- 1). Be mildly wary. While there are many fine landscape contractors out there, it is also a field where businesses start up and fold very quickly. Know that your contractor has hand-picked the references for you to check, so you'll need to be cautious and persistent in quizzing them.
- 2). Make sure you have enough time to really talk with the reference. Five minutes is not enough time. You don't want to get a simple "Yes, he was fine" to your questions. You want to have an in-depth discussion, so make sure you have 20 to 30 minutes set aside with the reference.
- 3). Ask about invoicing. Most contractors will spell it out with you, but ask the reference what his experience was. Good contractors provide copies of all receipts and invoice on a specific time schedule. Poor contractors provide no receipts and invoice in a somewhat haphazard fashion, typically due to cash flow issues. You want a schedule, not only for your planning, but also so that you can see if this contractor has enough cash flow to keep the business afloat week to week.
- 4). Check in on hardscaping. If you're planning a deck, barbecue or patio, find out who actually did the work for the reference. Was it the contractor himself or a subcontractor? Good contractors will use both, but you want to know in advance who the subcontractor will be so that you can check any references on that subcontractor also. Ask how the hardscaping has held up over time. Concrete work should not chip or crack, decks should not be causing splinters and fences should be looking sturdy. If any of these have been an issue, find out how the contractor handled these concerns for the client once the job was officially complete.
- 5). Ask about communication. Did workers show up unannounced as the project dribbled to a close, or did the contractor set appointments with the client so that it was clear what was happening when? Did the contractor provide a schedule and notify the client in advance of any changes? Overall, how did the client feel about communicating with the contractor? Did she respond to phone calls or was email a better choice? You'll be living with this garden for some time, so you want to understand how best to communicate with any potential contractor based on the experiences of others.
- 6). Query about how the workers were treated. You want to understand how the contractor typically treats his crew. Is it a regular crew or are there different workers every day? Day laborers for short-term projects or additional capacity are fine, but a good contractor has a regular set of workers who know the project and see it through to the finish. Make sure that the contractor treated his workers with respect. These workers will be in your garden every day for some time, so make sure that the contractor has provided, at a minimum, their basic needs--water and toileting facilities.
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