LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE COMPANY FOR YOUR HOA STEPS TO TAKE AND QUESTIONS TO ASK TO GET THE BEST CARE FOR YOUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION

Transcription

1 HOW TO HIRE THE RIGHT LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE COMPANY FOR YOUR HOA STEPS TO TAKE AND QUESTIONS TO ASK TO GET THE BEST CARE FOR YOUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION presented by

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION KNOW YOUR LIMITS FOLLOW THE PROCESS ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS LOOK AT THEIR LIST OF SERVICES ASK FOR INSURANCE AND CERTIFICATIONS BE READY FOR PROJECT CHANGES AVOID COSTLY MISTAKES SIGN THE CONTRACT GO WITH THE BEST

3 Managing a neighborhood can be a difficult task, from handling owners concerns to keeping the property in pristine condition. A homeowners association (HOA) can help you do that and make your job a little easier, preventing nuisance neighbors and improving property values. Residents will also feel more connected to the people around them and have increased pride in the community. Part of the appeal of participating in an HOA is having a well-maintained outdoor space. But who is going to manage and upgrade the landscape to meet HOA members standards? To keep your property s landscape looking its best year round, you should consider hiring a commercial landscape maintenance company. They can mow grass, trim trees, edge, install irrigation systems, apply chemical treatments, design spaces, install hardscape features and more. A professional will also know which plants will thrive in your area, which reduces water usage and maintenance time. Like an HOA, a maintenance company will also add value to the homes and property. But finding the right one for your HOA can seem like a daunting task. You have to set your budget, define your landscaping needs, ask them the right questions and be on the lookout for any red flags when comparing landscape companies. HOAs spend a large part of their budgets on landscaping services, so it s important you find a company that will be a good investment. Don t just hire the first landscape company that reaches out to you or the cheapest bid you receive. It may take a little more time and effort to find the best one, but you and the homeowners will be happy you did. Here are things you should do to ensure you find the right commercial landscape maintenance company for your HOA

4 KNOW YOUR LIMITS FOLLOW THE PROCESS When you know what type of services your HOA needs and how much you want to pay for them, it s time to start looking for a landscape company. Before talking with a maintenance company, you need to have a budget or at least a good idea of your price range. To figure out what you can afford, consider the factors that will affect the cost of services. Those things include how often you want the landscape crew to visit the site, the area s square footage, services requested, terrain, amount of labor needed, landscape s conditions and the time of day you want them to work. Share your budget with the landscaper upfront so they can better meet your price needs during the bidding process. They will be able to explain what each service will cost and if there are things they can do to lower the amount such as mowing certain areas less frequently or completing the project in phases. Your budget should play a role in your decision about which landscaper to choose, but it shouldn t be the only thing you look at during the selection process. You should also consider your landscape s limits. If you have a leaky irrigation system, overgrown welcome area, broken signs, steep turf areas and knee-high grass, it will take some time and work to get the landscape to a level where it can be maintained. So, don t expect the property to look its best instantly. One way to compare landscapers and receive competitive bids is by creating a request for proposal (RFP). You can send these documents to local landscape companies as an invitation for them to submit a bid for your project. An RFP lets the company know what you re looking for, your timeline and site requirements. By reading the proposal, they can see if their business is a good fit for the HOA s property. If it is, they can then submit a bid to manage the landscape for you to review. There are several free, downloadable RFPs online that you can customize for your project. Here are some of the main things you should include in the proposal: LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NAME AND LOCATION Include your contact information so the company will know how to reach you. SCOPE OF SERVICES List everything you want the landscaper to do, including future maintenance. For example, services could include mowing, edging, blowing, chemical treatment, irrigation, mulch, plant installation, and tree/shrub trimming. Add as much detail as possible to make sure you get qualified responses. REQUIREMENTS Include what the project will require, along with a definition of the services. That will ensure both parties are on the same page about the work. ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS Request insurance information and certifications. DEADLINES It should give the company enough time to give a solid response, while also fitting in the HOA s timeline. For example, you could write the proposal is valid for 60 days after submission. 2

5 Provide as much information about the HOA property as possible. That will help both you and the landscaping company know if you re a good fit for one another. Including an accurate map showing all areas and levels of maintenance that coincide with the written scope of work is an absolute necessity as a part of the RFP. It will eliminate different interpretations of the text descriptions and keep the bids in line with each other. If you don t have an accurate map of the property, reach out to someone who can create one for you. There are landscape architecture firms that offer that service, or a trusted landscape service provider might be able to do the same thing. The map will create a great visual for all of the bidders to verify they are servicing the entire property the way the HOA expects in their bids. A properly written RFP will also insure the HOA receives apples to apples bids and prevent future confusion regarding the scope of work once the contract is awarded. It might be tempting to send RFPs to a dozen or more companies to find the lowest price. But that can be a mistake. When landscapers find out the proposal has been sent out to a large group, they might not respond because their odds of being chosen are diminished and bids take a lot of effort to create on their end. Also, the more RFPs you send out, the more bids you ll potentially have to sort through, and that will take a lot of time. When you only receive a few bids, you ll be better able to thoroughly evaluate each one, which will help you find the right maintenance company for your HOA. To keep the number of RFPs you send out to a reasonable number, do some research on the companies beforehand. Pick the top four to six companies you find, and send them the proposal. You can even make the communication with the prospective companies less formal and more interactive, encouraging the landscapers to submit bids. By opening those lines of communication, that will also show you what type of working relationship you will have with them if you go with their services. Knowing how you two will work together before hiring them will greatly help in the decision process. It will show you what methods they use to communicate information, how quickly they respond and if they are truly interested in managing your property. Once you start receiving bids from landscaping companies, read over their proposals. Good proposals will give you a lot of information on the company, their experience level and if they are a good fit for your HOA. When something in the bid stands out to you, make a note of it so you can remember that later on. For example, if the company says they will install native plants to reduce water usage, that may give them an edge over some of the other prospects. Read through all of the bids, and look to see which ones meet all of the HOA s requirements and list of services that were included in the RFP. They should respond to what you ve requested and give a description of how they will handle it. If they don t, that s an easy way to eliminate them from the list. You can also compare intangible factors among them like warranties or things that really stood out to you. After getting a good sense of who the company is, what they plan to do and how they will meet your landscape needs, look at the proposed price, and ask these questions: How does the amount fit in my planned budget for landscape services? How does it compare to the others? Is it in line with the services they are offering? While the total cost is a major point of concern when hiring a landscape company, don t let it be the only determining factor. You want someone who is experienced and will do a good job

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7 ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS When you ve found a maintenance bid that fits all of your criteria, it s time to interview the landscaping company to make sure they are the best fit. Before the scheduled meeting, create a list of questions you want to ask them. Here are a few standard ones to help you learn more about the company and employees: How long has your company been in business? Have you worked with HOAs before? If so, what services did you perform? What are your staff hiring policies? Are there any education or experience requirements? How soon could you start working on our site? Will there be a dedicated account manager who I will work with directly? If not, who will I call if I have a question or issue? What type of maintenance schedule would you recommend for the property? Do you offer sustainable services and materials on projects? What type of project management tools do you use to communicate? Do you offer storm, crisis or emergency services? How often will someone review the site? What type of reports do you offer us on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis? Of course, you ll also have questions and concerns that are specific to your HOA, such as regulations or areas of concern. Make a list of everything you want to ask beforehand so you don t forget anything. Have the landscaper meet you at your site for the interview. That way, you can both point out landscape elements when going over prices and what s needed to manage the space. They may also spot something else with the landscape that needs to be addressed, which can help prevent future contract changes or issues. Any property managers or board members for the HOA should be at the interview with the landscaping company. It will keep everyone on the same page and eliminate confusion from trying to relay information. Everyone can have the opportunity to have his or her questions answered, allowing you to move to the next step in the process

8 LOOK AT THEIR LIST OF SERVICES Not all maintenance companies are created equal. So, it s also important to ask what services they do and don t offer during the interview process. For example, you might start out only needing lawn maintenance but later decide you want design work. But, not all landscape companies have designers or install crews, which would mean you would have to hire another company or get the current landscaper to use subcontractors for the project. That would add a whole new level to the landscape work and require you to communicate with a range of contractors. Be sure to ask if all of the services the company offers are in-house or subcontracted. At Native Land Design, we offer in-house design services and have an award-winning team of commercial landscape designers and landscape architects. Our list of services also includes lawn maintenance, tree and shrub planting/ transplanting, hardscape installation, grading, irrigation systems, landscape lighting and pesticide/fertilizer treatments. So, make sure the landscape company you choose has the capabilities to meet your needs now and in the future. You want one that will allow your property and HOA to grow and improve. If they can t do that, they aren t the right choice for you. You can also ask the company to show you photos from their other HOA projects to see samples of their work. Or, drive to their other properties to see them in person. This will give you a better idea of what they can do for your property and if they ve portrayed their services correctly. 6

9 ASK FOR INSURANCE AND CERTIFICATIONS Make sure the companies you are talking with about maintaining your HOA property have the required certifications and insurance information. The last thing you want to deal with is a legal issue that arises from using an uninsured landscaping company. Reviewing a company s credentials is one of the best ways to gauge their team s experience level, as well. By having industry certifications, it not only means the company is qualified to do the work, but it also shows they are committed to improving and perfecting their trade. So for example, if your site needs irrigation services, look for a landscaping company that has employees with irrigation licenses. When you want someone who can design and install, look for a registered landscape architect and/or landscape designers. They should also present you with all of their insurance information. Verify the insurance to make sure it is current and valid. If the company uses subcontractors, they will also need to have an insurance policy that covers them. Get copies of all of the information for your records

10 BE READY FOR PROJECT CHANGES After the initial interview and consultation, you may have follow-up questions. Or, you might need to make project changes that could possibly result in additional charges. You ll want to talk with the landscaper about these concerns or additions before moving forward with the project or contract. If it s a simple addition like changing the number of visits per month that change can be discussed over the phone or through . You should then ask for an updated proposal from the landscape company to make sure everything you added or changed is included. Only the authorized managers should request the changes. However, if you have a major addition, such as including design/build work or expanding the service area, they will probably need to come back out to the site to look at the property and discuss. Your contract should also include a clause about making changes, in case something comes up. When you or the landscaping company needs to make an adjustment to the services, you will both have to sign off on it. AVOID COSTLY MISTAKES To keep from throwing money away or choosing the wrong landscaper for your HOA, watch out for these red flags. One of the biggest mistakes property managers make is just looking at the bottom line. If a company s price is significantly lower or higher than the others that submitted bids, that should be reason for alarm. Price isn t the only thing to look at, but a big difference can mean trouble. It s also important to really look into the landscape companies that are submitting bids. Just because they say they are a full-service landscape maintenance company doesn t mean they will have everything your HOA needs. That is why it is so important to ask them exactly what services they offer. But even when you do your research, a bad company can appear like the right choice. For example, if a company gives you a low-ball price but the services appear to be comparable, you can know they are cutting costs somewhere. Maybe their crews aren t as experienced, or their equipment is not as efficient and reliable. So, read their online reviews and talk with current and past clients to see if they would recommend their services. No matter the reason, you can know you won t be getting the same level of service from them as you would a more experienced company. You don t want to regret your choice in the long run over money. You can also ask the company to provide testimonials or put you in contact with one of their clients. 8

11 SIGN THE CONTRACT You ve gone through the bids, interviewed prospective companies and found the right one for your HOA: Now it is time to make it official and sign the contract. Contracts help protect both you and the landscaping company, so make sure you read it completely and ask questions. Signing a yearly contract can save you money, but that s only a good thing if you re happy with the landscaping company. So, have an HOA management provider look over the contract before you sign it, if possible. Once you have it in writing, the company will get started working on your project as stated in the contract. Keep an open line of communication with the account manager, especially in the beginning, to make sure things are going smoothly and there are no issues. To ensure all of the work is completed as stated, include a clause in the contract that says you or the landscape company can terminate the services if there s a breach in the contract. If for some reason you terminate the contract early, you ll have to pay for the services that have been completed. Unless stated differently in the contract, there will be penalties for cancelling a contract early. So, talk with the company to see what the cost would be to terminate the contract. If the company has caused damages or injuries, they will be responsible for the repair costs

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13 GO WITH THE BEST When you re ready to hire a landscaping company to maintain and improve your HOA property, look for one with an experienced team, full list of services and commitment to all of its customers. A leader in commercial landscaping services, Native Land Design was founded in Based in Austin, Texas, we also have locations in Houston and McAllen. We have more than 200 employees who are all focused on the environment, satisfying client needs, creating innovative landscapes and delivering budget-conscious solutions. Native Land Design has skilled employees with decades of experience who hold a wide range of certifications and licenses. Our services include landscape design and architecture, tree care, landscape lighting, irrigation and water management, landscape construction and landscape maintenance. Native Land Design handles a variety of services for HOAs, including maintaining onsite health and wellness facilities, visitor parking areas and the leasing grounds. We will make sure your grounds are pedestrian friendly and attractive at all times. So whether you re looking for a new commercial landscaping company or you ve never worked with one before, we would love the opportunity to talk with you about your property and what we can do to improve it. Call us at or fill out the contact form on our website to see why we are the right landscape maintenance company for your HOA