This is a column I have thought about writing for a year. I have hesitated because I wanted it to be educational, perhaps empowering, with the right mix of humor and completely void of any criticism of fellow landscape contractors. I wasnât sure I could pull it off. I am still not sure, but here it goes.
Hiring any contractor to work on your home can be a difficult process. This process involves not only choosing the company you want to work with but also the details regarding the project. If you are hiring someone to replace your kitchen counters, for example, you not only need to choose the people who you think will do the best job, but also figure out the answers to what may seem like a never-ending list of questions regarding color, style, and type of material to be used.
Hiring a landscape contractor can also be a difficult process. In essence, you are choosing who you trust to install plants which will contribute to the beauty of your yard, solve a problem in your yard, enhance the exterior of your home, or perhaps all three of these items.
If you are considering hiring a landscape contractor, this column is meant to make that process a bit less difficult. These are a few things you may want to consider. Ask friends and neighbors who they recommend you should interview regarding your landscaping. While you may not want to hire the same company as a neighbor, it may be helpful to at least ask them who has done work in the area. If there is a home whose landscaping you particularly admire, please consider ringing the door and letting the owners know that. Everyone enjoys a compliment.
Here are a few questions you may want to ask your potential landscape contractor:
1. What is the scope of your business?
2. What is your specialty?
3. How long have you been in business?
4. Are you a member of any professional organizations?
5. What is your educational background?
6. Do you have any professional certifications?
7. Do you have insurance?
8. When can you start the job?
9. How long will it take?
10. When is payment expected?
11. Are the work and the plants guaranteed?
12. Are you familiar with the covenants and restrictions of this area?
13. Are you registered to do business in this city?
14. Where do you purchase your plants from?
15. Who and how many people will do the work at my home?
16. Will you (the person that you are talking to) be on site while the work is being performed?
17. Do you have any references that I can contact regarding the quality of your work?
18. What are the specific details regarding the cost of my project?
19. How do you recommend that I go about this project?
20. What makes you different from your competition?
21. What type of equipment will be involved in this project?
22. What are my responsibilities as this project progresses?
Professional contractors should be able to answer the questions listed above. Being thorough in the initial interview process should minimize problems as the job progresses. A strong line of communication with the landscape contractor is important as well. There will always be questions and concerns as the job progresses. As long as you have good communication with the landscaper, most things should be able to be worked out.
The Illinois Landscape Contractorâs Association has a section of their website specifically for homeowners at ilca.net. The consumer resource tab includes a âfinding a contractorâ section that lists their members and a âHints of selecting a landscaping contractorâ article.
I have only hired a landscaper once in my life. While the plants are still growing well 20 years later, it was a learning experience for me. The contractor showed up on time, the plants were of very high quality and were installed using correct planting techniques. I paid them to plant various types of plants: trees, shrubs, and groundcover. Toward the end of the job, the foreman explained to me that his crew didnât like to plant small groundcover plants. I said okay and then proceeded to spend my Saturday evening kneeling under a very large maple tree on Main Street in Huntley planting vinca. Lesson learned.
⢠Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by phone at 815-923-7322 by email at tgsinc12@msn.com or by mail at 17015 Harmony Road, Marengo, IL 60152. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She will address it in an upcoming column
