proper planning , getting a good set of drawings that have been reviewed by all parties . look at the plants that will be plannted are they good for that area and weather. do the plants blend well and grow well with other plants , avoid plants that will overtake yard. check with local codes some citys require low maintenance landscaping
Customer service is the key to become any great contractor.
I would have to say customer service and explanation of what you are going to do, with a landscaping plan prior to starting, to answering questions and informing along the way, and teaching your clients what to do after you leave to keep the landscaping going long after you are gone. There are many people who had landscaping items put in and never knew to adjust their timeclocks, or knew how to! All the little details matter to your clients, so they should also matter to a great landscaping contractor.
Customer service is key. (Assuming, of course, superior work with fair and honest business practices). This means remembering a client when they call you two years after you finished their project because there is a sprinkler that isn’t popping up. You go out to them, or send someone, and fix it. Those are the little things that make a good contractor a GREAT contractor, and those are also the little investments that later turn into referral jobs, and repeat business. $25 of time now could mean $25,000 of business later.
A good contractor will always provide you with a firm qoute and plans.
I’ll say personality and creativity and promptness
A great Landscape Contractor will 1st. Listen closely to what the Home Owner is trying to achieve with its landscaping. Do the want low maintenance or do they like being hands on in the garden. Also, a Great Landscape Contractor has to consider the Micro Climates and Surrounding wildlife. The worst thing for a home owner is to see all the money they spent on landscaping either get eaten by animals or wither away because of to much shade, water or sun.
A great Landscape contractor will have vast knowledge of plants, variety of plants and growing habits of those plants. If, the contractor isn’t a designer they should still be creative and know how to make a design flaw look good. Planting designs are guides and sometime in real life applications they don’t work as well as one may have thought.
A Great Landscape Contractor should know the laws/rules of the area that they are working in. They should have knowledge of set backs, impervious surface ratios, work start times, fencing height restrictions, just to mention a few things.
Last but not least, do a thorough job of cleaning up after themselves every time the leave the site.
A great landscaping contractor above all else, listens to what their clients need/want. Sometimes this takes a few discussions, but in the end the client should be happy with the work. They are the ones after all, paying for it.
The other thing that makes a landscape contractor great is attention to detail, which includes providing clients with a detailed drawing, obtaining all the proper permits/inspections and being properly licensed, insured and bonded.
A great Landscape Contractor must posses the knowledge of all plants and material and have the experience of planning and planting. We cater to the needs of the home owner, crafting their space according to their wants. A great landscape contractor is one that goes beyond, we take our clients to the Nursery to show them plant material they may not even know exist. The owner will buy clients their first Koi Fish if he installs a pond, he will randomly go by and surprise a client by replacing flowers if he “is in the area.” Those extra steps are what separate us from others.
A Great Landscaping Contractor has not only the knowledge of all landscaping services & plant life, but experience in all landscaping planning & processes. What sets us apart is the extra steps the owner takes. If he installs a pond, he will bring the home owners their first Koi fish. If he is in the area and sees a plant is dieing he will replace it. We take our clients to the Nursery to show them different plants they never knew were options. A great landscape contractor listens to the needs of clients then uses his knowledge, vision, and experience to help them craft the space to their needs.
Honesty, to be organized, quality mentalized, emphatic with customer needs, know how planned, focusly established.
What makes a great landscaping contractor?
The extra things beyond knowledge and experience, which are necessary. Dave takes the clients to the nursery, buys a homeowner their first koi fish for their water feature, sneaks by and adds some color when he is working near by