Gambino Landscape Lighting | Pitfalls in choosing a landscape lighting designer Builder

09 Dec Pitfalls in choosing a landscape lighting designer Builder

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By Mike Gambino

Would you call a retail store and ask “How much do you charge for a TV?” Probably not. You’d have to do research and decide what you want to buy before asking for prices.

One of the toughest calls that I get as a landscape lighting designer and builder is “What do you charge for landscape lighting systems?”

Property owners often ask me this because they’re trying to find the outdoor lighting designer builder that offers the best deal. When buyers are only concerned with the price of a landscape lighting system, they have already made an assumption that all lighting designer builders offer the same thing, and they assume they’re comparing apples to apples. This just isn’t true at all.

Here are a few key things to research before deciding on a landscape lighting designer builder, and to help make sure you’re making a fair comparison when it comes down to price. This is all information that landscape lighting designer builders typically list on their web site (yes, I’m assuming they have a web site).

Find out how long they’ve been in business.
Read client testimonials. Are they from clients or colleagues only? Do they have testimonials from three delighted clients, or thirty?
Read about their qualifications and experience. Look out for clever wording like “10 years of industry experience.” This doesn’t equate to 10 years of “landscape lighting” experience.
Most importantly, view samples of their work. However just because they have photos on their website it doesn’t mean they are actually theirs. Manufacturers of lighting products have been known to freely share stock shots to newbies in order to get them started using their products. So you need to send the designer builder an email to verify that the photos on their website are of actual projects that they have completed. Landscape lighting designer builders are very proud of their work so if they do not have any photos of their own actual projects then that’s probably for good reason.

When reviewing a landscape lighting designer builder, there is much more to look for than just photos from their website. Many landscape lighting designer builders were lured into the business by promises of easy money. No wonder homeowners have trouble knowing whom to trust.

Unfortunately, there are usually no requirements to being a landscape lighting designer builder. They can just hang their shingle and go for it. In California state law mandates that all work performed for $500 or more requires that the operator have a state contractors license. Currently there is no specialty license for landscape lighting. Properly licensed Electricians and landscape contractors are allowed to perform this work.

Licensing doesn’t solve problems with the industry. The number of electricians and landscapers that are licensed and qualified by the state to perform the work have the glow of respectability from the state that a state license would give them – whether or not they actually deserved respectability because there is no specialty training or inspection of actual work required. A license has never been issued for creative and innovation design which is another problem.

Tip No. 1: Don’t trust an lighting designer builder simply because he or she has a state license or certification. All states that issue licenses require training, but the training in California and other states is not landscape lighting specific.

So now what? Well, move on to Lesson No. 2.

Tip No. 2: Don’t assume that because a designer builder is associated with a professional lighting organization that they are a quality provider. This can help weed out the truly fly-by-night operators, but it won’t catch all the bad apples. The criteria for membership is if you can send them a $175 check then you’ll be a member.

Professional Services

Tip No. 3: Don’t just take your general contractors recommendation at face value. Home builders, general contractors and other trades often recommend landscape lighting designer builders to home owners. But that arrangement doesn’t necessarily serve the home owner well, since both contractor and landscape lighting designer builder have a financial incentive for getting the project. Sometimes a commission or percentage is paid to the referring contractor.

Still there are some ways to make sure your interests are served:

Ask the tough questions. Ask the referring contractor flat out, ‘Would you hire this lighting designer builder for your home, or your family’s home? It kind of puts them on the spot.
Tip No. 4: Grill him. Once you’ve got a designer builder in your sights, start sniffing around his résumé and asking questions.
Here’s what to do:
Check for complaints. If your state licenses landscape designer builders, call the licensing board, or whatever body oversees them (in California it is the state license board or cslb), and ask if the landscape designer builders contractors license is active and up-to-date. Also, ask if there are any complaints against the licensee.Interview the inspector. Don’t be shy. Here’s what to ask:
Talk to me. First, the landscape lighting designer builder should make time to talk to you and answer your questions. What should you listen for? Hesitation, if he’s professional, the answers should roll right off his tongue.
Let’s see the résumé. Ask about the designer builders credentials and experience. Generally speaking, You should have had a hammer in your hand at some point in your background to have a good grasp of construction.
Got insurance? Ask whether the landscape lighting designer builder carries general liability insurance, which is sort of like malpractice insurance for a landscape lighting designer builder. If he doesn’t, ask why. In some states like California, insurance is a mandatory licensing requirement. If they have employees they must have workers compensation insurance. Ask for proof if there is any doubt.
Got a guarantee? Do you offer a guarantee? Is there a written agreement that obligates the designer builder to make good for eligible repairs that may develop during the guarantee period, regardless of whether it was an oversight on the service providers part or just abnormal wear and tear.The bottom line is that a good landscape lighting designer builder should have no problem standing behind their system with a written guarantee for a reasonable amount of time after the project completion.
Maintenance. Before hiring the designer builder, ask who is going to perform the required ongoing system maintenance. Another red flag would be if they tell you that the system really won’t require any maintenance. There is no such thing so be suspicious of anyone who tells you that no maintenance is required and doesn’t offer this ongoing service program to take care of your system.

With a little due diligence of your own, you’ll hopefully end up with a system that contains no unhappy surprises. And that’s a happy ending for everyone.

This landscape lighting blog is published by Mike Gambino of Gambino landscape lighting inc. all rights reserved. Mike is a professional landscape lighting system designer/ builder and has been designing, installing and maintaining landscape lighting systems for more than 20 years. Mike resides in the Los Angeles area with his wife and 2 sons. To visit his website go to www.gambinolighting.com . To inquire about hiring Mike please click here .

Blog articles may be published with permission on other websites without editing or removing links.

Pitfalls in choosing a landscape lighting designer Builder

09 Dec Pitfalls in choosing a landscape lighting designer Builder

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