Adding value to your landscape through hardscaping, drainage work or adding plant material is usually a significant addition that you will live with for years. So it’s imperative to get the right design as well as choose the right contractor for the job. What do you look for in a contractor and how do you know you get what you’re paying for? We want to offer some suggestions on finding the right contractor for your work and how to work with the contractor once you’ve signed the contract.
Research and Reviews:
Looking for a contractor that specializes in the particular job that’s being requested by the homeowner has gotten easier with Angie’s List reviews, Google+ reviews and a plethora of other online resources to check the landscape contractor’s references. Local agencies are beneficial to homeowners such as your local Better Business Bureau.
Researching the number of years experience and qualifications. Your contractor should hold a landscape contractor’s license in the state of North Carolina. This license takes years of experience documented; recommendations from homeowners combined with hours of study and days of classroom time to complete, test on and submit for review. Therefore, you are guaranteed that the contractor has been through the rigorous testing by professionals in the field of work you are employing them to do.
When interviewing the landscape contractor, get to know them by asking questions during the interview process. Ask for pictures, references and the quality of materials that will be used for the project. After you have reviewed the estimate and discussed details with the contractor there should be confidence established on the landscape contractor’s knowledge and skill level.
Day of Service:
Once the contract is signed, and the foreman and crew arrive on the day of the job, let them get organized. The foreman’s first priority will be to brief his crew on the scope of the job and assign the crew to different tasks to get the job done efficiently and effectively. Some homeowners try to take over and manage the crew or proceed to go over all the details of the project once again with the foreman. Micromanaging the job, by a homeowner only causes havoc for the foreman. If you are confident in the reputation of the contractor then allowing them to do the job will permit the landscape project to go smoother and be more efficient. Extra costs may be entailed if a homeowner does not let the landscape contractor proceed with the job as detailed in the estimate.
In building construction there may arise variables that are found underneath the surface that are not anticipated prior for lack of the obvious (they can’t be seen on the surface). At this point, it is the contractor’s job to inform the homeowner of substantial changes in the bid cost that may not have been anticipated. Work with your landscape contractor on these unforeseen circumstances. They can guide you in the best direction to eliminate the issues in the most effective manner. You can stand behind the reputation of a good landscape contractor, which is why you would hire them during the bidding process. Trust your contractor to give you the best advice for the job at hand. No one likes surprises, not even the contractor. Extra jobs unanticipated can be fixed but it takes the cooperation of both parties to fix the problem and remedy the situation.
