Questions to Ask a Landscaper

The questions

Open any question to see why it works.

1. 1

   What kind of work makes up most of your jobs?

   Most companies that call themselves landscapers are really one of three businesses: a mowing and cleanup crew, an installer who plants what a designer specs, or a design-build outfit. Whichever one they name first is the one they are actually good at.

2. 2

   Are you licensed and insured, and can I see the certificates?

   You want to see general liability and workers' compensation, not just a business license. If a worker is hurt on your property and the company carries no comp coverage, the claim can land on your homeowner's policy.

3. 3

   Can you show me two or three yards you have done that are close to the size of mine?

   Portfolio photos are usually the largest jobs they have ever done. Asking for comparable size tells you whether your quarter-acre lot is routine work or their first attempt at something small and fussy.

4. 4

   Who will actually be here doing the work: you, or a crew?

   The person who walks your yard and wins your trust is often a salesperson you never see again. Ask who the foreman is and whether that person speaks the same language as you, since most day-to-day corrections happen on site.

5. 5

   Before we talk about plants, what do you notice about the soil and drainage here?

   This separates the people who read a site from the people who read a catalog. A good answer mentions compaction, clay, where water sits after rain, and tree roots. A weak answer jumps straight to plant names.

6. 6

   How much sun does each part of the yard get, and how does that change what you would plant?

   Sun exposure is the single most common reason new plantings fail, and it varies within one yard by hours. Someone who has not thought about the west wall or the shade under a maple will plant the same shrubs everywhere.

7. 7

   Which plants would you choose here, and which would you talk me out of?

   The second half is the useful half. A landscaper willing to argue against something you like, such as a thirsty lawn or a tree that will outgrow the spot, is giving you judgment rather than agreement.

8. 8

   How big will these plants be in five years, and what gets crowded out?

   New beds are usually planted too densely because sparse beds do not sell. Mature dimensions tell you whether you are buying a design or a pruning obligation.

9. 9

   Once this is established, how much watering will it need?

   Establishment can take two or three growing seasons, and plants that need daily water forever are a different commitment from ones that need it for one summer. Pin down both numbers.

10. 10

    Do you install and repair irrigation yourself, or does someone else do that?

    Irrigation is often subcontracted, which matters when a head breaks or a zone stops working. Find out who you call in year three and whether that company still works with them.

11. 11

    Where does water pool after heavy rain, and what would you do about it?

    Drainage work is unglamorous, expensive, and has to happen before planting or hardscaping. A landscaper who skips it to keep the bid low is leaving you a wet basement or a dead bed.

12. 12

    What hardscaping do you build in-house: patios, walls, steps?

    Retaining walls and steps are structural work with different failure modes from plantings. If they subcontract masonry, ask who carries the warranty on it, because split responsibility is where warranty claims die.

13. 13

    Does any part of this job need a permit or an inspection?

    Retaining walls above a certain height, grading changes, and tree removal often require permits, and rules vary by town. A contractor who says permits are never needed either does not know the local code or plans to skip it.

14. 14

    What is in the written estimate, and what would count as an extra?

    Change orders are where budgets break. Ask specifically about soil amendment, debris hauling, rock or roots they hit while digging, and plant substitutions if a nursery is out of stock.

15. 15

    How do payments work: deposit, progress payments, final?

    A deposit large enough to cover the whole job removes their incentive to come back and finish. Reasonable structures tie payments to visible milestones, with a real amount held back until the punch list is done.

16. 16

    How long will the job take, and what will the yard look like in the middle of it?

    Installations stall between demolition and planting, sometimes for weeks. Knowing that in advance is the difference between patience and a fight, especially if you have kids, pets, or a driveway they plan to stage materials on.

17. 17

    If a plant dies, do you replace it, and for how long?

    Plant warranties are usually one season and usually void if you did not water correctly, which makes the watering instructions part of the contract. Ask what proof they expect from you.

18. 18

    After installation, what upkeep do you handle and what is left to me?

    The handoff is rarely spelled out, so pruning, mulch top-ups, and irrigation start-up quietly become nobody's job. Getting the split in writing prevents a first-year decline you then pay to fix.

19. 19

    How do you handle weeds, pests, and disease: what do you spray, and what do you avoid?

    Ask this if you have children, pets, a vegetable bed, or a well. Answers range from scheduled blanket spraying to spot treatment only, and the difference is rarely mentioned unless you raise it.

20. 20

    What should I expect to spend each year to keep this looking the way it does on day one?

    A design can be affordable to install and expensive to own. Annual cost is the number that decides whether you keep the yard as designed or let it slowly simplify itself.