Maintaining a homestead is one of the most rewarding lifestyle choices you can make. Becoming self-sufficient by gardening, raising livestock, or even spinning your own yarn provides you with a degree of independence most people don’t have.
Are you planning a large landscaping project or simply need some help around the yard? There are a few things to keep in mind to ensure everything goes smoothly. Here are some considerations for hiring a landscaper for your homestead.
Who Should You Hire for the Job?
This is the first thing to consider, and it depends on the type of project you’re planning. You have several options:
Landscape Designers
If you know you want to create a large garden, remove trees, dig a pond, or build gravel paths, but don’t know exactly where you want to put things or which types of plants grow well in your area, start by consulting with a landscape designer.
They’ll visit your property and draw up plans with your help to put your ideas on paper. They might give you suggestions about which plants to buy and which materials will work best.
Landscape Contractors
The landscape designer will reach out to a landscape contractor to do the physical labor. If you already know exactly what you want but simply need the labor to do it, you can go straight to hiring a landscape contractor.
Groundskeepers
If you want someone to help maintain your existing landscape, such as by mowing, pruning, watering, and fertilizing your plants, reach out to a groundskeeper, also sometimes called a gardener. They might tackle smaller projects that crop up from time to time but aren’t usually the first ones to call if you’re doing a complete landscape overhaul.
There are so many similar terms that people often use interchangeably, but the basic distinction is that a landscape designer draws up plans, while a landscape contractor executes projects and a groundskeeper maintains your property over time. All of them fall under the umbrella category of landscapers.
What’s Your Budget?
According to Forbes, the average cost of a landscaping project is $700, but more labor-intensive projects can run upwards of $7,000. You should have a budget in mind before trying to find a landscaper. Otherwise, it’s all too easy to splurge on a decorative water feature or even an elaborate hedge maze that you weren’t planning to build until the landscaper offered it.
Consider why you’re landscaping your homestead in the first place. Will it help you make more money, such as if you give tours of the property to potential customers? Are you trying to save water, restore a degraded ecological area, or attract certain animals like fireflies or birds? Or is it simply for your own aesthetic reasons?
Then, think about how much money you’re willing to spend to maintain your homestead over time. All those new fruit trees and garden paths will require regular care, so consider how much you’ll need to spend over your lifetime when drawing up a budget.
If you’re planning to ever sell your homestead, take into account how much property value your landscaping project might add. Will you get a return on your investment?
How Much Maintenance Will You Need?
Will you be able to keep up with the property maintenance yourself or will you need to hire a gardener to take care of your homestead on a regular basis? You’ll need to factor that into your budget as well.
Will any of the installations, such as water features or decks, require repairs over the years? Can you do the repairs yourself or will you have to hire someone to do them?
Are the plants native species? If so, they’ll probably require a lot less water and fertilizer than exotic plants. If you’ve landscaped your desert yard with Bermuda grass, get ready to spend a lot more time and money than you initially paid to keep the yard green and healthy. With natives, you’ll have considerably less upkeep.
You should also think about pests, such as insects or deer, that might eat your newly landscaped plants. Do you have a fence to keep animals out? Will you have to spend extra money on pest control?
Consider the answers to these questions before meeting with a landscape designer. You might not know all the answers, but your landscape designer should be able to help you with them.
Is the Landscaper Insured, Licensed, and Bonded?
If they aren’t, you could be liable for accidents such as a personal injury or damaged underground gas lines. A credible landscaper is:
Insured
The two types of insurance a landscaper should have are liability insurance and workers’ compensation. The first covers any damage they may accidentally do to your home and the second covers injuries to the workers.
Licensed
A license means the landscaper has professional training and accreditation and likely has to follow state and local laws governing their job. It’s wise to hire someone with formal training.
Bonded
If the landscaper is bonded, it means a third-party company has issued a surety bond to them. This means if the landscaper falls through on their project – like not finishing it or doing a poor job – the third-party company will step in and pay to fix it. They’ll hire someone to finish the job or redo the portions of it that didn’t go as planned.
Landscapers must go through a rigorous process to obtain such a bond. If they have one, that’s a good sign that the third-party company trusts them to follow through on their obligations.
What Types of Services Do They Offer?
Does the landscaper you’re considering provide the services you want? Not every company offers lawn mowing, rock landscaping, debris removal, and outdoor pest control all in one. Some landscapers specialize in planting, removing, and maintaining trees. Others will happily build paths, decks, fences, trellises, and gazebos as part of their services.
Some companies specialize in areas like xeriscaping or installing water features with a focus on environmental sustainability. Certain landscapers also do electrical work like installing outdoor lights.
Ask the landscaper what they offer and how much they usually charge for the projects you have in mind. Find out if they have a niche area of expertise or if they’re generalists.
Importantly, you also need to find out if they service the area where you live. You don’t want to go through a whole phone or online consultation only to find out you live hundreds of miles outside their operation zone.
Does the Landscaper Have References?
Ask them if they have any references from past clients who could testify about their professional abilities. It’s especially helpful if the references are from people who did a project similar to yours.
Do They Have Experience With What You Want?
Along the same lines, ask the landscaper if they have a portfolio of their previous work. How many years of experience do they have with the type of project you’re envisioning?
It’s a good idea to look for someone who already has expertise constructing flower beds, for example, if that’s what you’re planning to do. Everyone has to start somewhere, but your best bet is to choose a knowledgeable landscaper. You can ask them how comfortable they are with different types of landscaping.
If this feels a little bit like an interview question, that’s because it is. You’re likely going to spend a lot of time and money working with them, so you need to ask plenty of questions to make sure you’re hiring the right landscaper for the job.
Do They Have a Website?
These days, having a solid, well-designed website is a good indicator of professionalism. It’s a bit of a red flag if they don’t have one, although not necessarily a deal-breaker. You might be able to find answers to many of your questions on their website as well as look at photos of their previous work.
However, remember that they’re landscape designers, not website designers. Even if the website is tacky, the text is hard to read, or they used too many clashing color schemes, they might still provide incredible landscaping services for your homestead.
What Kinds of Reviews Do They Have?
You can start by checking reviews on their website. Keep in mind, however, that these can be biased because the company might not publish negative comments. Social media reviews are also a good place to look, but many people don’t leave their reviews there.
Google ratings are where it’s at. They can give you a much better idea of what the general population thinks about them.
Look closely at how the company responds to negative reviews. This can be an indicator of professionalism as well. Calm and measured responses that include an apology or offer to fix a person’s complaint are good signs, while angry replies or personal insults are not.
Finally, don’t forget word of mouth when looking for reviews. Ask your friends and neighbors if they’ve ever used the landscaping company. Their opinions might hold more weight than the reviews written by a stranger online, whose identity you can’t really verify.
Are They Familiar With Your Area?
Does the landscaper know which plants grow well in your region or climate? Can they help you plant a garden that doesn’t need much watering or maintenance? It’s also a good sign if they take local wildlife into account when designing the plan for your homestead.
Do They Offer a Free Consultation?
Some landscaping companies offer a free consultation if you meet them in their office and bring photos or measurements of your yard. Others will do free consultations directly on your property, although this usually isn’t the case.
During the consultation, landscape designers can survey the areas of your homestead you want to work on, take rough sketches, and make sure they understand your vision. They will probably also provide you with a rough estimate of the project’s cost. Most landscapers charge a fee for the initial consultation.
Are They Good Communicators?
Make sure you’re on the same page regarding design ideas, timelines, and costs. Do you have the same vision?
How Long Will the Project Take?
Will it take days, weeks, or even several months? Can the landscapers get started right away?
How Much Do They Charge?
According to Forbes, most landscape designers charge at least $200 an hour to draw up the designs for your yard. However, you probably won’t be working with them as much as you’ll work with the labor crew, who charge $50 to $100 per hour for a crew of two people.
If they have to add more people to the crew, they usually charge an extra $25 to $50 per hour. This is just the cost of the labor and doesn’t include materials. This rate can also vary a lot from one landscaper to another or even change depending on the project they’re doing.
What Ideas Do They Have for Your Property?
If you’re hiring a landscape architect, do their ideas align with yours? Keep in mind that they may have advice that’s different from what you were planning, but they also have more experience with landscaping than you do. They might be able to give you helpful suggestions for better ways to work on your homestead.
Do They Offer Warranties or Guarantees?
Will you get your money back if the plants die? Will the landscaping company replace any sprinklers or lights that they install if they happen to fail? Ask if they have warranties or guarantees on their products.
Will They Need Access to Your House?
Will the landscapers bring their own portable bathroom, or will they need to use yours? Is this something you’re comfortable with?
Can you provide water and a cool place for the workers to take breaks in the heat of the day? They likely won’t require this, but it’s still a common courtesy, especially if they’re working in the summer.
Are They Punctual?
Do the landscape contractors show up on time for the first day of work? If so, that gives you a good idea of their overall time management skills.
It’s much easier to work with a crew that gets the job done on time and within a scheduled window than people who show up, take breaks, and leave work at random hours. A few days of missed deadlines can quickly snowball into a project taking an extra month or two.
Since you might want to be home while they work so you can answer any questions, it’s important that the landscapers follow your schedule.
The Takeaway for Homesteaders
There are several considerations for hiring a landscaper for your homestead. A lot of the hiring process depends on your plans – such as the scope of your project and whether you want someone to do long-term maintenance on your property – and some of it hinges on the landscaper’s professionalism, experience, and design ideas.
Hopefully, this list of things to think about gives you a starting point for hiring a landscaper. Your homestead will look beautiful in no time!
[Note: This was a guest post.]
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