Yard and Exterior

Landscaping: what to compare before hiring

Plan design, cleanup, grading, drainage, planting, and seasonal curb appeal work without missing scope items.

Homeowner planning a home project
Service guide

Landscaping searches can become design, planting, grading, drainage, lighting, and recurring maintenance accounts.

Common landscaping projects

Landscape design

Planting beds and mulch

Grading and drainage fixes

Sod or lawn renovation

Outdoor lighting and edging

What changes the scope

Size of the yard and access for equipment

Design complexity and plant/material selection

Drainage or grading issues that need correction

Whether the job is one-time cleanup or ongoing maintenance

When it is worth calling a landscaping pro

Water pooling near the foundation

Dead lawn areas that keep returning

Overgrown beds before listing or moving in

A yard project that needs grading, hauling, or heavy equipment

Questions to ask before you book

  1. Will you provide a written scope with plant/material quantities?
  2. Who handles drainage, irrigation, or electrical work if needed?
  3. What is included for cleanup and debris haul-away?
  4. Is maintenance included after installation?

Keep the scope clean

Ask each company to price the same work, with materials, labor, access, cleanup, disposal, permits, and warranty separated. That makes the lowest quote easier to inspect and the highest quote easier to challenge.

Free checklist

Unlock the hiring checklist

Use this before you call a landscaping, so you know what to ask and what to avoid.

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