Choosing the right landscaper can be tricky, but it doesn't have to be. There are some key questions you can ask when considering a new landscaper that will help clarify which company will be the best fit for your needs. Ultimately every landscape company wants satisfied clients so a good fit between company and client is a win/win.
1) Are you incorporated and insured?
It's really the first question you should ask for anyone contractor working on your property, especially landscapers who may be moving heavy plants, climbing trees for pruning as well as operating machinery on your property. Corporations are legal entities required to pay state and federal taxes as well as employment taxes like unemployment tax, all of which is a good sign that the company you're hiring is professional and above board.
2) How long have you been in business?
Make sure the landscaper you hire has the experience and full time staff (i.e. not day laborers who do not have the specific knowledge and training to keep your yard looking it's best) to handle your project. A long-standing company will usually have an office and a website, two easy things to check to ensure you're not hiring an inexperienced company.
3) Are you a full service landscaper? Or Maintenance only?
You'll find landscapers who are one or the other and possibly both (as is Splendid Gardens), but it's important to know what the company's specialty and experience is before selecting. One is not better than the other, they're just different. Full service landscapers offer design, construction, installation and maintenance services. They have specific local knowledge of plants and trees for long term success as well as mechanical knowledge of irrigation and drainage as well as hardscape installation such as walkways and borders. Maintenance providers are solely tasked with the upkeep of your current installation. There is a vast difference between the two so know before hire. A full service landscaper should be able to provide examples of past installations along with some guarantee of their work and plantings.
4) Do you offer garden consultations?
Whether it's taking on weekly maintenance, refreshing an existing installation or a complete tear-out and replace, your landscaper should want to collaborate with you to ensure your satisfaction not only with the initial installation, but for years afterward as you enjoy your garden as it grows to maturity. During this meeting a designer will typically come over to your property and join you for a walk around, listen to your what you'd like to accomplish and discuss ideas and recommendations.
This is a good opportunity to determine whether you are "in sync" with the landscaper and their services are the right fit for you. This may or may not be a free service depending on the company - it is, after all, 1-2 hours of a professional's time - though some designers will put the consult fee toward the cost of the design installation if you ultimately hire them.
5) What happens with the weekly lawn clippings, pruning trimmings and installation discards?
We have to admit, we die a little inside when driving through a neighborhood with numerous plastic bags filled with recyclable yard waste sitting on the curb waiting for the next TRASH pick up day. Some city's have yard waste recycling, but the trimmings have to be placed in Kraft paper bags or barrels - NOT PLASTIC! Yard waste in plastic bags will be sent to the landfill, what a waste. Why should you and your neighbors have to look at plastic bags on the curb for days, not to mention the disservice done to the environment? A caring landscape company will remove your yard clippings and trimmings at the time of service as part of their clean up and take them to a recycling center where they will a) wait in line to dispose of them and b) pay for the privilege to do so.
1 Comments
Sep 26, 2018, 12:40:37 PM
Easton Memmott - I like the tip you gave to ask your landscaper about what happens to the waste from your projects, so you can know that they are being properly disposed of. I need to hire a landscaper, and I want to consider everything that I need to. I will be sure to ask a landscaper about their waste disposal before I hire them. http://www.tiptonlandscaping.com