Choosing A Landscaping Company For Your Home Owner Association

Do You Manage A Busy Home Owner Association?
This article provides a little insight to choosing a great landscaping company.

Managing a busy home owner association or a condo or townhome complex is a big responsibility.  The last thing you want to worry about is that your lawns, gardens, and landscaping are well cared for.  You want your property to look well care for and healthy, not just for your residents but so that the general public has a great perception of your neighborhood too.  There are literally hundreds of landscaping companies to choose from but how do you know if the company you’re choosing will be able to maintain your property the way you want?

Choosing the right landscaping company for your HOA could be the difference of having your property be the envy of the neighborhood or the property that stands out for all of the wrong reasons.

Maintaining a large residential properties with large garden beds, annual garden displays, lawns, shrubs, hedges, and bushes is very labor intensive and requires frequent attention, often year-round.

When choosing a landscaping or property maintenance company to take care of your condo, HOA, or townhome landscaping consider the following.

#1.  What Will They Be Doing For You?

Has your home owner association come to an agreement as to the scope of work you believe your property will need on a regular basis?  A well equipped landscaping company should be able to complete any of the following tasks for your home owners association:

• Lawn Care
• Lawn Mowing
• Lawn Maintenance
• Lawn Weed Control
• Lawn Fertilizing
• Lawn Edging
• Lawn Remediation or Repair
• Gardening Services
• Mulch Installation And Spreading
• Tree, Hedge, And Bush Trimming
• Leaf Collection
• Debris Hauling
• Seasonal Property Clean Ups (spring/fall)
• Storm Clean Ups

#2.  Is The Company Properly Insured?

Proper insurance for landscaping work is crucial when working around multi-family dwellings or large residential developments.  It’s not unheard of for a lawn mower to throw a hidden rock through a window on a home or a vehicle and if the company is insured it can easily be repaired at no cost to you.  If you’ve hired a landscaper who operates with a mower and a pickup truck who doesn’t have any insurance your chance of having the damage fixed at their expense is pretty slim.

#3.  Do They Have a Clear Contract?

It’d be great if we could all do business on a hand-shake but when typical HOA landscaping contracts are anywhere from $15,000 to $100,000+ annually it’s important to have a very clear and itemized contract in place that outlines the services being provided so everyone has clear expectations.

It’s great for a landscape company to have the predictable revenue a negotiated contract with a large HOA will bring in but it’s equally as important that the services you’re paying for are being provided and this is where a contract keeps both parties on the same page.

It protects your HOA’s investment in the maintenance and appearance of your property and it secures the landscapers time and the use of their manpower and equipment to keep your property always looking it’s best.

#4.  Properly Trained and Supervised Staff

It’s important the landscaping crew that is assigned to your property is properly trained and also some landscaping and lawn care experience.  Staff that have been properly trained will work more efficiently, do a better quality job, and they’ll do it safer too.  Having a competent manager on every project is important too so that you know nothing is being overlooked.

#5.  Can They Accommodate Your Residents Requests?

With so many different unique residents in a modern day residential development like a condo or townhome complex it’s important to find a landscaping company that can accommodate some of the residents requests.  It’s not uncommon for residents to have small yards or gardens they care for on their own and the use of sprays for insects and weeds can also be bothersome for some residents who would like a natural approach instead.  These situations should be clearly spelled out in the contract or discussed and handled appropriately with all parties agreeing to the solution.

#6  What Happens After a Windstorm?

It’s unpredictable but we do get several really strong windstorms annually throughout our area and they always leave a ton of broken branches, leaves and other organic debris scattered on your roof, throughout your lawns, gardens, and outdoor living areas.  It’s impossible for your landscaper to predict when a windstorm will come but be sure it’s mentioned in your contract what is going to happen in the event of unexpected weather.

Will they dispatch a crew right away?  Do they require you to phone them and ask for service?  Will it take several days to get your property cleaned up?  These are all important questions to ask.

#7.  Frequency of Landscaping Visits

This is very important because any large property is going to need regular and frequent visits, usually at least once per week and sometimes more depending on the size of property and your specific needs.  A property with extensive gardens, lawns, and many bushes and shrubs will need constant, skilled attention.  Many HOA’s try to save money by having their landscapers come less frequently and this can be OK for some areas of your property but not so great for others and your landscaper should be able to explain why.

When a property or areas of the property are neglected they can take a lot longer to bring them back into a manageable state.

Why Choose Executive Lawn And Landscape To Maintain Your Property?

When you Choose Executive Lawn And Landscape to maintain the lawns and landscaping at your residential development or HOA you are partnering with a small, locally owned and owner operated company.  We are insured to work on properties such as yours and are licensed to conduct business throughout Hanover County VA.

Our are properly trained and will always be friendly and courteous.  You can be sure that anytime one of our crews is present on your property one of our managers will be there to oversee and supervise the work so you can be assured of the high quality attention we’ve promised.

By choosing Executive Lawn And Landscape you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that your property is in excellent hands and everyone who lives there will get a sense of pride and satisfaction from the healthy and clean appearance of the landscaping that surrounds their home.

If you’d like to schedule a time for us to provide you with an estimate to maintain the landscaping on your residential property please give us a call (804) 807-9688 or fill out our online contact form and someone will be getting right back to you.