Landscaping and Exterior Decorating Home

How To Deal With Landscaping Companies

Ah, forget it!  Who wants to mess with all those confusing details?  Maybe you should just hire a professional landscaper to take care of your project for you.  Who can blame you?  It is a very involved project and if you work full time, and have a family, then you may not have time for doing all the hard work associated with landscaping. 

But hiring a professional does not guarantee you won't have any additional worries.  Some landscapers, like other contractors, might be shady and might be trying to get more money from you than is necessary.  In that case, be on guard and remember these tips when dealing with landscaping professionals.

Get It In Writing

It doesn't matter how much trust has been established, how much of a friend he/she has been all these years or even if the contractor is your own brother.  Whenever you do business, especially business that will cost thousands of dollars, you need to get everything in writing so that both parties can be satisfied.  What do you need in writing?  First get the total cost of the project, broken down and itemized.  If there are payment installments then be sure and make the bulk of the payment only after the job is completed.  A crooked landscaper might insist on being paid too much of the total right away; if he doesn't return your calls and the job is not finished, then you've lost that money and might have to hire someone else in addition.  Also get written documents pertaining to the quality of materials, the expected time frame (and any consequences that a late date will bring) and anything else that might come up much later-get it all in writing.

Make Sure Your Workers Are Professional

Is your landscaper licensed and legally insured?  If a problem occurs and it's the company's fault, don't be held legally responsible.  Are they willing to give professional references and has their company been established for several years?  Be weary of any professional who hesitates on giving references or seems to have sprung up out of nowhere.

You Run The Show

Remember that you hired the landscaper to do a job with your own money.  Don't be intimidated and don't cave in to requests for too much money too soon.  The more you get in writing from the beginning, the less opportunity there will be for disputing. 

Strive for complete agreement ahead of time with the landscaper and remember the original contract.  This way the arrangement will prove to be beneficial for both you and the company.