If you have ever enlisted the help of a commercial landscaping company for strata, apartment, or business landscaping services, then you are probably familiar with landscaping contracts. These agreements outline the specific services, schedules, and costs involved, so everyone knows what to expect.
Why Do We Need Commercial Landscaping Contacts?
Because commercial landscaping contracts cover such a wide variety of services it’s important to get the details down in writing. This way all parties involved are protected and have a clear understanding of exactly what’s included in the agreement.
When reviewing a commercial landscaping services contract, the three most important areas are the sections outlining the size, scope, and schedule of the agreed-upon services. These are also the factors that will impact pricing the most, so it pays to review them carefully.
Property Size
Unless specified otherwise, the size of your property is all the green space. This includes trees, shrubs, and plants. Landscapers will use this surface as the basis for their bid, factoring in the type of landscaping (tree, shrubs, plants, lawn), as well as fuel, labour, and materials costs.
Service Schedule
Service frequency is another important contract inclusion. Some commercial landscaping providers offer landscaping services on a per-service basis while others outline a fixed term with a specified number of visits over that period (usually a set number, say 40 visits, or biweekly or monthly service). Fixed-term contracts are much more common than service-based contracts, and they also tend to provide the most value.
How often you schedule your landscaping will also impact cost. While it may seem financially sensible to stretch out the time between visits, this could result in a higher cost per visit as the scale of work required may be affected, particularly during higher growing seasons.
Project Scope
The bulk of your commercial landscaping contract will be broken down into which services are included. Here are some of the most common areas of inclusion in commercial landscaping agreements.
General Seasonal Care
General commercial landscaping services cover all your basics. This includes services like lawn mowing, leaf blowing, trimming, and general cleaning of your pathways and landscaping.
Plants and Garden Care
Keeping your flowerbeds, shrubs, and trees well-groomed and healthy-looking is usually a part of your commercial landscaping contract. Landscapers will trim, prune, mulch, fertilize, and groom as needed to make sure the entire area always looks its best. Depending on your service provider, you can also inquire about seasonal planting or other specifics you would like included.
Disease and Pest Control
A good commercial landscaping company is invested in maintaining the appearance and health of your landscaping, and this typically includes disease and pest control. Who better than your landscaper to keep an eye out for problems like black spots or chaffer beetles? Be sure to review this section of the contract so that you are aware of what is included and let your landscaper know about any previous issues they should be on the lookout for.
Seasonal Landscaping Services
On top of your regular commercial landscaping, there are seasonal services that help keep your lawn and landscaping looking their best year-round. Depending on your property and where it is located, seasonal landscaping services might include leaf removal, aerating, planting, hedging, pruning, weeding, mulching and more.
Customers often add landscaping services like flower planting to their seasonal maintenance to keep flower beds thriving no matter the weather.
A reputable commercial landscaping company will always prepare a thorough contract for you to review and keep on hand. This keeps everyone on the same page and avoids any potential for miscommunication!