Negotiating Contracts and Terms with Your Landscapers

Hiring landscapers is a great investment into your home or business. Since the way your yard or parking area looks is so vital to the first impression your visitors have about you, it is something worth putting money into to ensure you get the look you want. However, to do this, hire experts who know what they are doing and can ensure that any investment you make is a good one. Once you find a few experts to work with that you trust to have the experience and ability to do the job, you'll need to negotiate a contract with them. Why You Need It Though a handshake deal may be common with some landscapers, it is best to get things in writing. A contract is the best way to do just that. With it, you will be able to know exactly what to expect and you will know exactly what the cost will be to you. It also gives you an opportunity to get out of the agreement if one party does not hold up to the terms included in the contact. Without it, you are at risk. The good news is you can negotiate each of the terms of it to fit your needs. What to Consider As you consider hiring these professionals to handle your yard work and other tasks, realize you do have a number of options to select from and to consider. The following are some examples of what you can expect. • What specific tasks do you want the landscaper to perform for you? This should be in writing. In some cases, to lower the rate, you may be able to reduce some of the tasks done. You can also negotiate to add in services. • Consider add-on services carefully. These are things that may not need to be done on a regular basis but that you want someone to maintain. It may include things like tree trimming, shrub grooming or handling tasks related to the lawn's health such as thatching. • Do consider what the regular tasks will be as well as when you expect for them to be completed. For example, you may need the lawn cut once a week. As a part of that, you expect the sidewalks to be blown free of grass and trimming done. When negotiating with landscapers, talk about the frequency and the specific types of services you need. Also discuss any type of limitations you have such as the overall cost for add-on services. Do not assume that a company can offer you everything you require until they state that they can. Ask why you should choose them over the other guy, too.