Landscaping in Florida is no small feat. The climate can be brutal, the top-tier properties set the standard exceptionally high, and the workload is often immense. For many Tampa Bay residents and businesses, these and other factors compel them to look for landscaping help.

Whether you’re striving for the perfect residential landscape to make you feel peaceful each time you arrive home or a pristine commercial property in Tampa Bay that allures new and potential customers, you’ll want to consider hiring a professional landscaper.

Not just any landscaping company will do, though. Entrusting someone with your property is no small thing. It requires trust, can be quite a financial investment, and will directly affect the appearance and health of your landscape. In other words, it’s a big decision that should not be taken lightly.

Thanks to the gravity of choosing a landscaper and the absolute annoyance of going through the process more than once, it’s best to do your due diligence the first time. This includes asking pertinent questions to ensure the Tampa Bay landscaping company you partner with is the right fit for your property, preferences, and needs.

How to Choose a Tampa Bay Landscaping Company

Let’s get one thing straight—there are a lot of landscaping companies vying for attention in the Tampa Bay area. Many of them are respectable companies doing great work; others leave something to be desired. Discerning between the available options is essential to ensuring a long and healthy relationship between you and your new landscaper.

The following questions are a great way to break the ice and obtain the information you need to make an informed decision. While you may want to dive a bit deeper and ask questions related to your particular property and vision, those below should provide a strong foundation to build on.

How long have they been servicing Tampa Bay?

While a company’s longevity doesn’t tell the entire story, it is a good indicator of its experience and track record. The longer a company has been servicing the Tampa Bay area, the more likely it is that they have a reputation that speaks to their quality of work and ability to maintain client relationships.

Traditional wisdom says that a company that has endured many years of business must be doing something right. This often holds true, but that doesn’t mean that you should write off young, ambitious landscaping companies. Sometimes, you can secure exceptional service at lower prices because a younger company is striving for greatness.

In short, place some weight on the longevity of a landscaping company, but remember that it is not the end-all-be-all.

Are they licensed and certified?

Landscapers can perform a multitude of tasks without receiving certification, begging the question—why does it matter? The answer is two-fold.

First, having licensing and certification means that a company and its qualified employees have gone through the process and learned along the way. This translates to a deeper level of knowledge and understanding of the related products and services. They will be able to administer potentially hazardous chemicals correctly and without harming your landscape, for example.

Secondly, it demonstrates professionalism and a commitment to their craft. If they are willing to go through the process to obtain certification, there’s a strong chance that they genuinely care about landscaping, the work they do, and the services they provide to their customers. Certifications like GI-BMP and those administered by FNGLA are especially worth asking about in Florida.

How do they address irrigation?

In Tampa Bay–actually, in Florida in general–irrigation is a big deal. Your landscapers take on irrigation needs to not only be firmly developed but a key proponent in their plans. Everything they do–or plan to do-for your landscape should revolve around irrigation. Asking your landscapers about irrigation is important–but it’s also important to see if they’ll ask you about irrigation. If irrigation is leading the charge for their plans (and it should be), they should bring irrigation up almost immediately.

What service programs do they offer?

There are many landscaping companies that follow the “mow, blow, and go” business model. While this is only one example of a limited-service offering, it is a common one that consists of doing the minimum in terms of maintenance. There is minimal interest in detailed, nuanced landscaping, and the result is a service program that is a far cry from comprehensive.

When hiring a professional landscaper in Tampa Bay, you want to make sure they cover a spectrum of services. This allows you to work with a single company instead of cherry-picking different services from different landscapers. It simplifies the process, streamlines scheduling, and ensures consistency.

So, what does a full-service landscaping program look like? That will depend on your property and your budget, but it should include the following services (at a minimum) as either standard inclusions or options.

• Basic maintenance, such as mowing, edging, and blowing.
• Weed control, including in flower beds
• Pruning and trimming of shrubs and trees
• Irrigation system maintenance and repairs
• Fertilization of your lawn and ornamental plants
• Regular quality audits to maintain a high standard

If a landscaper does not offer these essential services, it is likely that they are not a comprehensive company that can do your property justice.

Have their employees undergone background checks in the licensed and certified sections?

It’s important to get to the root of a landscaping service–its employees. It’s crucial to make sure that your preferred landscape company has background checked their employees and that they’re actually certified and licensed. In the same vein, make sure they have insurance with all of their employees covered so that no matter who they send to your property, they can ensure they’re covered in case any accidents do occur.

What is their company culture?

When selecting a professional landscaping company in Tampa Bay, you should think big picture and long term. You’re not hiring someone to visit your property one time or provide a single service; you’re searching for a partner to build a relationship with that will last into the foreseeable future.

A key component of a professional relationship and its likelihood of success is the culture a company fosters. If employees are respected and valued, they are more likely to provide exceptional service and treat customer relationships with intentionality. The healthier and more wholesome a company’s culture, the more pride they put into their work, the less turnover they have, and the happier everyone involved—including clients—will be.

Work with the Best – Why Landcrafters Sets the Standard for Landscaping in Tampa Bay

If you are on the hunt for a professional landscaper in Tampa Bay, you are spoiled for choice. There are numerous companies, both established and growing, that offer tremendous services to residential and commercial clients. The question isn’t whether or not you’ll be able to find a landscaper; it’s whether you can narrow the possibilities to the right partnership for you and your property.

Landcrafters checks many boxes for those in Tampa Bay who need a landscaper. With over 20 years of experience and an emphasis on creating meaningful relationships with every client, the longevity of not only the company but also its area connections speaks for itself. We pride ourselves on going above and beyond expectations in every aspect of our landscaping business—from maintenance to the niche services we offer.

If you’d like to learn more about Landcrafters, ask us the questions that are meaningful to you, and speak to our passionate experts, we encourage you to reach out to us. We’re always interested in discussing landscaping dreams, answering questions about our company, and finding new customers to form relationships with.

In the meantime, our blog is a phenomenal resource where you can not only learn about our company ideals but also expand your landscaping knowledge. It’s where we share our decades of insights for free with the world. We update it regularly, so check back often for the latest landscaping trends, tips, and tricks!