How much should it cost?  How do I know who will do a good job?

Picking a landscape maintenance company should be easy. There are lots of companies out there, and after all, how hard can it be. The problem is this. Most of us don’t know how hard the job really is. Your maintenance company is basically a horticulturist and farmer in an urban setting. Couple this with the extreme climate that we live in and the only company that can be successful will be experienced, and will be willing to spend the time to not only mow the grass, but also check sprinklers and lights. They also must be prepared to analyze the health of the variety of plants in your yard and to be prepared to recommend seasonal plantings as well.

When interviewing a landscaping company, take all of the above in account as well as the price.  Too many times we have seen people pick the company that is the low bidder only to find that they start out strong but in a few weeks the quality of service starts to falter. This is because they underbid the job so they can get the account, but they do not have enough revenue coming in to spend the time to do the job, therefore they start cutting corners. This is false economy. It leads to yards that don’t look good and it frustrates the owner to the point where the process starts all over again.

These are the questions to ask not only the landscape company but also yourself. How do you want your yard to look? Do you want it to be a “showcase” or do you want minimum maintenance. This requires an analysis of the plants that are used and how many of them there are. Rock can replace grass. It is expensive up front but easy to maintain. But it can add to the perception of heat and dryness around your home. Grass actually provides a cooling impact on the landscape, as do trees and shrubs, which shade the surrounding area. Trees, properly placed can help your energy bills inside by providing shade to southern exposures and windows. How much of the work are you willing to do?  There may be portions of the job that you are willing to do to cut down cost. Yard work can be good exercise and provide you with a great deal of satisfaction, and your labor is free.  Is the company experienced? Ask how long they have been performing maintenance. A company can be brand new, but the owner and his employees could have years of experience. Ask for current references, and ask how long the references have been customers. Then call the reference to verify what you have been told.  Ask what the schedule will be but not only how many times a month will they come, but what tasks will be performed throughout the year.  What of these tasks are included in the base service and which ones will you pay for as they are done?  Don’t let the company “get into you “ by front loading fees for work to be done later.  If you don’t like their work, or they go out of business, you could end up paying twice.

Contact HomeSense for a list of prescreened companies that you can call.  Give us a call and we will help you find the right one.