So you have decided it is time to bring in a professional to landscape your home. Whether you are doing a small job or a large project there are many things to consider when making this important decision. Here are three questions you should ask yourself and the Calgary landscaper.

How do I find someone?

You can seek out recommendations from friends, neighbors, and family. This is the best way of finding a landscaper. You'll get an unbiased opinion of their work, their honesty and reliability, what they charged, and get a chance to see their finished work first hand.

You can also seek recommendations from garden centres and nurseries. Ask them for practical advice, and if they've heard good reports of any particular landscapers.

What should I ask them?

Ask them about what jobs they've done recently. They should have a portfolio of their work. Do they sound proud of their work, or excited etc.?

Ask them what landscaping courses they've taken or training they have, have they worked for other companies etc. Are they experienced, knowledgeable etc. Do they work alone or with a team? How long have they been in business? How experienced will they be?

Ask them about any particular conditions, timescale, payments etc. What would they need from you? Is there a contract or agreement? What happens if things go wrong?

Who do I choose?

If you've shown each potential landscaper the same design and explained to each clearly what you want, it should be easier to choose between estimates. Look at how the estimate is broken down into labour and materials. Do these figures seem reasonable? Can you afford it? Do you trust them? Do you like them etc. What will it be like having them around for a week or so? Are they professional, creative, enthusiastic about the job?

Don't choose someone you have doubts about. Remember you can always ask the landscaper for a contact number or address of a previous job, so you can see how it turned out, and ask the customer how the job went.

As you can see there are many important decisions to make when hiring a Calgary landscaper. Asking these three questions will not only make the process easier but might save you some time and money in the end.