Hiring a Landscape Contractor

What is a landscape contractor?
A landscape contractor is an individual or company that installs trees, shrubs and flowers, as well as hardscape features such as walkways, stone driveways, patios and terraces, arbors and trellises and retaining walls. Landscape contractors often work under the direction of the homeowner or a landscape architect or designer who has created an overall design or master plan for your property. Landscape contractors also perform routine maintenance activities, such as mowing lawns, pruning trees and shrubs, weeding and mulching shrubs and flowerbeds.

How to find a landscape contractor
If you have used a landscape architect or designer, he or she should be able to recommend one or more reputable landscape contractors in your local area. If you need to find a landscape contractor on your own, ask friends, neighbors and other members of your community for recommendations.

Choosing the right landscape contractor for the job
There are several factors to consider when choosing a landscape contractor. First, determine what type of services you need the landscape contractor to provide for you, such as routine yard maintenance, brick or stonework for a walkway or terrace, building an arbor or simply installing plant materials that you have picked out from the nursery yourself.

Once you have decided on the level of service a landscape contractor will be providing for you, then you can move on to the nitty gritty-hiring the right landscape contractor for the job. It's usually a good idea to check out three landscape contractors, if possible, to compare prices, quality of service and levels of expertise.

Tips for hiring a landscape contractor

1. Get the details. Ask how long the company has been in business and what experience they have. Find out whether they will do all the work themselves or contract parts of it out to subcontractors. For example, some landscape contractors (especially smaller companies) only plant trees, shrubs and flowers and hire subcontractors to lay brick, pour concrete or install irrigation systems.

2. Determine whether the landscape contractor is licensed and bonded and ask to see proof of insurance for liability and workers' compensation. Also ask about certifications and professional affiliations, such as trade associations, that employees or the company belong to. A good landscape contractor should also be able to tell you whether special licenses or permits are required for any part of the job.

3. Ask for references from clients they currently work for or have worked for in the recent past. Call the references and ask what they liked and did not like about the landscape contractor and whether they would recommend the company. Also check with the Better Business Bureau for any complaints.

4. Make sure any estimates for work to be performed are in writing so there is no dispute after the fact. Sign a written contract that specifies what work will be carried out, how much it will cost and when it will be completed. Ask for a detailed cost breakdown including the cost of materials and labor. If there is a warranty, review it carefully. Be sure to read the fine print and understand the terms of the contract before signing it. The contract is a document that should stand up in a court of law if you need it to.

5. A final word of caution. Landscape contractors can sometimes be fly-by-night operations, setting up shop one day, taking your money and disappearing. If a landscape contractor tells you he can start the next day, beware. Most good landscape contractors are booked weeks or even months in advance, especially during the growing season. And if a landscape contractor gives you a price that is too good to be true, it probably is.