Not all landscaping projects are the same. When you’re hiring contractors for more complex projects that require a higher level of skill and expertise, you want to be sure to carefully vet them before even asking for bids. Here are some questions you need to ask before hiring landscaping companies near Sterling Heights and Rochester Hills, MI.
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1. How much experience do you have with this specific type of project?
Landscaping companies vary tremendously in terms of their niche and expertise. Make sure that the company has experience with the specific type of work you require. Expertise with the scope of your project is also necessary: One company may be able to accommodate the building of a small patio but lack the expertise to design or build a more complex outdoor living space with multiple levels.
Experienced landscaping companies have been exposed to a wide variety of challenging situations that have tested their abilities. Since no project is the same and some projects come with hidden surprises, you want a company that has gained experience from real-life challenges and can apply these lessons to the potential challenges involved with your project.
Licenses and certifications can be a good measure of competency and experience. Recognition from a reputable manufacturer, for example, is a good way to gauge a company’s level of professional expertise, because manufacturers only want the best landscape contractors representing their products.
2. Do you have current insurance?
Landscaping projects come with a list of hazards, both to people and property. Accidents do happen, even on the most well-run projects. Always ask for a copy of current insurance, specifically liability and worker’s compensation insurance, which will protect both you (the homeowner/property owner) and your property, the workers, and the landscaping company in the event of an accident.
3. Do you have references?
An established landscaping company will have a list of past clients who are willing to give them a reference and possibly even show off their landscape to you. Reading online reviews is a good place to start, but you really want to talk to people. Ask deeper questions than, “Would you hire this company?” Ask people about their overall experience, and satisfaction with the end result, as well as how the landscaping company addressed any challenges.
4. Do you offer design/build services?
For large and complex landscape renovations, you will need a designer to draw up a plan, and that plan may require engineering and other specialized areas of focus. It’s not necessary to work with a company that offers design services as well as doing the work; you can hire a landscape architect to design the space and draw up the plans. However, if you like the designs that the company has done before, you may be happy with one-stop shopping and a single-team approach.
5. Do you have specialists who can take on my unique requirements?
If your landscape project requires specialists, either the company will have them on staff or outsource that part of the project to a trusted provider. Either way, you want to be sure that the best experts are working on the more complex and delicate aspects of your project.
