Homeowners who want to spruce up their property must find the right landscape design company to help bring their visions to life. If you want to learn how to choose the best company for your needs, follow these tips to ensure a smooth process.
Decide What You Want
The first step in taking charge of your landscape change is to decide what you want. If you have a green lawn and just need someone to care for it, you’ll narrow down the list of services necessary and can then choose from specific companies.
However, you might check out some existing landscape plans for inspiration and realize you want to elevate your yard into a peaceful retreat with nature blooming all around. In that case, you’ll need to consider the services necessary to make this happen. Will you need someone to plot out a garden or create a space for a flower bed?
You might add a porch, deck, or pergola to your outdoor oasis. You can even include water elements, like a pool, stream, or waterfall.
When you’re in the planning process, the sky’s the limit. However, you must also be reasonable about what you want in your yard. You might not want to introduce water elements if you live in a place with water restrictions. If you don’t want to maintain the yard, consider what you’ll have to pay a professional to do the work.
You should also be flexible about your design ideas. It would be wonderful to have a jungle in your backyard, but if that would take too much upkeep, or a waterfall won’t work in your space, it’s best if you’re willing to work with the landscaper. They’re professionals and have experience creating these visions, so you should defer to their expertise.
Research Landscape Design Companies
After you decide what you want, start looking for landscaping companies that complete these tasks. You can search the internet for local companies using keywords for your desired features. While you can first look for generalized landscaping design companies, you can add information about a pergola or deck to get more specific results.
You might recognize some of the names in the search results. Maybe you’ve seen the company’s trucks in your neighborhood, working on lawns in your area. Even if you don’t know the businesses, you’ll have immediate access to their website and reviews on Google or Yelp. The site and reviews will help you make a more informed decision.
Fixtures like porches and pools are more involved than other landscaping services. With this in mind, you need to do deep research into possible companies to ensure they have experience with that type of construction. For example, a landscaping company that mows the grass and takes care of flowers might not know what’s required to add running water to your property.
Keep notes about the reviews you read and the services each company offers. This information will help you narrow down your list of possible companies. You can also search for them on the Better Business Bureau to ensure they’re licensed and can legally perform the services they offer.
Talk to Friends and Neighbors
Visiting the company’s website will give you a good idea of the services they offer and their level of professionalism. Reading reviews will help you understand how they treat their clients and how satisfied customers are with their work. However, people typically leave reviews only when they’re extremely pleased or incredibly angry, so you might not get the full picture.
You should talk to your friends and neighbors now, especially if they have a stunning lawn or recently installed a deck or water fixtures. Find out what company they used and how they felt about the service. You can get great insight into how long the company took to finish the job, how much it cost, and if your neighbor thinks it was worth the experience.
When you know someone personally, their opinion will mean more to you. They’re more likely to be honest since they know you and won’t want to misguide you regarding issues involving your home and money. If they recommend a landscape company, you should look into it for your use because you know the results are worth it.
This step is one you could do earlier before researching companies on your own. It depends on whether you want to do some legwork yourself before feeling swayed by people’s opinions or if you’d rather start with a short list of tried and true options. Or, depending on your neighbors’ experiences, a list of who to avoid at all costs.
Check Out Their Properties
Once you have a short list of a few solid landscaping companies, look at their previous work on their website gallery. They’ll have pictures of the work they’ve done, whether it’s lawn care, planting flower beds, constructing trellises, or hooking up water fixtures. When you see what they’ve done before, you’ll better understand if they can help bring your vision to life.
You can also get landscaping ideas from the pictures on their website. You might see that they can create a look you didn’t think of on your own, so this stage can feel inspiring. If you notice things you didn’t initially consider for your yard, make notes of them so you remember to bring them up when you discuss your ideas with the landscapers.
Meet With the Landscape Design Company
All the background work you’ve done will pay off when you meet with the landscape design company. You can invite them to your property so they’re able to see how much space you have and how you envision the finished look.
You’ll also get to meet the employees in person and interact with them. You’ll be able to tell if they’re professional and take your feedback into consideration or if they barrel ahead with their ideas.
This meeting will help you talk with the company about your goals, budget, and timeline. They can tell you if they’re able to do the work. If you want something they don’t offer, like water fixtures, ask if they have a company they recommend. Some businesses that don’t provide all services partner up with another company to share the workload.
If you like the company’s professionalism and style, you can agree to hire them for the job. At that point, they’ll draft a contract before starting work.
Read the Contract
When you choose the right landscaping design company, you want to sign a contract to protect everyone involved. The contract should state what the company will do for you, within what time limit, and at what price. When you sign it, you promise to pay them for their work as long as they meet the other benchmarks.
Final Thoughts on Finding the Right Landscaping Design Company
Finding the right landscape design company will ensure you have a stress-free journey to create your backyard oasis. It might seem insurmountable to start the process, but the first step you can take is to contact ALD today. Our professionals can visit your property and give you an idea of the work involved with creating your dream space.