Landscape Maintenance & Construction

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. At Yardscapes NW, we like to talk with a customer about the balance between the scope of work, the schedule to do the project, the budget allowed for the work, and the expectations with the roles of the customer and contractor.

A customer should realize that a low bid doesn't always mean you're getting a better price from one contactor than an other, it will typically mean that one of the other three items above have been reduced as well and the customer should make sure that is okay before they accept a bid.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Materials, like paving stone or retaining wall blocks, can be over half the cost of the entire project.

Often a contractor can do the work for less money than a homeowner can do on their own because they own the equipment to make the work go faster and easier and can get special pricing on materials. Ultimately a contractor will likely make fewer mistakes and give you a higher quality product.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. The Big Three: Are they licensed, bonded and insured.

Ask to see some examples of their work. Check out their Facebook page and/or website.

Also see if a contractor has any referrals to contact. I always like to tell customer's not only about the great work that I've done but share with them the projects that didn't work out so well, in an effort to help them understand more deeply what will make a successfull working relationship and what will cause it to be a disappointment.