Tips for Choosing the Right Landscaping Company for Your Project

The best way to make an ordinary looking house look like a dream home is a beautiful lawn and garden. It is the first thing people notice when they arrive at your home, and having attractive and usable outdoor spaces greatly extends the use you get out of your home. You want to completely transform your outdoor living area, but how do you find a company that will help you achieve the yard you envision? This article will provide you tips for choosing the right landscaping company for your project. 

Have a Clear Vision, Then Find a Company That Fits

Finding the right landscaping company starts with knowing what you want first. Have a clear idea of what you want and need, and look for companies that offer the services that you will be needing. You will also need to look for a company that communicates well with you, and understands what you want.

Having a clear vision of what you want is perhaps the most important aspect. Make a list of project deliverables and consider what purposes your area needs to fulfill. Do you want a stone patio or a wooden deck? Are you an avid gardener who needs a large area for a vegetable garden, or do you just need a few flower beds? Do you need the area to be pet- or child-friendly? Do you want a pool installed, or need open space for putting in a backyard ice rink? Think about what features you want, such as raised beds, stone paths, perennial gardens, or a main lawn area, and what considerations have to be made, such as accessibility, how the area is going to be used by family, pets, and guests, and other practical aspects.

With this framework in mind, you can start looking for potential landscape contractors to see if they can meet your project goals. Having your list on paper helps with comparing your needs against the expertise and landscaping services offered by each landscaping company. Finding the right landscaping company means making sure the company has the expertise needed for the type of work you want done. Don’t try to save money by using a company that does not have the right skills but is ‘willing to try’.

Investigate all of the services offered by a landscaping company to know fully what they do; not only does it show if they are a good match, but they may offer something above and beyond that you may also be interested in.

Look for a Landscaping Company that Grasps Your Vision

Beyond having the technical skills and experience you need, you also need to make sure that a landscaping contractor understands fully what you are looking for and knows how to make it a reality. Miscommunications can lead to work that isn’t what you were hoping for.

Finding a contractor that obviously has a clear picture of what your vision is will make for a more successful, stress-free project, so before making a final decision on a contractor, make sure they have good communication skills, patience, and excellent customer service. They should be innovative, and use their understanding of your project to help you find solutions to some of your challenges, while staying true to your core plan.

Look at Several Options

There is a wide variety of contractors, and a wide range of names for landscaping services. Landscape companies might describe themselves as landscape design, landscaping maintenance, or lawn care companies, but each one may offer different specific services. These companies also offer a wide variety of prices, specialties, and company size and service reach.

With the range of different names that can make it confusing, make sure you are hiring professionals, and ones that specialize in what you need.

Research Potential Landscaping Companies Fully

Research your choices carefully to find the right contractor. Look for companies that have experience in the services you are interested in. Positive testimonials and references from past clients with similar work completed are a good sign of quality work. Companies that have been in business for longer, or at least a couple of years, tend to be a safer choice. Check to see if they have the resources and manpower to complete your work, too.

A Better Business Bureau rating or membership with relevant professional organizations is another good indicator of more professional work.

Also, look for pictures of past projects on their website, or ask for a portfolio, to see the level of quality you can expect.

Check Insurance and Licenses

Make sure your landscape contractor is insured. Also, being licensed means your contractor is more likely to have been trained in a specific type of work, and more likely to follow health and safety standards and other regulations. Not checking for qualifications and insurance could result in accidents, injuries, and potential liability for property damage.

Review Quotes Carefully

Most landscaping companies will offer a free estimate, but you need to make sure that their quote is meaningful and there won’t be any surprises added on. If a quote is too good to be true, the landscape contractor may not have a good sense of the full scope of your projects, The quote may be missing key components, or they may not be skilled professionals. In general, an extremely low quote is often a red flag.

Watch for confusing quotes that are broken down randomly, areas where there may be hidden or not-covered costs, or any other potential issues.

What Will Happen After the Project?

If the design creates areas that will need a lot of maintenance, are you able to do the work, or will you need maintenance services. If so, do they have the maintenance services you will need? Some may offer some maintenance afterwards to be sure everything takes successfully, but make sure you know the specifics.

The Riverwood Landscape of Guelph‘s dedicated team of skilled professionals offers free, comprehensive quotes and reliable landscaping services that are done right the first time.