Landscaping, when properly executed, can add quite a lot of value to your property. In fact, good landscaping can increase your property value by as much as seventeen percent! Knowing that, it is easy to see how important it is to choose a good landscape Contractor. This is the person who will be responsible for how all of your flora looks (the fauna are up to you).

Before you start approaching landscape contractors, it is a good idea to decide what kind of a look you are going for—the more you know about what you want, the better off you will be. Think of a basic design and then decide how much of it should be left up to the landscaper and how much of it you can do yourself. Small flowerbeds are easy to do yourself, but a large landscaped yard might best be left up to a professional.

When choosing a Contractor, make sure to investigate him thoroughly. How long has this landscape contractor been contracting? Does he have any employees or assistants? Always ask for references and make sure that you not only call the references to see what they have to say about the contractor, but visit their properties. A visit to the property will show you the variety of work the contractor can do. It is sort of like a walk-through portfolio.

Always ask about insurance. Often landscaping requires insurance to cover any liability or worker’s comp claims. Make sure the landscape contractor can provide you with proof that he is insured. When asking about insurance, you should also ask if he is a member of any trade organizations. Affiliation with national (and even local) trade organizations could be a sign of high quality and high professionalism.

Check into independent landscape contractors or those who are just starting out. These newcomers are a great way to get your property landscaped professionally and a great way to help out a small, local business. If the newcomer is not yet associated with any organizations, ask for a chance to look at any previous work. Always get a written agreement and make sure that all of the details of your project have been covered in the agreement that you both will sign. New landscapers understand that this is part of the process and are often eager to build their "portfolio" and gain more references.

Make sure to ask about guarantees. For example, if something put in by your landscape contractor doesn’t bloom, doesn’t work or collapses (like a retaining wall) will they come back and re-do the work for free? Many companies are asked to maintain the property for a year to make sure that it ends up looking the way you want it to. After all, plants can be fickle about the way they grow!

Landscaping can be a costly endeavor so you will want to make sure to check around before deciding on your landscape contractor. Do your research, check references, and look at their previous work before making your decision.