The disclaimer upfront
I am the security engineer at Servicio, not the company lawyer. What follows is general guidance drawn from shop-level patterns, not legal advice. Run any service-agreement changes past a lawyer in your state — it costs $200–400 for a review and saves you everything.
The four situations
In the 2025 calendar year, four Servicio-using shops had incidents that could have turned into lawsuits and did not, specifically because of how their service agreement was worded:
- A client's underground irrigation line was cut during a routine edging job. Repair cost: $680. Client demanded the shop pay. Shop's agreement contained a clause about unmarked underground utilities; shop was not liable. Client quietly paid the repair.
- A dog bit a tech on a residential property. Tech filed workers' comp. Homeowner's insurance tried to push the cost onto the shop's general liability. The agreement's dog-status disclosure clause put responsibility squarely on the homeowner's insurance. Shop paid nothing additional.
- A chemical application killed a new section of sod that had been installed 11 days before the application. Homeowner demanded reimbursement. The agreement's "client must notify of new plantings within 14 days of installation" clause resolved it without payment.
- A dead tree limb, still attached, fell during a pruning visit and damaged a client's car. The agreement's limitation-of-liability clause capped damages at one month of service fees. Shop paid $340, not $4,200.
The paragraph we recommend (again, have your lawyer review)
Customer Property and Utilities. Service Provider is not liable for damage to underground utilities, irrigation lines, landscape lighting, or other infrastructure that is not marked or visibly indicated at the time of service. Customer is responsible for marking any such infrastructure and for notifying Service Provider of any new plantings, installations, or property changes within fourteen (14) days. Customer warrants that all animals on the property are disclosed in writing and appropriately restrained during service visits. Service Provider's total liability under this agreement shall not exceed one (1) monthly service fee, except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Why most shops do not have this
Service agreements tend to evolve in the following way: the first shop owner writes something off a template. It works well enough for ten years. The shop passes to a family member. Nobody reads the agreement again because it is "the one we have always used." Meanwhile the legal landscape has moved. Limitations of liability have new caselaw. Dog-bite statutes have been updated. Utility-marking laws have shifted. The agreement that was solid in 2012 is a liability exposure in 2026.
The operational move
Today: open the PDF of your current service agreement. Send it to a local small-business attorney with three questions: (1) is the limitation-of-liability clause enforceable in my state in 2026? (2) does it protect me against the four common scenarios above? (3) what would you add? Ask them to send you a redline. $300. Done.
Servicio does not ship a legal template and will not — agreements must be reviewed per-state — but the platform does store the current agreement per-tenant, attach a signed copy to every new client, and version it so you always know which version of the agreement a particular client signed under. The operational part is solved; the legal part is an owner decision.