The Last of the 2026 Tips...

Happy New Year!

We have spent the last 6 weeks discussing the "What You Must Do for Your Landscape in 2026" list.

We covered:
1. Creating a Plan
2. Discovering Likes and Dislikes
3. Identifying Problem Areas
4. Setting a Budget
5. Prioritizing.

Our last tip, number 6...is...Hiring A Contractor!

Finding a trusted partner for your home and landscape projects can be hard. We have included some tips for hiring a landscape contractor (or any contractor for that matter) below.

In my 20 plus years of entrepreneurship, it still leaves me baffled when I meet with a new client and they tell me that they have called 3 other landscape companies before me and I was the only one that answered the phone or called them back

I think, wow, how can someone run a business that is totally dependent on a steady flow of leads and not call those leads back. (Well, actually, the first thing I think about is, dang, I really need to improve my marketing since I was the 4th company they found, but that’s a topic for another day).

Now...have some of our client inquiries went to spam and we lost the opportunity...yep! But that's technology these days. If it makes it to our inbox...we really do call you back.

Finding a partner for your project starts with communication. Clear and timely communication sets the stage to start building trust and you definitely want to trust the company you are considering spending thousands of dollars with or signing up for a year long landscape management contract.

Do they listen to your ideas without cutting you off to sell “their way of doing it.” Do they offer solutions to your problems? Are they dressed neatly and have literature to give you that explains how their business operates and what to expect if you do business with them?

Do they have the ability to provide you with a detailed written or typed proposal and design services? Do not accept a verbal quote, if that is all they can provide you, find someone else, period.

Look at more than the pretty pictures on their Facebook page.

Do they have a website and email address? That is a must for reputable companies these days. Do they have industry specific certifications? These certifications let you know that they know what they are doing and you will be receiving a quality product, installed to industry standards. What do past clients say about them on their Google Reviews?

Ask for references if you are still not sure, any good company will quickly be able to provide you with a list of references. Ask for references of projects similar to yours.

Make sure they have insurance.

If they don’t have insurance, they are not a company. You do not want anyone working on your home or property without insurance, not matter how cheap their bid is. If something goes wrong, you will be on the hook.

Most super cheap bids come from people with no insurance. Insurance costs are a big expense for contractors and we have to cover that overhead.

In the end, finding the right contractor starts with trust. A good contractor will build this trust by doing and having everything I have laid out here.

One more thing.

Some contractors charge a consultation fee. Do not be scared of a $50 or $100 consultation fee. Contractors that charge a fee to meet with you, talk with you, listen to you, measure, take pictures, type up a detailed proposal with project specifications and a sketch if necessary are the cream of the crop.

In our experience they are the professionals that know what they are doing. They will have creative solutions for your problems and provide superior service.

Imagine this for a minute...when you arrive at work, you begin your tasks, but you wait 4 hours before you start getting paid?

No different than when a contractor arrives at your property, spends an hour with you, another hour measuring, two more hours at their office formulating your proposal and then another hour reviewing the proposal with you or making revisions.

Take charge of your landscape in 2026 and reach out to us if you have any questions!