Do we need a landscape contractor for this project?

Especially if your project is your yard at home, you may wonder whether the project you have in mind really requires a professional.

People sometimes imagine the only time to hire a landscape contractor is when a home is new, or when you have a large property that needs a complete makeover.

Truly, it's the quality of work you want – not the size of the project – that will help you decide when to hire a landscape contractor. To get a quick overview of what you gain by working with JSI Landscapes, we encourage you to read The Perfect Landscape topic in this site.

What services will a landscape contractor perform?

The right landscape contractor listens to what you want and applies experience and expertise to give it to you. They help you discover what appeals to your senses, and they inform you about what's required functionally. They will start with a plan that ensures success and they give you the information you need to allocate your budget according to your priorities. Your contractor will manage all the people, equipment and materials needed to execute your design; they make sure your project complies with all codes and regulations to protect you from fines and ensure your safety.

The right contractor will deliver a lasting landscape that will perform as well as it looks. For details about the full range of services JSI Landscapes provides please see the Landscaping Services topic on this site. The "Why It's Good" column on these pages will give you honest insight.

At what point in our project should we involve a landscape contractor?

As soon as you're committed to landscaping your property, you should start looking for a qualified contractor. For most people, that means as soon as you know what it is you don't like about your existing landscape, or what it is you'd like to add that would make your existing landscape more ideal.

In Oregon, a landscape contractor licensed in "all phases" can help you explore options you may not have considered, point out hidden challenges your property might present, and provide important advice about how your design choices will impact your budget.

Involving your contractor early in your project can help you avoid costly missteps, and increases the likelihood you'll be satisfied with the final results. You can get free professional advice, including our Homeowner's Guide to the Perfect Landscape in the Client Experience topic in this site.

How do we find good landscape contractors around Portland?

The best place to start is also the easiest. Ask friends, family, neighbors and co-workers if they've worked with a professional landscape contractor. Ask what services they had their contractor perform to see if their needs were similar to yours.

Make this list of contractors as long as you want, and use this time to think about your idea of the perfect landscape and how you like to live. You don't have to decide exactly what you want your landscape to look like, but you will be able to ask better questions of potential contractors if you have some idea about what you want and how much you are willing to invest to get it. Our complimentary Homeowner's Guide to the Perfect Landscape, is a painless way to start visualizing your perfect landscape.

It's important to find a contractor with experience with your type of project. The landscaper your neighbor raved about might be great at maintaining mature landscapes, but poor at designing a new landscape or be unqualified to install sprinklers. This is also a good time to see if you can learn more about these businesses from their web sites. Pay attention to the services and experience of each company. You'll find some companies are specialized lawn care services and do little more than water/mow and rake. Some landscapers are focused on maintaining landscapes and provide only basic design and plant-scaping services. Even among full service landscape contractors you will find a wide variety of talents and experience. To read more about our qualifications, the About JSI Landscapes topic in this site is a good place to start.

How do we find the best landscape contractor for our project?

Most people who have worked with a landscape contractor will tell you one of the biggest indicators of how satisfied they were with the finished project, was how easy they found it to communicate with the contractor they hired.

Look for a landscape contractor who makes you feel comfortable, and with whom you can communicate with openly. That's one good reason to start narrowing down your choices by talking to the landscape contractors on your list by telephone. Calling after you've thought about the changes you'd like to make and how much your budget is will make these conversations easier and more informative for you. Ask whether the people you talk to on the phone are the same people you'll actually be working with at your home. Some of the largest contractors use appointment setters, sales consultants, or estimators who are not going to be around after work on your property starts.

After you've talked to several landscape contractors by phone you should start to have some impression of how you would like working with each of them. Your favorite three or four can now become your "short list". This short list is the contractors you will now "qualify" for your project.

You need to be confident that in addition to open communication, your landscape contractor understands what your objectives and standards are, and that they have experience designing and installing the design features you have in mind. Your short list is the landscape contractors you may want to schedule consultations with. Ask to see their portfolio to make sure yours will not be the first retaining wall they build, or the first waterfall they design. Check references to determine if the fences they build are still standing five years later. Verify their license to make sure they are competent to perform the work your project requires.

Why should we hire a licensed landscape contractor?

Only licensed landscape contractors are registered with and monitored by the State of Oregon. If you hire a licensed contractor you can get help from the State to resolve a dispute and have access to a "bond" for negligent work or breach of contract.

Hiring a licensed landscape contractor means you are working with a business that employs people who have met professional experience and/or education requirements and passes a competency exam. Before you work with anyone who is not a licensed landscape contractor you should ask yourself what you'd do if they excavated your yard and then never came back, or how you would protect your finances if a worker of family member got injured on your property. Our free guide, Hiring a Landscape Contracting Business in Oregon, gives you details about who to contact to learn more about the benefits of working with a licensed landscaper.

Does it matter if we hire a landscape contractor licensed in
"all phases" of construction?

In Oregon, there are three different levels of license granted to landscape contractor business. To put it as simply as possible, the standard license shows competence in what most people think of as the landscaping part of projects; selecting and installing lawns, flowers, shrubs, vines, trees and all the other aspects of nature that make a property attractive.

Some landscaping businesses can also qualify for a license that shows competence in planning and installing irrigation such a sprinklers or drip systems. The state requires special licensing for irrigation because of drainage and flooding risks and because incorrectly connecting these systems to the water supply can contaminate your drinking water. The highest level of license granted in Oregon is an "all phases" license. Landscaping businesses licensed in "all phases" can do everything the standard license allows in addition to large scale projects where fences, decks, arbors, driveways, retaining walls, and other built structures are an important part of your landscape. If a landscape contractor is licensed in "all phases" and licensed in irrigation the contractor is authorized by the state to perform virtually any of the work your landscape project will require. You can download more information about Hiring a Landscape Contractor in Oregon from the Client Experience topic in this site.

Don't professional landscape contractors add substantial cost
to a product?

While it's true you'll pay a landscape contractor for their experience and service, hiring the right landscape contractor can actually save you money in many ways.

While there are many sources of garden designs, only a landscape contractor can tell you from direct experience what will be required to get your landscape from where it is now to where you want it to be. The design feature that looks great somewhere else may be virtually impossible to successfully – or affordably – install on your property. A landscape contractors' involvement in your design can help you avoid wasting your budget as well as helping you reduce water, energy and maintenance costs after your landscape is installed.

The right landscape contractor can turn a difficult site into an easy to care for property. They can deliver a wider variety of higher-quality materials, equipment and plants from their suppliers than you would be able to find at the typical garden center. Most importantly though, they can do more in much less time, so you can start enjoying your landscape sooner.

How is a landscape contractor compensated?

A professional landscape contractor's compensation can be based on time, a stipulated project fee, a percentage of the cost of the work, or the property's area. The most common agreements are based on time or a project fee.

You should always ask for and review a written estimate before any work begins, and if you have been careful to hire the landscape contractor who makes you feel comfortable, and with whom you can communicate with openly, there should be no mystery about what you are paying for.

What is the homeowner's role in the landscaping process?

Because no two clients or landscapes are exactly the same, your contractor will depend on you to communicate your design preferences, determine your budget, and give insight into how your lifestyle will affect the functional aspects of your landscape.

The best landscape contractors will ask you many questions and listen to your answers. Be available to respond to questions and to respond to design suggestions to keep the project moving ahead. It's just as important for you to raise any concerns you have so they can be addresses in the earliest stages. By working in partnership with your landscape contractor you can help create the best possible outcome for your project.