person you see advertised online. Whether it’s a home garden or a commercial space, skilled and precise landscaping is a must – not only for the best aesthetics but for practicality and safety, too.
In this guide, we’ve highlighted the key considerations you should make before choosing to hire a landscape gardening contractor. With a little research, comparing, and whittling down, you should feel comfortable knowing you have found the right contractor for your needs.
What to Ask a Paving Contractor/Landscaper
It all starts with asking the right questions. We’ve compiled a few of the most useful ones to help you.
What Landscaping Experience Do You Have?
The right landscape gardening contractor for your own specific needs will have completed a number of projects similar to yours in the past. You should see this in their portfolio of work, either on their website, in case studies, on their social media, or when they meet with you to discuss your project.
What Landscaping Materials do You Work With?
As above, it’s good to know which landscaping materials your landscaper feels happiest working with. While a natural stone specialist may feel comfortable installing your porcelain patio, we always recommend erring on the side of a landscaper with proven proficiency in your chosen material.
Establish a Landscaping Project Timeline
The timeline is an often-overlooked aspect of a landscaping project. You want a timescale that works around your needs and schedule, but beware of a landscaper who offers to do things suspiciously quickly, as a rush job can result in unstable, inadequate work.
By comparing the timelines offered by different landscapers, you can work out if one timeline quote is too unrealistic.
What Qualifications Should You Look for in a Landscaper?
While landscapers don’t need to have a specific qualification to work in the UK, these are a good sign that your chosen tradesperson is knowledgeable and fully trained in the most effective paving laying methods.
Good qualifications for a landscaper to have include:
- An apprenticeship, such as a Horticulture or Landscape Construction Operative Apprenticeship
- An RHS qualification
- Level 2 or 3 Horticulture/Landscaping Diploma
Other markers of training and quality include membership in bodies such as the British Association of Landscape Industries, the Association of Professional Landscapers and the Horticultural Trades Association. We at RF are proud members of the latter two organisations, demonstrating our commitment to industry excellence.
For commercial landscaping, it’s also highly advised to hire only landscapers with relevant health and safety accreditations, such as:
- SafeContractor
- ISO Certifications (9001, 14001, 45001)
- LISS/CSCS SmartCard (to work on live construction sites)
- Safety Management Advisory Services (SMAS)
- Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS)
Warranties and Guarantees for Landscapers
A good landscaper will usually offer some type of warranty as a quality assurance measure. These might be:
- A 1-year workmanship warranty
- A hardscaping warranty that gives 1-year coverage for structural issues
These warranties must be provided in writing to be valid.
Always Read Reviews
Reviews are a natural seal of approval from a landscape gardening contractor’s previous customers. Having these reviews available can assure you that you’re hiring a recommended contractor and that you can expect high-quality work.
Make sure to look at reviews on a third-party website, rather than just the ones highlighted on the contractor’s website. Contractors can easily pick and choose their best reviews to display on their website, but a third-party website will show every review left for them. This will give you an unbiased view of what to expect when hiring a particular landscape gardening contractor.
If you’re a landscaper: Reviews will help to grow your business and set your quality work apart from the competition. Ask customers to leave a review of your services on these websites to help build up your list of recommendations.
Comparing Landscaper Quotes and Pricings
It makes sense to gather quotes from a select few landscape gardening contractors before deciding which to hire. By now, you’ve probably narrowed down your list to a select few, and the cost of their services could be the deciding factor.
Try to go for a contractor whose pricing is somewhere in the middle of the others. The cheapest contractor may not provide the highest quality work, whereas the most expensive contractor’s work probably won’t differ much from the middle-priced professional.
If you’re a landscaper, do a little desk research to find out what other landscapers are charging in your area and use that to help determine your own costs. Again, try not to price yourself out of the competition by being the cheapest or most expensive professional in the area.
These pointers should help you safely narrow down the list of landscape gardening contractors, so you can make a decision on the best professional to hire.
However, hiring the right landscaper is only half the battle. You also need to pick out the perfect materials for your landscape transformation, and for that, you can always trust RF Paving.
