How To Choose A Professional Landscape Contractor
Are you longing for green grass, flowers, sunshine and an average daily temperature over 60 degrees? Believe it or not, now is the time to start dreaming up your ideas for your landscaping project so you will be able to enjoy your backyard paradise all summer long.
Questions to ask during your consultation include:
Q: When can you start?
A quality contractor will have work lined up weeks in advance. Always allow for delays due to poor weather conditions.
Q: How long will this installation take?
While an exact start and finish date should never be promised, the length of your project should be determined. Make sure the contractor will not leave your project until finished.
Q: Does the company have any certifications?
An experienced and quality contractor should be certified in the areas that your project entails.
Q: What are my other options for this type of installation?
The more experienced a landscape designer/contractor is, the more options they will be able to provide for you.
Q: Will this disrupt my day-to-day activities?
Minimal disruption may occur, but care should always be taken to ensure that your life will go on as normal. Unforeseen circumstances may arise during your project; the best thing is to work closely with your contractor to solve the problem as quickly and as easily as possible.
Q: What is involved in my project?
The contractor should be able to explain every detail to you from start to finish.
Q: What are all of the costs of my project?
The contractor should provide a detailed contract of all supplies and labor costs for your project upon request.
Lastly, do you feel comfortable with this company and the person you are meeting with? Trust and honesty are the most important factors. Do you feel like this company really cares what you think and how your property will look after the job is completed? Do you feel like this is somebody that you can have a quality professional relationship with and you can continue to do business with for years to come?
Timing. Timing is the first aspect to consider when starting your landscape project. It is hard to imagine, but you should start researching ideas for your project weeks, if not months ahead of time. Many quality landscape contractors will have some work left over in the spring and more work lined up from the previous season that will put your project many weeks out from the time of your initial meeting. Getting your name on a list will allow your contractor to contact you as soon as they are able to start consultations.
Free estimates. Sometimes the best things in life are not free.Anyone that is doing something for free may not put in as much effort into it as one that is receiving compensation for his expertise and knowledge. There is a difference between a landscape design consultation and a rough estimate. So therefore, to receive the best designing and construction expertise, you should expect to pay a small fee.
Knowledge and experience. Knowledge is the next thing to look for in a landscape designer/contractor.The person that meets with you should be able to incorporate your ideas with their expertise. This will insure that your creativeness is correctly relayed into a practical installation.
Pictures. Does the landscape contractor have pictures of the work they have previously done? They should - not only to show the quality of work they can provide but for design ideas for your own project.
References. This is one of the most important things to request when meeting with anyone who will be doing work on your property. You will want references from past jobs that are similar to yours.
