Landscape & Hardscape Crew Leader

Run your own crew. Get paid what you're worth.

Freshwater Landscaping is hiring experienced crew leaders — not helpers, not "we'll train you." We're looking for the guy who already knows how to set a base, run a laser, keep a wall plumb, and get a crew off the truck and moving without being told twice.

If that's you, we'll pay for it. $25–$30/hour to start, year-round work, and a real seat at a company that's growing.

Why guys stay here:

• Top-of-market pay. $25–$30/hr starting, based on what you can actually do — not how long you've been somewhere.
• Year-round paychecks. Install and maintenance April through November, snow removal and winter tree work December through March. No winter layoff.
• Performance & end-of-season bonus. Bring jobs in on time and on budget and you share in it.
• Good equipment. Late-model trucks, skid steer and mini excavator, plate compactors, laser levels — the tools to do it right the first time. [Delete this bullet if you'd rather not commit to it.]
• Real work, not filler. Paver patios, walls, outdoor living, drainage, full landscape installs. Jobs you'll be proud to drive past.

What you'll be doing

• Leading a 2–4 person crew on hardscape and landscape installs from layout to final cleanup
• Reading and building from plans — setting grades, elevations, and layout on site
• Hardscape: paver and natural stone patios, walkways, steps, seat walls, segmental retaining walls, fire pits, base prep and compaction, edge restraint, polymeric sand
• Excavation, grading, and drainage: running skid steer and mini excavator, cutting grade, French drains, downspout tie-ins, catch basins
• Landscape installs: plantings, trees, edging, mulch, rock, sod and seed, irrigation repairs [remove if you don't do irrigation]
• Keeping the crew on schedule, on quality, and safe — and calling in early when something on site doesn't match the plan
• Daily job-site communication with the owner: hours, materials used, machine time, and any change orders
• Truck, trailer, and equipment care — pre-trip checks, secure loads, tools accounted for at the end of the day
• Winter: snow plowing, shoveling, salting, and winter tree work

What we require (please don't apply without these)

• 3 years of hardscape construction experience — patios, walkways, and retaining walls you personally built
• 1 year leading a crew (crew leader, foreman, or lead installer)
• Able to read a landscape plan and set grade and layout from it
• Skid steer and mini excavator experience — comfortable operating around finished surfaces and utilities
• Comfortable towing a loaded equipment trailer and backing it into tight driveways
• Valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record (we'll run an MVR)
• Reliable transportation to our Wayzata shop for a [6:30] AM start
• Able to lift 50–80 lbs repeatedly and work outdoors in Minnesota weather
• Legally authorized to work in the U.S.
• 18 or older

What moves you to the top of the pile

• ICPI or NCMA certification
• Experience with segmental walls over 4' or engineered walls
• Outdoor kitchens, water features, low-voltage lighting, or irrigation
• Bilingual English/Spanish
• Snow plowing experience
• Class A or B CDL

Pay: $25.00 - $30.00 per hour

Application Question(s):

• How many years of hardscape experience (patios, walkways, retaining walls) do you have?
• Have you led a crew of 2 or more installers?
• Do you have a valid driver's license and an acceptable driving record?
• Are you comfortable operating a skid steer and a mini excavator?
• Can you reliably start at our Wayzata shop by [6:30] AM?
• Are you available year-round, including snow removal in the winter?
• Describe the largest hardscape project you've personally run. Square footage, crew size, and your role.
• Walk us through your base prep on a paver patio in Minnesota — depth, material, compaction, and how you handle frost.
• Tell us about a time the site didn't match the plan. What did you do?

Work Location: In person

Salary : $25 - $30