It can be tough to find qualified landscaping contractors in Brampton because the majority of landscapers specialize in certain areas. If you’re looking for a professional local landscaper, make sure you find a company that’s well-rounded and offers a full range of landscaping services. This will end up saving you a great deal of time, money, and aggravation in the long run.
Tips for Choosing a Landscaper in Brampton
Here are some tips to help you find an ideal landscaping contractor in Brampton.
Ask Around
The key to finding a reputable local landscaper in any area is to simply conduct proper research. Ask for references from friends, family members, coworkers, or even trusted neighbours whose lawns and landscapes you admire. They should be able to give you affordable, reliable, and honest referrals. You can even look at online reviews for local landscaping contractors and ask them to provide references. More often than not, you should be able to contact their past customers for favourable references.
Check Each Landscaper’s Certifications
There are numerous prestigious academic certifications, degrees, and community memberships that landscapers can have. Here are just a few that you should be looking for:
Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) Certification—caters to U.S, Canada, and Puerto Rico
- Canadian Society of Landscape and Architects
- Canada Nursery Landscape Association
- Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
- International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
Don’t be afraid to ask for proof of these certifications and licenses. Don’t just take the landscaper’s word for it, either. Do your own homework on all of these certifications and organizations. Also, keep in mind that every geographical and municipal region has its own set of legal regulations for each landscaping job. Make sure you choose a landscaper who primarily works in your area because this will ensure they have all of their required certifications and that they’re familiar with municipal regulations and climate patterns where you live.
Create a Detailed, All-Inclusive Contract
Before you can hire a landscaper with confidence, you need to make sure that you know exactly what you want and expect out of your landscaping project. Once you’ve got that down pat, write it all down and create a reasonable set budget. Communicate this information to a few of your top landscapers just to get an idea of whether your desires and budget are workable.
Take the time to compare and contrast the results of your meetings and the conversations you’ve had with each contractor before making your decision based on who you think is the best fit. Always stress the importance of remaining within the budget and always get an estimate in writing from each prospective company, clarifying whether their rates are fixed or variable. You should also be prepared to have to make some adjustments as the project progresses to account for any inevitable unforeseen occurrences and subsequent costs thereof.
Don’t pay the full amount upfront because if something goes awry during the project and it’s left unfinished, you’ll have a hard time getting even a partial refund. It’s better to start with a realistic down payment and go from there. Your contract should include the following:
- Payment installment plan and schedule
- Start and predicted end dates
- Estimated cost and breakdown
- Work to be included
- Designate responsibility for clean-up and obtaining work permits
- Warranties for faulty items and prematurely dying greenery
Research Previous Work
Always look into each landscaper’s previous work. You can usually find this on their website and through customer reviews. Don’t be afraid to ask for and contact their references to get a full scope of the quality of their work and make sure it’s the kind of landscaping work you want to be done for your own property.
Experience
As with any trades industry, landscaping jobs are best left to the professionals. The last thing you want is to shell out thousands of dollars on an expensive and time-consuming landscaping job only to have it completely botched in the end. The more experience a company has in the industry, the more they have to show for their efforts. If you want to work with someone who’s knowledgeable, reliable, and hardworking, then experience is pertinent.
Forever Green Lawn & Landscaping Inc. is a prominent, full-service landscaping and property maintenance company that’s been working in the GTA for over 20 years. We specialize in commercial and residential landscape management, and we have liability and WSIB insurance, warranty, and a comprehensive contract. For more information on our services, please call us at (905) 454-0875 or e-mail info@forevergreenoutdoors.com.
