Did you know that many homeowners performed outdoor landscaping projects last year? In fact, Forbes tagged 2020 as the Year of the Home, while 2021 as the Year of the Yard. This year, it looks like many households will continue to improve their outdoor spaces. They will pursue pavement construction, hardscape installation, home gardening, and lawn care.
Of course, outdoor landscaping comes with a handful of benefits. For one, it can boost your property’s curb appeal and augment your home value. Also, it has some environmental benefits like having fresh air, providing shade, preventing soil erosion, and controlling a potential flood. Lastly, it can be good for your family’s physical and mental health.
But when it comes to pursuing outdoor landscaping, you can take the DIY route or work with landscaping professionals. Of course, the latter is a more viable option. However, ensure that you’ll hire the right contractors who can kick your outdoor space up a notch.
That said, here are crucial factors to consider when getting landscaping services:
1. License and Insurance
There are several landscaping contractors readily available in the market. They are all at your disposal, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic. However, it’s best to work with expert professionals. These professionals must have the best credentials to pull off the landscaping works.
To ensure this, start by checking their license and insurance. You want to hire a landscaping company having a business permit to operate. Along with this is that its team of contractors have insurance protection. If there is an accident, you won’t get held legally and financially liable.
2. Landscaping Knowledge and Skills
When looking for a landscaping company, you have two options to take. First, you can search online to create a list of professional contractors. Second, you can get recommendations from neighbors, friends, and colleagues.
To narrow down your list of prospects, start by checking their portfolios. When reviewing them, be sure to factor in their landscaping knowledge and skills. If it helps, interview some of your worthy prospects to gauge their knowledge and skills.
3. Areas of Expertise and Industry Experience
Outdoor landscaping has a vast scope of work. Some landscaping professionals focus on lawn care and home gardening, while others specialize in pavement construction and hardscape installation. For this reason, see what particular landscaping project you’d like to pursue. From there, hire the company that is the best fit for your project.
In addition, don’t forget to consider their industry experience. The longer they have been in the industry, the better. Some landscaping companies are even working towards earning their ISO 9001 certification for quality management systems and ISO 14001 certification for environmental management systems. Hence, be sure to work with such a landscaping business.
4. Landscaping Services Offered
When it comes to working with a landscaping business for your outdoor project, be highly critical of the services they offer. As mentioned above, outdoor landscaping covers the following services:
- Lawn care
- Home gardening
- Pavement construction (driveway and walkway)
- Hardscape installation (patio, deck, pergola, and arbor)
- Water features (water fountain)
- House exterior remodeling
As far as outdoor landscaping is concerned, sit down and assess what you hope to achieve. From your list of prospects, filter those landscaping companies that can pull off your specific outdoor project.
5. Tools and Equipment Used
The landscaping tools and equipment can contribute to the overall success of your outdoor landscaping project. The more equipped the landscaping contractors are, the better they can deliver. In the end, the more successful your outdoor landscaping project will be.
With a handful of landscaping professionals on your list, it won’t hurt to ask what tools and equipment they use. For instance, if you are looking for gardeners to turn your backyard into a garden, check what gardening tools and supplies they use. These landscaping resources can make a world of difference in your outdoor project.
6. Landscaping Cost and Your Overall Budget
The last on the list of landscaping considerations is your finance. Of course, you’ll only hire landscaping services you can afford. For this reason, check your finances and set your overall budget. From there, have a list of landscapers you can afford to pay. Ultimately, the rule of thumb is to strike a balance between affordability and quality of service.
At this point, you now know what it takes to get landscaping services. When hiring a landscaping company, consider the crucial factors above, from license and insurance to the services offered to the landscaping cost and your budget. With all these in mind, you’ll be able to make the right decision and the best selection. Ultimately, your hired landscaping professionals will take your outdoor space to the next level for the benefit of the whole household.
