Top Questions to Ask Your Gainesville Landscape Contractor

Remodeling your Gainesville landscape is a financial and emotional investment. It can also be a big investment of your time if you want to be closely involved in the decision-making, or prefer to use a less-professional Gainesville landscape company. Knowing what to expect before the project gets started will help you better prepare for the process. Here are some questions you should always ask your landscape contractor before starting a remodeling project. 1. What is your schedule? A schedule is more than just a start and end date. Having a schedule that outlines tasks and timing will give you a big-picture view of sequencing and deadlines for things such as when you want guests over and when you do not. It will also give you a benchmark so that you know if things are slipping behind schedule due to weather or other factors affecting the job schedule.  

2. Who will be here every day? Depending on the size and structure of the company you hire, the answer could vary widely. Many landscape companies use a foreman system, where a team member (sometimes called a foreman) is responsible for day-to-day work on site, and works as well. Ask your landscape contractor direct questions about who will be responsible for cleaning the work area up every day, who will supervise subcontractors on site and who to call with any questions.
  3. How will you communicate with me? With every mode of electronic communication at your fingertips, you may have some ideas about how you would like to receive information about your project. Your contractor likely has specific ways he or she likes to communicate, too — phone, emails, text messaging, or even  cloud-based schedules can be used to communicate effectively. Make sure you understand how you will be contacted and receive information. If the contractor's format doesn't give you what you think you'll need, agree on a method and format so that you’re not in communication limbo on a daily basis.    4. What part of my Gainesville landscape project concerns you? There’s always something unknown about a project, or an area that is most likely to trigger an immediate change order. Odds are, your landscape contractor already knows what that is. Talking about it upfront and running some worst-case-scenario numbers is the best way to get a handle on what may be ahead.    5. What will happen if there is a change order?Change orders can be easily handled professionally by the correct company. A common way to document change orders is in writing, where the change in scope of work and the price are noted and signed by the client and contractor. Some contracts also note the change in schedule, if applicable. Make sure you have a plan in place to document the unexpected and expected changes that happen along the way.   6.  Can I speak with some of your landscape references?  There's nothing easier more important than peace of mind, and talking to some of your landscape contractor's customers with that have used him for jobs like yours will give you just that. Make sure to ask the direct questions though.  How did the landscaper do at estimating the timeframe the project would take? How was the contractor's final price compared to the original Gainesville landscape proposal? and how did the final landscape project come out as a whole?