Hubby has been a landscape contractor for more years than we want to admit at this point.
Suggestions coming from our view point:
~ Be sure YOU own the property where you want the work done.
One would like to think this is a duh, of course, recommendation, but the truth is, hubby gets about two to three calls a month asking to remove trees that belong to the neighbors. Don't make him tell you "NO!" Contractors can lose their licenses over a "silly thing" like taking down a tree on someone else's property, so don't ask. That the neighbor is away, doesn't mean, they won't care.
~ Kennel your pets.
Your pet is wonderful to you, but a distraction to folks trying to get a job done. It is also a good idea to clean up after your pets before asking a contractor to walk through your yard making suggestion.
~ Know what you want.
When you meet with the contractor, be prepared to show him/her photos of plants, pathways, etc, that you have seen elsewhere that you do/do not like, so the contractor has a starting point. Ask your self, what do you hope to gain by his services. How do you hope to use the space? Think of your yard as an extended "room." How do you want that room to function? Is it a play room, a utility room, a kitchen? Do you have allergies? Does the yard have drainage problems? Are you wanting to screen out the neighbors? Are there any plants you want to remove? Where are your property lines? Who owns/maintains existing fences, hedges and walls? There is a really long list of considerations. Have some idea of what you want. It is very frustrating to deal with people who say, "I don't know, you tell me."
~ Be honest about your budget, know and understand the costs.
Lying about what you have to spend could land you in court, so please don't sign a contract you can not afford to pay.
~ Understand what the contractor actually does and does not do prior to meeting.
Some contractors only plan, other contractors only install, most do both. It is a rare contractor that wants to install someone else's plan. You might think, oh, I just need a planner, I can do the work myself. That's fine, but... if you hire a straight planner, it's a good idea to find out from them who will install their plan in the event you later decide you want to hire someone rather than do the work yourself. If they don't work with someone local, you might rethink who you want to hire as a planner, because, otherwise, you might have wasted money on a plan no one is willing to install.
~ Hire local.
We constantly find ourselves fixing plans and redoing plantings of out of state planners, and occasionally, out of state installers. Out of state planners, either don't know our zone, plant material, soil, and hardscape products, or they don't care.
~ Remember Contractors have families to support, and are not social service providers.
This is a tough one to explain. We all feel for folks who are lonely. But pretending to want to have work done because you want someone to talk to is discouraging to the contractor, and hammers them from finding a paying job. If you're lonely, search for meet up groups.
~ Visiting does NOT reduce the bill.
I don't know how many times folks have said, "But we were just talking. I shouldn't have to pay you to listen." You talked. I listened. I also pulled weeds, planted plants, raked leaves, occasionally gave you advice. Your talking did not stop me from working and even if it were to, how you utilize my time is up to you. I was here, you took up my time, that we laughed and had fun doesn't change the fact you owe me for my time.
I don't doubt I could come up with more, especially in the "know what you want" section, because pleasing the client is essential to good business, and that only happens when the client knows what they want. But I feel this blog is long enough for now, so maybe another day!
Enjoy!
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