Choosing the best Des Moines landscaping company can be tough, and there are many options to choose from.
Des Moines is a sprawling metropolitan area consisting of many cities including Ankeny, Waukee, Urbandale, Altoona, Grimes, West Des Moines, and Bondurant to name a few. Ankeny and Waukee have even been named some of the fastest growing cities in the United States.
With the quickly growing suburbs around Des Moines comes the need for professional services in the home industry. Home builders, electricians, plumbers, and landscape contractors are staying busy trying to keep up with high demand.
What should you know about a contractor before hiring them to work on your property? This article specifically focuses on Des Moines landscaping companies and how to choose the one that is best for you.
Are They a Licensed and Insured Des Moines Landscaping Company?
One of the most important qualifications that a Des Moines landscaping company needs to have is liability insurance. A typical landscape liability policy in Des Moines should come with a one-million-dollar blanket policy. Usually this will cover property damage, physical injury, and personal injury. If the landscaper accidently damages any of your property, this can assure that the necessary repairs can be made. If a contractor doesn’t have insurance, the homeowner might have to pay for any damages that the contractor causes.
Workers’ Comp for Des Moines Landscapers
In addition to general liability insurance, a Des Moines landscaping company should also maintain a workers’ compensation policy. Workers’ compensation, or worker’s comp for short, will cover any employee of the contractor who gets hurt on the job. Coverage can include covering the cost of medical care and treatment, reimbursement of lost wages, disability insurance, and death benefits. Without worker’s comp insurance, if an employee of the landscape company gets injured, the homeowner could be sued for the damages.
When meeting with the contractor, don’t be afraid to ask for proof of insurance. Most companies always keep files on hand or can generate insurance certificates within a day or two. The insurance certificate will list all the insurance policies that the landscape company has, including auto insurance.
Landscapers in Des Moines, IA should also have all the necessary certificates and licenses to conduct business within the state and city. If the landscape contactor also does lawn care in Des Moines, the company and employees applying chemicals should be licensed within Iowa. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) office requires companies to register every year to maintain a license to apply chemicals in Iowa. You can check the status of every listed company in Iowa by searching the database: https://iowaagriculture.gov/pesticide-bureau/applicator-licensing-certification.
Is Their Licensing Current?
Every Des Moines lawn care company employee in Iowa is required to certify yearly by attending an instructional course or is required to re-test every three years. If a company is not maintaining their license, their credibility may be in question. Since lawn pests change every year, and new chemicals come to the market every year, hiring a company with a current license is important to keep your lawn safe for pets, children, and adults.
Every contractor in Iowa is also required to be registered with the Iowa Division of Labor. They also must possess a certificate to do business in Iowa. This was adopted into law in 1988 to ensure that employers are complying with the workers’ compensation laws. It also ensures that the contractor is paying unemployment insurance taxes as required by law. You can search the database to see if the contractor you are hiring is registered and licensed in Iowa: https://www.iowadivisionoflabor.gov/contractor-registration.
Reputable Des Moines Landscaping Companies
When searching for an Iowa landscaping company, it is best to search for companies that have a great reputation. Community involvement is also a great characteristic. A local chamber of commerce is a great place to start. Businesses who are chamber members usually are great at giving back to the community and have a reputable name.
Searching for Google reviews as well as Facebook reviews are also a great place to search for Des Moines landscapers. While every Des Moines landscaping company strives to achieve a five-star review, four-star reviews are helpful as well. It’s possible that companies that always maintain a perfect five-star review have paid for those reviews. This could make them non-reputable.
When Googling back yard landscaping ideas, look for pages that contain a lot of pictures. Landscape contractors should have an abundant supply of pictures to back up their reputation. Great landscape companies will also have many different designs and have many different landscape materials used in their projects. For example, if you need a block retaining wall, the contractor should have pictures of projects they have completed. There are also a lot of landscaping rock types to choose from, so a contractor with previous knowledge is helpful.
Meeting with a Des Moines Landscaping Company
When you choose a landscaper in Des Moines and you meet them for the initial landscape design, the company should show up on time and be friendly. The company representative should first listen to the ideas of the homeowner. This gives a general landscaping concept of the scope of work. A good contractor will be able to provide landscaping ideas for the homeowner which fit the scope of work being discussed.
During the initial landscape visit, the landscape designer will take measurements and pictures of the area to begin a landscape drawing. The drawing and design may consist of different landscape areas including outdoor kitchens, landscape berms, sitting areas, and different plants. A good landscape architect will provide a drawing that is fluid and easily changeable. Very rarely does a modern landscape design get drawn without changes on the first attempt.
Landscape Project Timeframe
Within one to two weeks, the landscape company should be able to get you a first drawing where you can see the initial landscape concept. Once the drawing is complete, the drawing can then be turned into a landscape quote. The landscape quote in most cases is free while a few companies may require payment for landscape plans.
At our company, we provide our landscape plans free of charge. We also produce itemized landscape quotes for all our customers. We believe that transparency is essential when meeting customers and by providing itemized quotes, the customer knows exactly what their money is being spent on.
Most landscape proposals will have an expiration date on them. In our company, all our quotes expire six weeks after delivery. A good company will follow up after the quote has been submitted. We believe in no pressure sales and after one follow up, we do not reach back out or try to pressure the customer into the sale.
If the quote is accepted between the customer and the landscaping agency, a contract is presented to the customer for review. The contract will encompass the scope of work for the project. It will also outline the payment terms between the landscaper and the homeowner. There is also usually a landscape deposit required to secure the work. The landscape deposit is usually at least half of the final amount of the agreed upon quote.
Des Moines Landscape Installation
Once the work begins on the new landscaping installation, the landscaper should take care not to damage the lawn or the area the landscape updates are occurring. At our company, we place plywood down on the lawn in the morning and pick the plywood up in the evening. This helps to keep the lawn from getting trampled and allows any machinery to not leave tracks in the lawn. It is also important the landscaper maintains a clean working environment and the street, driveway, and any other areas get cleaned up at the end of each day.
Landscaping Warranty
Once the landscape job is completed, the new area should consist of beautiful landscaping. The job should be left clean, the lawn care implemented to fix any damages to the grass, and all plants, trees, flowers, and shrubs should be planted straight. Trees should also be staked to prevent wind damage. A reputable landscaper in Des Moines will include a landscape warranty on both the hardscaping and the soft scaping. The hardscape warranty should be anywhere from 2-10 years and include replacement of any defective landscape products as well as cover any labor necessary to fix any issues. Plant warranties are usually one year from the date of planting and include one replacement and necessary labor to replace the plants.
As can be seen from this article, there are a lot of factors that should go into selecting the best landscape contractor for your job. At TeBock’s landscape, we have the answers you need to get started on your new landscaping project or reconstruction of your existing landscaping. Contact Tebock’s Landscape today at 515-809-0690 to see how we can be of service to you.
