Best Landscaping Company for an HOA

The Best Landscaping Company for an HOA in Chicagoland

Proper landscaping can be integral to the success of your homeowner’s association. It helps boost property values and keep homeowners satisfied, but it also brings in more potential homeowners. Maintaining landscaping, though, is often tough without the help of the right HOA landscaping companies. 

 

Looking for the Best Top Landscaping Companies? Here’s How 

As a board member of your homeowner’s association, you have a big responsibility to maintain the community. But, try as you may, you cannot do it alone. You need help in the form of third-party homeowner’s association vendors to carry out various essential services. This includes landscaping, maintenance, and upkeep, plumbing, electrical work, and the like. As with all other services, you naturally want to hire the best HOA landscaping company to maintain your neighborhood’s green spaces. The search and hiring process is often easier said than done. To help you out, here are some of the most important steps you shouldn’t miss: 

 

1. Assess your community landscaping needs 

Before looking for a landscaper, you must first evaluate the needs of your community landscaping. Are you satisfied with what your current landscaping looks like? You can also outline the specific kind of landscaping services that you require in the upcoming year. Are you looking for basic maintenance or something more along the lines of a major project? Once you have a good understanding of your community landscaping needs, you can approach your search process more strategically. It is also worth preparing a preliminary scope of work so that top landscaping companies know what to expect from your association. 

 

2. Browse your options

There will likely be several HOA landscape maintenance companies you can choose from, especially if you live in a larger area. Make sure to take time to do some research on your options. Checking out online reviews and viewing their websites is a great way to get a feel of the company. If you have an HOA management company, you may also want to ask them for any landscapers who they already vet for. Reaching out to other homeowners associations is also a good way to get referrals. From your research, you should be able to come up with a shortlist consisting of at least five candidates. 

 

3. Request proposals and work samples 

Send out a request for proposal to each of the five HOA landscape maintenance companies on your shortlist. You should also ask them to include samples of their work in their HOA landscape maintenance proposal. That way, you can have a general idea of what to expect. Additionally, ask the candidates for references. Make sure to contact the references they provide so that you can talk to actual clients with whom they have worked in the past. Ask them how the services were and if they were satisfied with the results. When comparing HOA landscaping bids, it is also important to check out costs. You probably have a budget for landscaping, and it is best to stick to that as much as you can. Of course, that does not mean you should immediately go with the one that offers the cheapest price. Weigh out the cost against the services they offer. This way, you can get the most out of your money. 

 

4. Don’t forget your due diligence 

Board members have a duty to perform due diligence when selecting a landscaping company for HOA communities. As such, make sure to check if your candidates possess the required certifications, licenses, and insurance. You should also make sure they have enough experience in the industry. It is best to ask for proof of these credentials. Additionally, you should attempt to get to know the company’s personnel and staff members. Find out if they have the right qualifications. This is particularly important if your HOA has a major landscaping project coming up. In this case, go with a company that employs landscaping specialists and horticulturists. 

 

5. Go through the contract 

Once you receive the contract from your chosen company, don’t just sign it without thought. Make sure to thoroughly read the contract. If you point out any vague stipulations, make sure to clarify them with the company and put them in writing. Some of the things you need to watch out for are the services you can expect, the fees you need to pay, the cost of any add-ons, the contract duration, and a termination clause. You should also check for an automatic renewal clause. It is best to review the contract with your HOA attorney. 

 

How to Save Money on Landscaping 

Hiring one of the top landscaping companies to take care of HOA landscaping maintenance is not exactly cheap. But, since most associations are ill-equipped to do the landscaping work themselves, a professional landscaper or company is necessary. If you’re looking for other ways to reduce landscaping costs without doing away with professional services, it is worth checking out these tips. 

• Divide your work. If you can’t redo the landscaping for your green spaces in one go, try dividing the work into sections. Prioritize one section before moving on to the next so that you can make smart use of your budget. 
• Try hardscaping. With hardscaping, you can strategically place gravel, rocks, and bricks to prevent kids and animals from destroying the greenery. 
• Choose Quality Plants. Just because some plants are cheap does not mean that they are the best choice for your HOA. Go for native, high-quality plants that last long and don’t require a lot of work to maintain. 
• Symmetry isn’t better. Although a path with symmetrical landscaping on either side is definitely pleasing to the eyes, it can create problems in the future. If one area gets damaged, you’ll need to redo both areas in order to keep the symmetry. 
• Location, Location, Location. Place shrubs and other plants some distance from walkways and pathways. This will give them space to grow and buy you some time before you need to have them trimmed again. 
• Conserve Water. Consider installing irrigation controller technology to help your association conserve water and by extension, money. It is also a good idea to evaluate your watering systems (sprinklers and the like) to see if you are wasting water via overspray or run-off.
• Recycle. Did you just prune a bunch of trees and now have a ton of scrap material? Try running them through a wood chipper. You can then use the mulch for a garden bed. 

 

Landscaping is one of the first things potential buyers see when they enter your community landscaping. If your space doesn’t give off a good impression, people are more likely to want to buy a home and join your HOA. Well-maintained community landscaping can also keep residents happy and property values high. As such, it is essential to select the best candidate out of a pool of HOA landscaping companies. If you are having a hard time with the search and hiring process, you can always turn to an HOA management company for help. Apex Landscaping is one of the top landscaping companies in the Chicagoland area. Reach out to Apex Landscaping for all of your homeowner’s association landscaping needs!