Choosing the right people for the job.

In this section we will discuss some ways for selecting a professional landscaper.

• Introduction
• Questions to ask
• what they should ask you
• what to look out for with fly- by-night companies

Introduction

Choosing the right people to do the job can very tricky, especially when the landscape becomes very extensive. Many of the companies out there do not have anyone with in them with a formal type of higher education. This is not always a bad thing, however it can reassuring to know that they do. The differences that I have seen with comparison to landscapes installed by people with degrees in landscaping and and those without degrees has been quite dramatic in many cases. Most of these differences were only noticeable to people who really know their plants and the technical aspects of hardscape installations such as retaining walls.

So how do you go about finding the right company for your landscape needs?

What Questions should you be asking them?

1. How many years of experience does the company have within it?
2. Do they have a portfolio of previous jobs?
3. What type of education, licenses, and or certifications do the people working on the job have?
4. Do they hold any professional or industry memberships to associations?
5. What areas does the company at hand specialize in? (many companies focus on certain areas of the landscaping industry, find out they fit your needs)

What questions should they be asking you?

1. Does your city or development have any restrictions on your landscapes? (some developments I have worked in require a certain type of tree be planted, or they may not allow free standing structures such as gazebos)
2. What are your specific wants and needs for the landscape? (99% of the time we can find a place to put your favorite plant, just not always where you may want it "sorry")
3. What will your landscape be used for? (privacy, social events, noise control, etc…)
4. Do you have sitting water for long periods time after rains?
5. Do you have children, and if so what age? (This is very important because we do not want female holly plants in the landscape if there is a toddler running around. The berries may look good to eat but they are poisonous.)
6. Where do your prevailing winds come from in the summer and winter?

Watch out!

Some people are out to take your money and run. To prevent this never give more than 70% of the job cost up front. If the company asks for more than 50% right away, ask them to give you an itemized estimate showing why. You don't need to ask why, but this should give you an idea of their costs.