The foundation to any relationship, whether it’s romantic, a friendship, or business, is trust. When choosing a landscaping company to manufacture the landscape of your dreams, it’s important to plant your relationship with fertile soil.
Before committing to the services of a landscaper, consider asking the following questions to decide whether this relationship will work out. The answers could spell the difference between a long-lasting relationship or a cautionary break-up.
Do You Have Insurance?
Workman’s Compensation Insurance is an absolute must for any landscaping company. If the landscaper isn’t insured, then any injury that happens to an employee on your premises may involve you in a lawsuit. Homeowner’s insurance does not cover scenarios like this.
Any serious contractor should be covered by insurance and be able to provide you with proof.
Ideally, there will be no scenarios that procure a need for the insurance, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Do You Have Referrals?
To discover if a landscaping company is your best fit, check out their referrals. Ask specifically for ones who received work similar to what you are looking for.
Verbal or written testimony combined with physical images of the landscaping job should better prepare you for the work you’re seeking to have done. Different companies feature different styles of work and design, so it’s important to see that you and yours see eye-to-eye.
Quality contractors will have abundant references. Unqualified ones will not.
Who Will Be Working My Property?
Know exactly who is going to be handling your property.
Ask for relevant training, degrees, and certification. Many states and organizations require or encourage a variety of technical certifications, such as Registered Landscape Architect, Certified Plant Professional, and others.
It also helps to know how long employees have been with the company or how long they’ve been working in the landscaping business. Inquire about the different skill sets each worker will bring to the table.
What Maintenance Do I Take On?
Make sure the line is clear between what work is the landscaper’s responsibility and your responsibility. After the bulk of the work is done, are you required to maintain it in some way? Does the necessary maintenance require certain tools or knowledge? Is the maintenance something the landscapers can be contracted to do?
Certain landscapers only do installation services but not maintenance services, so it’s important to know what your prospective contract does. Otherwise, poor communication may leave you in a lurch.
Does Your Work Come with a Guarantee?
This applies to both specific warranties and personal quality-assured guarantees. Ideally, the communication fostered between you and the landscaper should ensure satisfaction the first time they work on your property.
A contractor should both stand by his work and express a willingness to return if the client is unsatisfied in any way.
These warranties apply both to the work and to any specific plants being used in the landscaping project. Few clients desire to renovate their lawns or properties with dead plants.
BUR-HAN Garden and Lawn Care
2110 Front St, North Vancouver, BC V7H 1A3
(604) 983-2687
