Often, contractors have ideas—perhaps at the last minute—for improving your landscaping project, but then unilaterally implement the changes without prior approval or even discussion. “It happens many times,” says Vic Cvijanovic of Pacific Landscaping. “Contractors shouldn’t do anything before they explain it to you in detail and get final approval.”
He recommends you and the landscaper meet every morning, if only for a few minutes, for the duration of the project. Ask the landscaper to review activities scheduled for that day. Find out whether the landscaper plans any revisions, however minor, to the project’s original blueprint. Use the meeting to ask questions and make proposals of your own.
“I always recommend customers be heavily involved in their project,” says Mr. Cvijanovic. He also recommends you scrupulously check the company’s record. Find out whether complaints have been lodged against it, the nature of those complaints and whether they were satisfactorily resolved.
Beyond that, it’s always a good idea to just spend some time chatting with a prospective landscape professional to gauge the quality of the communication. “I hate to say it,” says Mr. Cvijanovic, “but some people in this industry are difficult and close-minded. You simply can’t work with them.”
Be sure your landscaper buys high-quality material from new stock, says Mr. Cvijanovic. For example, the PVC piping used for underground irrigation comes in several grades. If you happen to strike a low-grade pipe while digging in your yard, the shovel will break it and cause a leak.
