Posted on June 20, 2022 by Jeremiah Sooter

As a homeowner, you probably already recognize that landscaping helps build equity in your home while also giving your home curb appeal. Something that can pique the interest of future home buyers. After all, your home is an investment-worthy of your attention.

Whether you plan to hire a landscaping company or a lawn care company, the thing to remember is what you are trying to achieve. Companies that provide these types of services offer both services independently.

Although both services can achieve the same curb appeal, planning is vital to the success of your project. Luckily for homeowners living in a rural community in the surrounding four-state region of Southwest Missouri, landscape professionals and lawn care pros will often travel to surrounding areas, but often at a charge.

That is one of many considerations homeowners need to examine, whether you live inside the city limits of Joplin, Missouri, or closer to the Arkansas, Kansas, or Oklahoma border. In addition, knowing if you are open to paying a contractor for their mileage is essential.

Planning Ahead

The further away you live outside city limits can often play a part in hiring a lawn care team or even landscaping pros. With the rising fuel cost, many lawn care experts and landscapers have to factor that into the estimate. That’s why planning ahead helps you better plan for those unexpected expenses.

When planning, you need to ask yourself one big question: what do you want to achieve with your lawn care requirements?

1. Are you looking for a full-service landscaping company that
   designs, installs, and performs lawn care, or
2. Do you want a company that can groom and manicure your lawn?

Full-Service Landscapers

Typically a full-service landscaping company will sketch out an entire lawn transformation that includes constructing hardscapes that transform your lawn into a peaceful backyard sanctuary. But they also offer ongoing services that include maintenance care for your yard.

Lawn Care Maintenance Companies

With lawn care companies, the service providers perform a specific function that keeps your lawn well-groomed and neat year-round. They will often find a variety of offer service packages that can include one or more of the following lawn care services.

• Grass Mowing
• Lawn Edging
• Weed Maintenance
• Leaf Clean-up
• Light Shrub Prunning
• Tree Trimming

Research Landscape and Lawn Care Companies Locally

Before calling any landscaper or lawn care company, search online for contractors and identify at least five or six you would like to interview. Be specific in your search, such as by location or type of contractor.

Look for a directory listing at the National Association for Landscaping Professionals with a public directory of all its members. You often complete a search request by entering your zip code and defining the distance (in miles) you want that search to include.

You can also talk with your neighbors; ask who they use or recommend for lawn care maintenance or landscaping. Then, ask those same neighbors specific questions about the companies they recommend.

• Was the contractor timely in finishing the job?
• Did the company appear on time and reliably?
• Inquire about the contractor’s work quality.
• You can always ask if the contractor was able to stay on budget.

Read Customer Reviews

During your online research phase, read through customer reviews on websites and social media sites. Then compare those against the studies using Yahoo’s search engine to find the results for those same businesses.

This method of reviewing customer reviews works for both locally owned businesses and national organizations. But don’t shy away from small business owners, either; they’re more inclined to provide better customer service since they have a lot more invested in their local reputation and with the surrounding communities they serve.

Interviewing Contractors

Now that you’ve put together a list you can work with, it’s time to schedule interviews. The next step is narrowing down your selection process by vetting your top prospects.

Vet Your Top Landscaping and Lawn Care Prospects

Ask key project questions that help narrow your final decision between only two contractors. Here is a short list of specific questions you can ask.

• Confirm that the contractor will complete the work themselves.
• Ask for their license number and insurance certificate.
• Obtain additional references that are willing to talk with you about their work.
• Inquire about before and after pictures of a similar project.
• See if they offer landscape drawings or plan designs.
• Find out if the contractor will obtain the necessary permits.
• Verify guarantees in their work and if any plants or hardscapes have warranties.
• Finally, ask about accepted forms of payment and any late fees or interest charges.

Get Estimates in Writing

After interviewing all the contractors on your list, speaking with their referrals, and verifying their licensing and insurance, compare each side-by-side. Then, narrow down your selection to just two or three contractors. Finally, once you have had a night or two to sleep on it, reach out to those three contractors with these additional follow-up questions or inquiries to finalize your decision.

1. Ask where they source the plants, trees, and shrubs.
2. Request a line item estimate on the project.
3. Obtain a hard copy of the contractor’s terms of service.
4. Get a timeline from them on how long to complete the project.
5. Ask them when they can begin working on the project.

Find A Local Joplin Landscaper and Lawn Care Company

If you answered the critical question about your lawn project goals, you’re ready to begin researching your area landscapers and lawn care companies. But where else to start than with Ground Up Services. A locally owned and operated four-state area landscaper and lawn care company.

From the team at Ground Up Services, you gain not only a full-service landscaper, but you can also earn a lawn care service provider. They can fulfill nearly all of the items on any checklist for any homeowner, right down to offering top marks for drainage solutions. So get started today by calling the team at Ground Up Services or schedule an appointment online.