In Florida, hiring the best landscape company is not always easy. The market is filled with unlicensed, uninsured and inexperienced landscape ‘‘Professionals’’. Whether you are a homeowner, a property manager, commercial property manager or a condo board association member, the process of researching and selecting the right company can be time-consuming and risky if not properly done.
In this article we are highlighting 6 things that you need to consider before hiring a landscape professional.
1. Know your needs and your budget.
This is one of the most important steps. Understanding exactly what your needs are will allow you to plan your budget more efficiently and effectively. Sometimes amazing landscape work from a certified and licensed company does not comes at the lowest cost but it will be worth every penny.
2. Make Sure to Build an RFP (Request for Proposal)
An RFP is basically a list of things and items you need in order to make the most out of your budget. With an RFP you will be able to assess your needs and give the opportunity to more than one company to bid on your project. This is a very effective way to ensure you get all the work you need done and withing your planned budget. Most companies charge to put an RFP together but it does not have to be always the case.
3. Have a Signed Agreement
In order to ensure you are getting exactly what you agreed and your landscaping project goes smoothly, is very important to have a written agreement. If your landscape company does not provide you with one then is not the company you want working on your landscape.
4. Research Their License and Certification
Keep in mind that a landscape professional most likely will have access to your property in ways that other services don’t. You need to ensure that the people working on your landscape are licensed, insured and certified professionals. If you live in Florida, a good way to check on the status of a company is by checking them on the Division of Corporations Website
5. The Right Equipment
Whether is a small or a large company you should make sure they have the proper equipment to handle the typo of landscape project you need them to handle. Of course, the amount and type of equipment will vary according to the project but if they only have hedge trimmers and a lown mower to do everything, it is definitely a red flag.
At Cutters Edge, we source most of our equipment from one of the best companies around. Growers Equipment is a multi-store full service agricultural, commercial and construction equipment dealership serving South Florida and beyond. They are with no doubt the best distributors in the industry.
6. Ensure They Have Insurance
Insurance is one of the most important factors to look out when hiring a landscape company. Without insurance, you might actually be liable for anything going wrong while work is happening in your property. In order to avoid being liable make sure to check for the insurance certification.
Do you want to learn how to set correct budget expectations for a landscaping company, how to establish an RFP and exactly what items you should list on it? Listen to our podcast HERE
Located in Davie and servicing all South Florida, Cutters Edge is the industry leader when it comes to taking care of all of your landscape needs. We have years of experience and the most reliable, insured and certified team of landscape professionals ready to take on any job. We are sponsored by some of the biggest and highest quality industry giants like Growers Equipment, a leader in the landscape equipment industry, Kubota and Truck Max
