Tips for Choosing a Qualified Landscape Contractor

A beautiful landscape can add value to your home,certainly spruce up your home’s exterior, and offer an excellent return on your investment should you sell your home.

A qualified landscape contractor can perform a variety of jobs, including lighting, decks and patios, retaining walls, irrigation and installing plant material.

• The first thing you should do before hiring a landscape contractor is to review a list of qualified contractors, which we conveniently provide on this website.  This is a highly effective way to find a landscape contractor, as you can locate ones who are directly in your zip code. 

• 
  Once you have a list of contractors in your hand, schedule a time for them to come out and discuss your project.
  
  Now, although you will want the suggestions and ideas from a landscape contractor, you will also want to have a general idea of what you’re looking for.Look through magazines or take a drive around your neighborhood for inspiration and ideas. You may also want to research average costs and types of materials and plants before you meet with your list of landscape contractors.
  
  The landscape contractors can more easily provide you with a detailed quote if you guide them in the general direction you would like to go.

• 
  Once your contractors have arrived, take a walk throughout your yard and provide them with a general scope of the area and the work that must be done. Point out any potential issues (so there are no surprises when you receive your bill), and convey to them the objects or plants in the yard that you will keep.
• 
  Next, ask how long the landscape contractor has been in business and what levels of education and expertise he and his employees possess. Some states require certain licensing and certification. You can check their professional background by contacting the state agency responsible for contractor licensing.
• 
  Ask for a list of references that you can contact. Some of the questions you may want to ask are: Did they complete the job to your satisfaction? Did they complete the job in the promised time frame? Did they come in (or near) on budget? Would you recommend them to your friends? Were they courteous and did they show up when they said they would?
• 
  Another good idea is to visit past jobs and check on the overall quality of the work.
• Don’t forget to ask for proof of compensation insurance before work begins. Most contractors are required to carry both liability and workman’s compensation insurance.
• Request a written contract which details a list of all work to be completed, along with a detailed list of materials. A rough time frame should also be included.
  
  Make sure your written contract includes any guarantees and warranties, both on labor, plants and materials.

If your landscape contractor will follow up with a maintenance schedule, ask what that schedule entails.

A beautiful landscape can add value to your home,certainly spruce up your home’s exterior, and offer an excellent return on your investment should you sell your home. Thanks