If you’re having a landscape installation project completed, one of the most valuable documents that you should receive is a landscaping contract. Just like any other contract you receive for a professional service, this document should provide clear expectations about what you’re going to receive.
Unfortunately, landscaping contracts can really run the gamut in terms of what’s included. Some companies are a lot more detailed in their landscaping agreements than others.
Without a detailed contract, you might be left with a lack of understanding about what’s really getting completed for your investment.
In this article, we’ll dive into landscape contract basics like what should be included in the contract and why it’s important. We’ll also get into landscaping warranties and what may or may not be covered by these.
Our Landscape Designer Amanda McNiff works on landscaping contracts all of the time and we’ve asked her to share what clients ought to know.
At the end of the day, it’s about being an informed consumer and making a wise choice for your property. Getting a detailed landscape contract will help you make the best decisions.
Yes, you should get a landscape contract from your landscaper if you’re having a significant project completed on your property. Like any other professional service or project you’re having done, you want to understand what’s included in the price you’ve been given, Amanda says.
Of course, if you’re just having a couple of plants installed, a detailed contract might not be necessary.
But if you’re having a larger landscaping project with multiple plants and maybe even some hardscaping, you definitely want to have the details of that project laid out in a formal contract.
Amanda says that sometimes when starting a conversation with a prospective client, they just want ballpark pricing, and that’s always a good starting point. But if, after receiving ballpark pricing, you decide you want to hire a landscaping company to tackle your project, a contract will help.
Some landscaping companies get a lot more detailed than others with their landscaping agreements. At Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape, we do get pretty detailed in our landscaping contracts.
Amanda says that some of the items that should be included in a landscaping contract include:
If you’re spending your hard-earned money on a project, you deserve to have a detailed list of the materials being used.
If not, you have no way of knowing if the company is trying to just use a cheap substitute instead of a higher-quality product. If this is an installation job, it’s good to have a list of explicit details about the plants, including what plants are being used and what size the plants are going to be.
If these details are left out of the contract, you simply have no idea what you’re getting.
You also deserve a detailed explanation of the scope of work. A firm contract will list out all of the different labor tasks involved in completing your project.
This even includes front-end items, such as utility checks, and back-end items, such as cleanup and debris removal.
Every project is unique, and some specialized details might need to be included.
Accessibility is a big one. How will the space be accessed, and what machinery will be needed to do so? This can become especially complicated with townhomes, where the best entry point might not be obvious.
If your project includes items that might have a warranty, this will also be in the contract. We’ll get more into warranties next.
When you really dive into the items covered in a landscaping contract, you can start to see how prices might differ from one company to another.
While another contract might be “cheaper,” it might have no materials listed. You literally have no idea what you’re getting for your investment.
Or, maybe the cheaper project uses one-gallon plants, which are going to be small and take a long time to fill in the space (compared to larger, more mature plants). We’ve seen real-life situations just like these.
That’s why these are the details to pay attention to as they’re going to make a difference in what you’re getting for your investment.
You’ll also want to look into whether your project is warrantied and what specifically is covered.
Landscaping warranties can really vary from company to company, but we can tell you how Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape handles this.
According to Amanda, here are a couple of big warranty items:
We understand that sometimes plants have problems from the start, and we will take care of that. But plants that weren’t watered probably die after several months, and that is a different story.
Still, if a plant dies within the first year but after 90 days, we will warranty the labor. So, you’ll just pay the retail cost of the plant…but we’ll come out for free and replace it.
If a plant gets attacked by a disease or a pest after it’s been installed, that’s not covered. But our Plant Health Care Plan is a great way to protect your investment in your plants.
Drainage is not covered under warranty, as catastrophic weather events are beyond our control.
We also will not warranty any part of a project that was completed by someone else. For instance, sometimes we come and complete or add to a landscape project, but we won’t cover anything not built by us.
At the end of the day, detailed landscaping contracts are just another way that we aim to be highly transparent when working with our clients.
Amanda notes that a crucial point to remember is that small details can make or break a project.
Over the years, she says she has seen homeowners get burned by a contract that appeared “cheaper” but was lacking critical details and the homeowner didn’t end up with what they really wanted.
“If you’re going to invest your money in a project like this, you want to know what you’re getting,” she emphasizes. “Don’t settle for a contract that leaves out details because it might mean it’s missing something important.”
Ultimately, a good contract is one of the first signs that you’ve chosen a company that is going to take your project seriously and that’s important.
Detailed landscaping contracts deliver valuable peace of mind.
When it comes to any landscaping project, you want to make sure that you choose the right company for the work.
Researching and ultimately choosing a landscape company is a big decision and may require a lot of work. But by putting in the effort on the front end, you’ll find a company you can build a long-term relationship with rather than feeling as though you’re headed right back to square one when it didn’t work out with the company you chose.
Finding a company that provides detailed landscape contracts is just one piece of the puzzle. But you also want to see that they can back up their claims with a portfolio of finished work.
It helps to partner with a pro who will listen to your ideas and contribute their skill and expertise. Together, you can craft your dream space.
In the end, making a smart choice will help give you peace of mind. By choosing the right landscaping contractor for the work, you’ll be able to feel confident that you have the optimal solution for enhancing your property.
If you want to be confident that your landscape design will have everything it needs, request a landscape consultation, get your customized plan, and relax as you receive the royal treatment.