Long awaited spring has arrived, and many home owners in Toronto get their annual house cleaning frenzy. Is it strong inner desire to improve the appearance of our home that recurs every spring in many forms? Frugal homeowners try to handle many jobs as their do-it-yourself projects, providing they have the time, skills and tools. Many home remodeling jobs can be carried out year-round, but there are the landscaping projects that become particularly urgent early in the spring. With warmer temperature, when we step out of the house, our backyards and front yards become a center of our attention We need to see those landscaping project done as early as it is possible and enjoy them the rest of the year. Later in the year, our attention turns to other remodeling projects in our houses, bathrooms, kitchens etc. With landscaping projects on our mind, we should remind ourselves some common-sense principles that should apply to our landscaping projects in Toronto.
When we, homeowners do not feel confident in our abilities to manage landscaping project with our home-based manpower, we will begin our search for landscape specialists in Toronto. You can start your contacts with your neighborhood handyman who can handle smaller projects not requiring heavy equipment. A handyman usually has a pickup truck to take the rubbish away, bring soil and interlocking bricks from the retail outlet, if you need them. A bigger size project requires a professional landscaper and one should be easy to find in Toronto. You will find flyers in your mailbox around every spring time. Unlike the handyman, professional landscapers are skilled for demanding landscaping projects, have better equipment at their disposal. Smaller landscapers operate from their home and seldom employ full-time employees. They can not handle more jobs than one at the same time. Self-employed landscapers usually take the jobs in the approximate range in terms of billing of $3000 to $15 000 per project.
In Toronto, larger landscaping companies have bigger staff and more pieces of heavy and light equipment to handle bigger landscaping projects. Although these companies might prefer to work on commercial projects, they will also do large home landscaping jobs.
As a homeowner in Toronto area, you should understand the differences between types of landscaping companies, to sign a contract with a right one for your job size. Bigger companies can provide better peace of mind for larger and more complex jobs. Since they operate with large overhead, they will be more expensive for a smaller project, anywhere under $5000.00. Many do not want to waste their time sending a sales person or an estimator for little residential jobs, so they will determine approximate job budget by asking you the questions, right over the phone, when you call them first time.
When you are thinking of your new outdoor job, it is a good practice to start writing everything down! What you have in mind, a rough description, down to the materials you like and a budget figure that you can afford to spend. With notes on the paper, you will be in communicating with landscaping contractors in Toronto more effectively. You should look for several quotes for your bigger job and written description will provide you with assurance that you are getting quotes from everybody on the same requirements. Many contractors will try to sell you on their vision of a job for you and you will be influenced. Each quote you will solicit might describe bit different project and materials. You might still require architectural drawings to obtain permits and direct the project. Some landscape contractors might have a person on the staff capable of preparing the drawings or they work with a landscape architect for larger projects.
Before you decide who should be your landscape contractor of your choice, it is important to check all references. You can ask about their customers in your neighborhood. See photographs of the jobs done. If you are introduced to a landscape contractor in Toronto with their flyer in your mailbox or on your porch, the flyer might be full of beautiful photos, great looking patios, driveways or interlocking stones. The photos might be impressive looking reference for the company, but, in fact, they might not be landscaper’s actual jobs done. Many pictures might come from different sources, supplied by a graphical design company or purchased online. Check out the landscape contractor’s website. You can see array of photos again, but do not be swayed, unless they are accompanied by detail descriptions.Many diligent landscape contractors in Toronto take the picture of their jobs, before, during construction and after. Ask for the addresses of each project. Ask for permission to talk to their past clients. Series of photos with a detailed description should be your good assurance.Some landscape contractors carry an album full of photographs in their pickup truck. They will proudly show you their portfolio of local references and provide verbal description of each job.Even in 2011, you will come across many reputable landscape contractors in Toronto with no Website.Although it might be hard to believe many of us, these contractors belong to the older generation and deal with clients of the same generation. They do an excellent job and having no Website should not be a reason for our rejection.
No matter what size of the job is, have a contract with a landscaper of your choice in writing. The contract should spell out expected completion for the project, materials to be used and work to be performed. All payment terms should be in writing and do not hesitate to change the fine print of printed contract. Avoid paying with cash. Use your credit card, if it is possible, or pay by cheque.
Toronto Unlimited Business, an online Guide to Toronto for visitors and Torontonians alike explainsToronto creative landscaping contractors