Purchasing resources for Landscaping

The Basics of Landscaping

When considering the option of landscaping a property, it is ideal to look at three important variables. The most important factor will be what benefits there are to gain from professional landscaping. Being aware of the pitfalls can also play a significant role when purchasing a landscaping contract. Failure to recognize these pitfalls can result in both the loss of time and money. Pricing can also be a main concern while shopping for a landscaping contract. It is important to consider the reasons for the cost when the least expensive contract seems the most appealing. A thorough examination of these variables will help you make the best decisions regarding your property.

Benefits

The look and feel of a business can be an important feature for impressing first-time customers and keeping old ones returning. A great way to accomplish this is by hiring a professional landscaper to come and make your business look more appealing. Another advantage of landscaping is preventative maintenance to avoid flooding. This can only be accomplished with a well-designed landscaping plan, which can be easily created by a professional.

Visual Appeal

With any type of landscaping company or professional, you can begin to collaborate and detail the type of landscaping style you want. This can depend on what type of business you run, and it can vary depending on the location’s style (e.g. Asian, European, etc.) to a conservative standard. This custom landscaping will impress customers and show that your company takes care and pride in its work.

Flood Prevention

With the help and design of a professional landscaper, you can prevent one of the most common types of natural disasters—flooding. With proper routing, you can divert the natural flow of a drainage area to a completely different area and direction to avoid the many types of damage resting or collecting water can do.

Environment

Landscaping also provides a way to use old building materials and recycle them into new forms of decoration and design. "Prairie Tree Landscaping and Bielinski Homes are showing great success with their recycling program," commented Susan Buchanan, executive director of WasteCap Wisconsin, a nonprofit waste management organization working with Prairie Tree Landscaping and Bielinski Homes. "They're saving money through avoided disposal costs, and they've exceeded their goal by recycling 60% of their construction waste material."

No matter what the goal of hiring a professional landscaper is, the result will always be an increase in visual appeal and preventative maintenance to avoid future headaches. With certain companies, you can even help save the environment by using recycled material to aid in the landscaping process.

Pitfalls

Hiring an Unlicensed Contractor

Avoid hiring an unlicensed contractor to landscape your business property. If you hire an unlicensed worker, your company will be held liable for any damages, injuries, and accidents that occur on the property. Ask to see a certificate showing the license and insurance. Ask for a list of referrals before you hire the company to work for you. Ask if there is a high rate of injury while on the job.

Choosing the Lowest Price

Don’t choose the lowest price on landscape construction simply to save money. All landscapers pay for materials used. Cheaper costs mean cheaper labor. Cheaper labor can mean they take shortcuts in getting the job done. Certain jobs require specific time frames in order to get the job done correctly. If a company offers a much lower bid than everyone else, you will be paying for cheap labor. Miscalculations in the initial bid can also be the result of cheaper costs, or the landscaper may not be including some of the required work that other contractors are looking for.

Warranties

Make sure any work done for you carries a warranty. Warranties will prevent you from having the burden of repairing cracks or other problems that may later develop in your sidewalks or stone masonry as a result of poor workmanship. If the labor is cheap, the workers may be cutting quality. This can result in landscaping that needs restoration or repair within the first year.

Never Pay Up Front

If a company asks for full payment up front before the job has been completed or before the job begins, it may be a warning sign. It is not uncommon for individuals to claim they are contractors, take your money, and never complete the job. Therefore, you should never pay more than 50% of a job’s cost prior to completion.

Pricing

Plants

According to Wikipedia.org, one example of a branch of landscape architecture is landscape planning. Many of the modern parks and greenway systems planned by Frederick Law Olmsted are great examples of different types of planning done by urban landscapers. The cost of these projects can vary greatly depending on what materials are used. Many trees will cost between $100 and $200. If you are looking for a higher quality or larger tree, you may need to pay between $250 and $650. Another thing to remember about landscaping is the cost of labor for installing and planting the trees. Mulch can also be costly at approximately $70 per cubic yard.

Conclusion

When choosing a landscaping option, it is important to remember these three main variables. Professional landscaping can help a business retain and gain clients, alleviate the pains of flooding, and can even help the environment through recycling. Avoiding the pitfalls of landscaping can help to save both time and money and can even provide a better landscaping solution. The price of professional landscaping normally ranges from $100 to $200 and can even exceed that amount depending on the tasks that need to be accomplished. Pricing is also directly reflected in the quality of both the materials used and the work done by a contractor.