The landscaping industry is set to generate over $100 billion in 2021. There are thousands of landscaping companies out there. Many of them are very small businesses.
They may know a bit about landscaping, but they might not know much about running a business. That leads to a bad customer experience.
You want to avoid those bad landscaping companies as much as you can. Read on to learn the mistakes people make when hiring a landscaper and how to avoid them.
1. Go for the Cheapest Option
Let’s say that you get a few quotes for the same project. One quotes $15,000 to do the job. You go for the one that costs $7,000 because that’s the cheapest option.
Hiring a landscaping services company based on price alone is a mistake. That company is likely to use cheap materials and cut corners.
2. Lack Project Clarity
A landscaping project is a permanent fixture. If you want the landscapers to do great work, you have to be very clear as to what you want.
Don’t rush this part of the process. Look for examples of what you want and show them to the landscapers. Think about how you want to use the yard now and 5-10 years from now.
If you aren’t clear about what you want, the landscaping company can only do so much. You might have them redo their work, costing you more money.
3. No License or Insurance
Insurance is expensive and it’s something that small companies are likely to skip. That can be a dangerous thing for you. An accident that injures someone or causes damage by an uninsured business leaves you to pay the bills.
Ask the landscaping services company if they have general liability insurance. You then want to ask if they use employees or subcontractors.
If they use subcontractors, make sure the subcontractors have insurance.
4. Ask for Full Payment Upfront
Does a landscaping services company ask for full payment before they do any work? That’s a sign that you’re dealing with a scam.
It’s a similar situation with an estimate. Landscaping companies, like Mario’s Landscaping, usually provide estimates for free.
They’ll ask for a deposit to start work. The only time a company should ask for full payment upfront is if it’s a very small landscaping project.
5. Don’t Look at References and Reviews
How can you be sure that a landscaping company does good work? You can’t be 100% sure, but you can assume that they’ll do a good job if they have plenty of reviews and testimonials.
Ask them directly for references and testimonials. Experienced landscapers will have them ready to go.
Hiring a Landscaper for Peace of Mind
It seems as though you should be able to hire a landscaper and trust that they’ll do outstanding work. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
You just learned the mistakes people make when hiring a landscaper. Avoid these mistakes and you’ll have a great yard and peace of mind.
Check out the Household section of this site for more great home tips.
