Q: Are you licensed and insured for the work you’ll be doing here?
A: Yes, we are licensed in the State of California as General Contractors (B1) and Landscape Contractors (C-27)
Q: I’ve been told I should only hire a licensed contractor. Why is that?
A: The State of California is trying to help protect the homeowner from any serious consequences of poor and untrained workmanship. If a landscape contractor creates a real mess at your place, the state will help you work through the details of getting things rectified. If the work was done by an unlicensed individual you have no recourse. Keep in mind that just because you hire a licensed contractor doesn’t mean your best interest is on his mind. Check out his work and look into his reputation.
Q: May I pick out and buy my own flooring and tile?
A: Yes, of course. We will give you material quantities needed for your flooring, countertops or the backsplash.
Q: Will you be able to give me a time frame to complete our remodel project prior to starting?
A: We will give you a time schedule as soon as we know what the total project in tells. Please keep in mind as walls are opened up, sometimes a surprise is encountered that may slow the project down a bit.
Q: Does your company haul away all construction debris generated during the project?
A: Yes we do and we will always do our best to maintain construction dust to the project area.
Q: Is there anything I can do to help keep the project going?
A: Not really. One thing we always try to do is have most all the materials to be installed on site, prior to starting the project. We don’t want to be searching for something that may take a week to get after we have already started demo.
Q: Can you give me some cost estimates over the phone or do we need to meet?
A: We can only give you some very basic cost estimates over the phone. Each job is different with its own unique conditions and site problems. All these factors can and will effect the cost to complete the work.
Q: When you start the job, will the work continue until finished?
A: We will not start your project until we are ready to continue through to the end. The only thing that can effect this is when the homeowner adds on additional work after we have started the project.
Q: We have a lot of work we would like to have done. Will you be able to run the job for us so the work is completed in the proper order?
A: Quite often we will act as job superintendents to help the homeowner make sure that the different trades have the opportunity to install their work at the correct time.
Q: We really don’t know what we want. Can you help us?
A: We will talk you through the project to help you better understand what your desires are, be it for a landscape project or a bathroom remodel project.
Q: Will you be obtaining any necessary permits from the city for the work to be done?
A: Yes, that’s part of our job. We will check with your city to obtain the necessary licenses and permits. We will also call for the required inspections as needed and when completed, will give you the city job card for you to store in your files.
Q: What happens if some of our plants die?
A: If any plants are going to die due to installation problems, we will replace those right away. These plants will usually show signs of dying within the first week or so. The homeowner does have the responsibility to keep an eye on things in a new landscape to help the new plant material develop. Sometimes a plant just isn’t very happy and never seems to do very well. A situation like that calls for a new plant to be installed.
Q: Will your proposal for our job be just a single price, lump sum total?
A: No. Our job proposals will list all the different phases of work to be completed and their individual costs. Sometimes the proposal will also have optional costs for you to chose from. There are times a homeowner is not able to afford the complete project. If this is the case, we will work with you and your budget to help you understand the work that should be done first and what work can be done at a later time without damaging the new work that had been installed.
Q: Would it be alright if I spoke to some of your past clients?
A: It’s never a problem with us, but we will always need to check with our client first. If they don’t mind, then we will pass on any contact information to you.
Q: I want to be sure the materials used at my house are of top quality. Will you be using good commercial grade material on my job?
A: We use only the best that is available to us. We order all our irrigation and lighting material from our local commercial suppliers. You may find the same name brand material in your local “big box” store, but believe us when we tell you the quality is not the same. We also order all our plant material from the local growers. Plants grown in the same basic weather conditions as your home will always do best over those grown outside your climate range.