Hiring a Landscaping Professional

When implementing your landscaping design, consider hiring a professional landscaper if you don’t feel comfortable doing the work yourself.  You may want to use a landscaping professional for certain parts of the job, or to complete the entire project.  Also, many landscaping plans are completed in stages.  You can “try out” a landscaping professional by hiring them for one specific project to see if you are satisfied with their work.

There are many different types of landscaping professionals to help you with your project.  A landscape architect specializes in the design and planning of a landscaping project.  They are highly skilled and have years of professional training.  Landscape architects are usually licensed by the state.

Landscape designers are not licensed, and can have varying levels of training or skills.  Many landscape designers can do an excellent job of designing the layout of your landscaping project at a lower cost than a landscape architect, but be especially careful when hiring a landscape designer.  Be sure to check references and ask to see examples of completed projects.

Landscape contractors are hired to install the landscaping.  Other than the usual business licensing requirements, landscape contractors are not regulated or licensed by the state.  Choose a reputable local contractor and make sure they have liability insurance and workman’s compensation insurance.  Ask for references and follow up by calling a few to see if they were satisfied with the contractor’s work.

When working with any landscaping professional, make sure to have a written agreement that specifies exactly what the work entails and what the cost will be.  The contract should specify who pays for the materials, equipment, and clean up costs.  It should also specify a time frame for completion of the project.