LLC formation services for NC landscapers compared
Which LLC formation service should a North Carolina landscaping company use?
What a formation service changes, and what it cannot
A formation service prepares and files your articles of organization. It does not change the $125 North Carolina state fee or any license your crew needs.
The Secretary of State charges the same $125 whoever submits the articles. The pesticide license, the landscape board's company license and any bonds stay your job either way. They are covered in the landscape license guide.
What differs between services is what comes bundled, how the registered agent is handled, and what bills again in year two. If you are still choosing a structure, read the entity comparison first.
$125The North Carolina Secretary of State charges $125 to file LLC articles of organization, whichever service files them. — North Carolina Secretary of State, retrieved 2026-09-27
First-year cost in North Carolina, service by service
Compare the first-year total, not the headline. Most services list a $0 tier plus state fees, so the real gap is the registered agent and what renews.
The table adds North Carolina's $125 filing fee to each service's entry-level published price. Where a service's page did not state a registered agent price or renewal, the table says so rather than guessing.
Watch for anything that starts free and then bills. Tailor Brands' Lite plan includes a 30-day bookkeeping trial that converts to $39 a month unless cancelled.
| Service | Entry plan plus NC fee | Registered agent, year one | What bills again |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tailor Brands | $0 + $125 | Not listed in plan features | Essential and Elite plans yearly; bookkeeping trial at $39 a month |
| Swyft Filings | $0 + $125 | Not priced on the pricing page | Nothing listed on the Basic tier |
| Bizee | $0 + $125 | Included for the first year | Agent service after year one; renewal not stated |
| CorpNet | $99 to $519 + $125, by state | 60 days on Basic; first year on Deluxe | Agent at $149 a year |
| Harbor Compliance | Agent only: $99 | $99 for the first year | Agent at $159 a year |
| ZenBusiness | $0 + $125 | $199 a year | Agent and compliance at $199 a year each |
| File it yourself | $125 | You, or an agent you hire | $200 annual report either way |
$0 + state feesTailor Brands publishes a $0 Lite plan plus state fees, with Essential at $199 per year and Elite at $249 per year, and a bookkeeping trial that converts to $39 a month. — Tailor Brands pricing page, retrieved 2026-09-27
$0 + state feeBizee publishes a $0 Basic plan plus the state fee, with one year of registered agent service included in every formation package. — Bizee pricing page, retrieved 2026-09-27
The services, matched to what a landscaping company needs
These are use-case slots, not a ranking. Each service sits where its own published offer fits the need, and the order is presentation order only.
Every price below comes from the service's own page, checked on 27 September 2026. Nothing here is our rating. Prices change, so open the service's plan page before you pay.
- Tailor Brands
The all-in-one platform slot for a new landscaping or lawn care company. The $0 Lite plan covers the LLC filing, an operating agreement and annual compliance report filing, plus sales and payments tools and a website builder for the route. Essential ($199 a year) adds one-day expedited processing. A registered agent is not listed in the plan features, so arrange one yourself. The bookkeeping trial bills $39 a month after 30 days unless cancelled.
- Swyft Filings
The fastest-filing slot, for a crew that has a commercial bid waiting on the company name. Basic is $0 plus state fees with 7 to 10 business days of processing. Premium, at $269, moves to one business day and adds an EIN, an operating agreement and compliance monitoring. The pricing page does not price a registered agent, so check that before checkout.
- Bizee
The lowest total first-year cost slot when you want a registered agent included: the $0 Basic plan plus North Carolina's $125 fee, with a year of registered agent service in the package. The trade-off is year two. The pricing page does not state what the agent renews at, so ask before the free year ends.
- CorpNet
The slot for getting the EIN handled inside the package. Deluxe includes the federal tax ID and a first year of registered agent service. Basic includes 60 days of agent service. Package prices are published as a range by state. After the included period, the agent renews at $149 a year.
- Harbor Compliance
The slot for a stand-alone registered agent if you file the articles yourself and want your home address off the public record. North Carolina agent service is $99 for the first year and renews at $159 a year, with multi-year purchases locking the $99 rate. It does not file your LLC in that price.
- ZenBusiness
The slot for filing reminders run as a paid service. Starter is $0 plus state fees. Worry-Free Compliance, at $199 a year, handles annual reports and amendments, which covers the April 15 LLC report. Registered agent service is a separate $199 a year, so both lines renew.
$269Swyft Filings publishes a $0 Basic package with 7 to 10 business day processing and a $269 Premium package with one business day processing. — Swyft Filings pricing page, retrieved 2026-09-27
$149 per yearCorpNet's Deluxe package includes an EIN and a first year of registered agent service, and its registered agent retail rate is $149 per year. — CorpNet pricing page, retrieved 2026-09-27
$99, then $159Harbor Compliance lists North Carolina registered agent service at $99 for the first year, renewing at $159 annually. — Harbor Compliance North Carolina registered agent page, retrieved 2026-09-27
$199 per yearZenBusiness lists registered agent service at $199 per year and Worry-Free Compliance at $199 per year. — ZenBusiness pricing page, retrieved 2026-09-27
File it yourself with the North Carolina Secretary of State
You can skip every service. The Secretary of State's business registration division takes new LLC filings online, at the same $125 fee.
Filing yourself means typing the articles and naming the registered agent. You can serve as your own agent if you live in North Carolina and your business address matches the registered office. Switching to a paid agent later costs $5 to file.
That is the same filing, at the same state fee, with nobody in between. What a service sells is the typing, the agent address and the reminders.
The North Carolina Secretary of State's Business Registration Division offers online registration of a new business. — North Carolina Secretary of State, retrieved 2026-09-27
$5A change of registered agent or registered office costs $5 to file with the North Carolina Secretary of State. — North Carolina Secretary of State, retrieved 2026-09-27
Price year two before you pick a service
Choose on the year-two bill and the pieces you will actually use. The state fee is the same, and the April 15 annual report is yours whoever filed.
The LLC report costs $200 on paper every year. Add the agent renewal and any compliance plan to see the real yearly cost. Then read the setup guide for the steps after formation, and the licensing cost table for what the licenses add.
$200A North Carolina LLC's annual report is due April 15 each year after the year of creation, at $200 on paper or $203 online. — North Carolina Secretary of State, retrieved 2026-09-27
Questions
Can I form a landscaping LLC in North Carolina without a service?
Yes. The Secretary of State takes new LLC filings online at the same $125 fee a service would pay on your behalf. A service sells the preparation, an agent address and reminders, not a different filing.
Does a $0 formation plan mean the LLC costs nothing?
No. A $0 plan means the service charges nothing for its own work. North Carolina's $125 filing fee is still paid, and the $200 annual report follows every year.
Will a formation service get my pesticide or landscape license?
No. The NCDA&CS pesticide license, the landscape board's licenses and the irrigation license are separate from forming the LLC, and none of these services files them for you.
What should I compare besides the entry price?
The registered agent terms after the first year, any trial that converts to a paid plan, and whether a compliance service is included or sold separately. Those set the year-two bill.