|| Splash Page || Archives || Browse Current Issue || Contact Us ||
|| Denver Issue || Las Vegas Issue ||

Please select an archived issue for viewing.
|| Fall 07 Denver || Winter 07/08 Denver ||

PDF Downloads:
|| SPRING 08 PDF Denver || SPRING 08 PDF Las Vegas ||
|| WINTER 07 PDF Denver  ||  WINTER 07 PDF Las Vegas ||
|| FALL 07 PDF Denver  ||  FALL 07 PDF Las Vegas ||

Welcome Home Magazine
79 Spyglass Drive
Littleton, Colorado 80123-6657
Phone: (303) 797-8400
Email: jim@welcomehomemag.com
Copyright 2008 Welcome Home Magazine

Landscape Shopping For Your New Home
Whether you are renovating an existing landscape or starting from scratch in a new yard, finding the right landscape contractor is do-able and like other projects, easier when you break it down into a few steps.
Step one: Think about what you really want in your landscape.
n Will your yard be mostly viewed from the indoors or lived in?
n Do you need lawn and other areas for kids to play?
n Do you need barriers to create privacy or muffle street noise?
n Will you be entertaining outdoors and need the amenities of an outdoor room?
n Do you want customized elements like a flagstone patio, deck, fireplace or water feature?
n Are there specific plants you want just because you love them?
n Do you prefer low-water plants?
n Do you want a sprinkler system with state-of-the-art water-saving features?
Step two: Set your budget and make a plan.
A very general rule of thumb for new landscapes is to budget approximately 10 percent of the price of the home. So for a new home in the $250,000 range, you should expect a basic landscape cost around $25,000. But remember, as with a new home, upgrades can drive up the price tag.
In new neighborhoods there are often covenants requiring that landscapes be installed within a specified timeframe. In order to meet that deadline, you might not be able to afford all the items on your landscape wish list. In that case, develop a master plan design that includes everything you ultimately want in your yard and work with your landscape designer on a staged plan. Get the basics accomplished right away and move on to the next priorities when it makes sense financially.
Step three: Identify the landscape pros you want to consider.
There are two approaches to obtaining a landscape design. One is to work first with a professional landscape designer or landscape architect to develop a design that incorporates all of the elements in your wish list into a detailed drawing. This approach allows you to get the master plan for your yard finalized before you take your design to contractors for bids.
The other approach involves working with a “design/build” landscape contracting firm that has designers on board. This option is more of a “one-stop-shop” in that the company that consults with you on the design can also install the landscape. The designer’s fee is often incorporated into the overall cost of the landscape work.
One effective resource for finding landscape professionals is the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado’s website www.alcc.com. From the home page, click on
FIND A LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL for referrals to landscape designers and contractors in you area. Another way to find prospective contractors is to network with people you know who have recently had landscape work done and are pleased with the results. Once you have identified prospective landscape professionals, you are ready for the last step.
Step Four: Check out the firms.
If you are spending several thousands of dollars on the landscape, you owe it to yourself to be diligent in checking out the service providers. Find out as much as you can.
Are they reputable?
n How long has the firm been in business?
n Have they got YOU covered with the right insurance? Ask to see proof of insurance for liability and workers' compensation.
n What's the educational background and work experience of the employees? Will there be a Certified Landscape Technician (CLT) working on your property?
n What professional affiliations does the company hold?
n Does the firm intend to use subcontractors?
n Ask for client references. Take the time to check references and visit properties where the contractor has worked.
n Find out what former clients have to say. Did the contractor display good work habits like returning calls promptly and keeping appointments, honor the terms of the contract and meet the customer's expectations for technical competence? Was the contractor responsive to concerns expressed by the customer?
Will they put it in writing?
Ask for a detailed contract with job specifications. Be sure the contract includes:
n the scope of work—what’s being done
n total costs
n how and when payments are due
n guarantees and
n how disputes will be resolved, if they arise.
Both the design and the contract identify the scope of the work to be done—in other words, these documents specify what you are buying. If there is a dispute, these documents will be used to resolve it, so be sure you are comfortable with the final details.
When you follow these steps of identifying what you want, knowing your budget, carefully selecting the professionals, checking them out and getting the details in writing, you become a responsible landscape consumer.
Contributed by Becky Garber, Director of Communications & Certification, ALCC. To find a qualified contractor in your area, visit www.alcc.com and click on FIND A LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL.