for smarter decisions, better margins, and more confidence in every proposal you send. It only takes a little time to set up, but the payoff is huge.

And don’t forget that there is a “See How it Works” video at the top of every page. It should help you understand the page and what is being asked for

Let’s get you dialed in and ready to go!

✅ STEP 1: Complete the Profit Genie Wizard

${youtube}Filling Out the Profit Genie Wizard

Navigate to: Profit Genie

Enter company name
Add # of full-time and part-time field employees
Set workdays per week and daily work hours
Choose your construction season dates
Enter # of observed holidays

|| ℹ️ Why it matters: This determines how many working days are available to cover your annual overhead, forming the foundation of your entire financial model.

✅ STEP 2: Add Equipment

${youtube}How to Set Up Equipment in Elevation Advisor

Navigate to: Catalog > Equipment

Set fuel prices (unleaded, diesel, off-road)
Create equipment categories
Add your owned or financed equipment
M

Question 3

How to Use Profit Genie

Accepted Answer

${youtube}Master Profit Genie: How Small Changes Create Big Profits

Profit Genie is an intelligent budgeting tool that helps you take control of your business finances. If you haven't already done so, make sure you've set up your business in Profit Genie. Our set up guide is available here. Profit Genie will calculate the daily amount you need to charge to ensure your estimates align with your financial objectives.

Why It Works

Profit Genie is built on a simple but powerful idea. Instead of trying to guess what to charge based on materials or industry averages, it calculates your pricing based on three things:

Your labor costs
Your overhead expenses
Your year-end profit goal

It tells you exactly how much you need to charge per day, per crew, and per hour to hit your goals. This removes the guesswork and gives you a clear, confident path forward. Unlike traditional forecasting methods, which can be time-consuming and unreliable, Profit Genie focuses only on what you can control. That makes it easier, faster, and more accurate.

Figure 1: Profit Genie dashboard, highlighting key financial metrics and pricing calculations.

The Power of Small Adjustments

One of the most powerful features of Profit Genie

Question 4

Edging

Accepted Answer

If this is your first time working in landscape sections, we recommend reviewing the Beds article first. It walks through the basics and uses the same sample project referenced here.

In the Elevation Advisor sample design, there’s a small amount of edging located in the blue-outlined area along the edge of the lawn.

Adding Edging to Your Proposal

If you haven’t already added edging:

Click Edit in the top right corner.
Select Edging from the template library.
Click Save to add it to your proposal.

Materials & Labor

Once Edging is selected, move to the Materials/Labor area. You’ll see one option labeled Edging Type with a blue Connect Item button.

Click Connect Item to choose your specific product and enter the quantity.
In our example, we used 25 ft of Ace of Diamond plastic edging.
To add more materials, click +Add Material and choose from the Materials sidebar.
To adjust labor, double-click the Crew Hours value and enter the time manually.

Figure 1: Entering Edging materials and labor.

Finalizing the Section

Once materials and labor are set, you can:

Change Crew Size, Add labor, equipment, or subcontractors

Question 5

Creating Change Orders

Accepted Answer

We have been surprised that to many Landscapers, change orders feel like betrayal. You’re deep into a job, your crews are humming, your schedule is tight, and then it hits. A client wants to add something. Or fix something. Or change something they swore was final. Suddenly, you’re chasing down old texts, decoding half-remembered conversations, and trying to make sense of sticky notes and voicemails. You’re not just managing a job anymore; you’re managing chaos. And worst of all, you’re the one who has to call the next client and say, “We’re delayed.” Again.

But here’s the truth: change orders aren’t the enemy. They’re the moment your client says, “I trust you.” They’re proof that your work is so good, they want more of it. And statistically, they’re worth it. Most change orders increase the total contract value by 5–10%, and contractors who embrace them as part of their process see a 30%+ boost in revenue without chasing new leads.

What makes Elevation Advisor unique is that it’s the only software purpose-built for landscape contractors that fully automates change orders. It treats them as full proposals with integrated pricing, scheduling, budgeting, and invoicing.

Even better, change orders in Elevation Advisor aren’t just a way to stay organized. They’re a powerful part of your ISPS (Integrated Sales Psychology and Strategies) toolbox. They allow you to present upgrades with clarity, build trust through transparency, and increase project value without chasing new

Question 6

Navigating the Proposals Page

Accepted Answer

The Proposal Page in Elevation Advisor is your central hub for managing every proposal you've created. As you begin building and sending proposals, it will populate with a running list of every job you've quoted. This view helps you quickly find, sort, and take action on proposals at every stage of the sales process.

Figure 1: Proposal Page, displaying a list of proposals with filtering and sorting options.

At the top of the screen, you’ll find a search bar where you can type in a client’s name or other unique information to locate a specific proposal. To the right of that is the "Filter by Status" dropdown, which lets you sort proposals based on where they are in the sales journey:

Draft: Proposals you're still working on and haven’t sent yet. These are editable and flexible as you finalize measurements, materials, and packages. In draft mode, you will see the date the draft was created.
Sent: Proposals that have been sent to the client but not yet opened. These are locked from editing but can still be resent or printed. You will see the date the proposal was sent to the client.
Viewed: Proposals the client has opened but hasn’t accepted yet. This status helps you gauge engagement.
Accepted: Proposals the client has signed off on with the date of acceptance noted; these move automatically to the "Proposals to

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