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Most landscaping horror stories start the same way: a quick verbal quote, a big deposit and a crew that stops showing up. If you want to choose a landscaper in the Bay Area without that ending, eight questions do most of the work, and every one of them has an answer you can check on paper.
Each answer below comes from California’s contractor licensing board, so it applies to a fence in Daly City as much as a patio on the Peninsula.
How to choose a landscaper who is properly licensed
Anyone doing home improvement work valued at $500 or more has to be licensed by the California Contractors State License Board, according to the board’s consumer guide to hiring a contractor. Before you choose a landscaper, ask for the license number, and do it before you ask for a price. A contractor who dodges that question has answered a bigger one.
How to check a California contractor license
Take the license number and verify its status online, or call (800) 321-CSLB (2752). The same record shows bond and workers’ compensation status, along with pending and prior legal actions.
Run the check yourself, even if the contractor hands you a business card with a number on it. Then match the name and business address on the record to the ones on the bid. The contract should carry the same license number.
Is their bond and workers’ compensation coverage current?
Ask for it, then confirm it on the state record rather than taking a verbal yes. The board’s lookup lists both the bond and the workers’ compensation insurance status.
Check again close to signing. A quote can sit in your inbox for weeks, and coverage that was current when the estimate went out may not be on the day the crew arrives.
How many bids and references should you get?
Get at least three bids, check references, and take your time deciding. That is the board’s own advice, and it’s the cheapest protection a homeowner has when you choose a landscaper for a job you’ll live with for years.
Three bids also show you where the scopes differ. When one contractor lists something the other two leave out, you’ve learned which question to put to all of them.
Compare the bids line by line, not by the bottom number. Same materials, same scope, same start and finish dates. A bid that comes in far lower may have left something out, and a detailed written description of the work is what shows you what.
When you call references, ask about a job like yours, and ask to see finished work. Glscapes has 20+ years of experience, and our photo gallery and project pages are where we show it; any landscaper you consider should be able to do the same. If you’d like a bid to compare against the others, our free estimate form is the place to start, and the landscaping page shows what we cover.
What should the written contract spell out?
Everything you’ve been told. A written contract is required for home improvement projects over $500, and the board’s page on home improvement contracts says the contract and any changes to it must be in writing, legible and easy to understand.
A solid contract names:
- the work in detail, including size, color, who does which part, material amounts and manufacturer model numbers
- the total cost and a detailed payment schedule
- the start date and the completion date
- who will obtain the necessary permits
- cleanup and debris removal, plus any special requests, such as saving lumber for firewood
- the contractor’s name, business address and license number
- any labor or material warranty
Anything promised out loud should be added in writing. The contract also has to tell you about your right to cancel.
Before you sign, have a friend, relative or legal representative read it. If a line confuses you, that’s the line to ask about.
A landscaper who welcomes that review is showing you how the whole job will go. Reluctance to put details on paper is useful information when you choose a landscaper, and it costs you nothing to learn it before signing.
Who is responsible for permits?
Whoever the contract says. The board tells homeowners to state in writing who will obtain the necessary permits, so the line shouldn’t be left blank or assumed.
Ask which permits your project needs and put the answer next to the name of the person pulling them.
It’s a short conversation now and a long argument later. If the permit line is missing from a bid, ask about it before the contract is drafted, not after the first delivery of materials arrives.
How big a down payment is allowed, and how should you pay?
Photo by Sergej ***** on Pexels
A down payment can’t exceed 10 percent of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less. The board notes there are no exceptions for special-order materials, so a contractor who says they need more up front to buy supplies is asking for something the law doesn’t allow.
| Contract price | 10 percent of the price | Most you can be asked for up front |
|---|---|---|
| $4,000 | $400 | $400 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| $30,000 | $3,000 | $1,000 |
After the down payment, payments follow the schedule written into the contract, and they can’t get ahead of the value of the work performed. If the crew has laid half the pavers, the invoice shouldn’t be for three quarters of the job.
Whatever the payment method, choose a landscaper who is happy to work to a schedule you can read on the page.
Don’t pay cash. It leaves no record, and a demand for cash, especially one that includes driving you to the bank, is on the board’s list of red flags.
What happens when the plan changes mid-project?
Any change to the price or the scope needs a written change order, signed by you and the contractor before the change is made. Once signed, it becomes part of the contract.
Say you decide halfway through a fencing job to extend the run by a few panels. Get the new cost on paper first, then let the crew build it. A handshake on the lawn is a verbal agreement, and verbal agreements are exactly what the contract exists to replace.
What warning signs should make you walk away?
Pressure to decide today is the clearest one, because it leaves no time for bids, license checks or references. The board’s guide lists several more:
- door-to-door solicitors offering reduced prices who take your payment and do little or no work
- scare tactics after a free inspection
- demands for cash, including offers to drive you to the bank
- a down payment above the legal limit, justified by needing cash for supplies or workers
- a verbal agreement with no written contract
Any one of these is enough to end the conversation. Look instead for a landscaper who plans to come back after the work is done. We return after 30 days to ensure everything is thriving and operating smoothly, and it’s fair to ask every bidder what their follow-up looks like.
Take your time. A price that expires today leaves you no room to choose a landscaper on the evidence.
Frequently asked questions
Do small landscaping jobs need a written contract?
A written contract is required for home improvement projects over $500. Below that, the board still advises that anything promised verbally be included in writing, so it’s worth asking for.
Should the warranty be in writing?
Yes. Get any labor or material warranty in writing, whether it comes from the contractor or the manufacturer.
Is it safe to pay a landscaper in cash?
No. The board’s advice is not to pay cash and to put a payment schedule in the written contract instead. Don’t let payments get ahead of the work.
Who handles cleanup and debris removal?
Whoever the contract says. Cleanup and debris removal belong in writing, along with special requests such as saving lumber for firewood.
Sources
- What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor — California Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
- What is a Contract? (Home Improvement Contracts) — California Contractors State License Board (CSLB)