Hiring
A Landscape
Contractor
Hiring the right professional landscaper
is vital to ensuring that you’re pleased with the results of
your landscape project.
Here are a few tips to finding the right
landscape company for your job.
Design - If your project
is very large and complicated, it might make sense to hire a
landscape architect or designer to develop a
comprehensive plan. That way you'll be able to complete
portions of the project in phases. This is also helpful
because you’ll be able to more easily budget for each
phase.
Experience - When you
meet with the prospective company, be sure to ask if they would
recommend another way to approach your project.
Oftentimes an experienced landscape professional can see
potential in your yard that you may have overlooked.
Does the contractor specialize in any particular
service, such as pool landscaping?
Crew - Who will be performing the work? Is the
owner on the jobsite, and if not, who is the contact person?
What are the qualifications of the key employees
with their hands on the tools?
References - Ask for references–and be
sure to call them! It's important to ask
for references for both recent projects the landscaper has
completed as well as jobs that are a few years old
(to see how the project has held up over time.)
Here are a few questions you can
ask:
-
Did you receive a written estimate for the
project?
-
Was the project scope clearly defined?
-
Was the contractor easy to talk with? Was
he/she able to interpret your vision of the project
into a workable plan?
-
How did the contractor handle change
orders?
-
How satisfied were you with the result of
your project?
-
Would you hire the contractor again?
Warranties - Ask
the contractor what the warranty policies are specific to the
work to be performed in your yard (i.e. Hardscape,
plant, grass and/or material-labor.) You should have a copy of
the warranty policy in writing with your contract.
Insurance - Make
sure that your contractor has a current certificate of
insurance. There are three areas of coverage a
landscape contractor must have:
1.) Contractor Liability-covers
incidents occurring on the job site (your yard.)
2.) Worker’s Compensation-covers employee
injuries when they are on the clock.
3.) Commercial Auto-Covers registered vehicles
used on the job
A reputable landscape contractor carries
all these policies to protect you the customer and the
interests of the company. When comparing
landscaping quotes, consider the cost of what could happen-an
accident on your property. The responsible contractor
has already thought this through.
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