Selecting Your Lawn Maintenance Company
By Tim Alan

      If you have needed to select a professional lawn maintenance contractor for your home landscape, I don’t need to remind you how finding a reputable and dependable company can be a difficult task. Many times it seems the company you hire to mow your lawn can cost you big bucks for renovations from improper and/or irresponsible mowing and trimming practices. Let’s sort through the basics in selecting your best choice in lawn mowing and maintenance for your home and/or commercial property based on green industry standards and university recommendations.

      Believe it or not, to be in the mowing business normally all you need is a truck, trailer, equipment, and a county occupational license. Prior experience or training is not required by most city, state, or county regulations. Combine this fact with the high income possibilities in the green industry, and you have a potential for disaster. Though these tips may not guarantee you’ll choose a professional, they will surely help to identify, and guard against hiring, many unprofessional gardening companies, and help you make a sound choice based on common sense and sound industry practices.

1. Before allowing any company to provide lawn mowing, trimming, or fertilizing, check to see if they are licensed and insured. Find out how long they have been in business, and if they have any “verifiable” references (minimum of 3) or any prior training or classes taken in horticulture or turf maintenance.
   
   
2. Make sure they provide you with “Proof of Insurance” to prevent your liability in the event they injure themselves and/or anyone else while on your property.
   
   
3. Call and confirm a minimum of 3 business references before allowing maintenance to your property.
   
   
4. Receive a “Written Estimate” of the work they will perform, and what these services include. Will they provide insect, disease, and weed control? They must be licensed to do so, or you can be held responsible for their actions on your property in regards to pesticide chemicals used. (Note: as a homeowner you are not required to be licensed to treat your own property).
   
5. Always pay by check (not cash) and make payable to a business not an individual.

     
These measures may seem unreasonable to you for something as simple as mowing your grass, but there are countless stories of significant damage to property and life, when the homeowner or business hired a lawn company without taking the steps to protect their interests. Many times the lowest price wins the business. However, in the long run financial losses will greatly exceed the benefit of low price in costly turf or plant replacements and possible legal issues. You can receive a detailed “fact sheet” on this topic from your local university cooperative extension office and/or agent.

Tim Alan is the Host of the hit TV series “Eye On Gardening” airing coast to coast on iLifeTV. For more info you can log on to the show website at www.eyeongardening.com.