Landscape Workshop, LLC 401(k) Review & Grade
Landscape Workshop, LLC 401(k) Plan
Vestavia HLS, ALAdministrative, Support & Staffing Services734 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$572Employer $ per active participant
$1,136Employee $ saved per active participant
0.59%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$6.3MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity22.9 / 5046th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost4.5 / 2518th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving5.3 / 1536th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score36 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Administrative, Support & Staffing Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (401 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 46th |
| Lower admin cost | 18th |
| Employee saving | 36th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 27% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Landscape Workshop put in about $572 per active participant, below the typical peer ($712). Any match is still an instant return, so contribute enough to get all of it.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Direct plan expenses (0.59% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $420,153 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $834,092 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $80,794 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $32,973 |
| Contract administrator fees | $17,177 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $8,124 |
| Other admin expenses | $7,672 |
| Benefits paid out | $627,641 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $4.9M / $6.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 618 / 850 |
| Participants with account balances | 180 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | The Highlands Accounting Group, Inc |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $17,176 reported compensation |
| Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith | $16,532 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250903162313NAL0015371649001, received 2025-09-03, EIN 61-1666112, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.