30 Apr Tips for hiring a landscape lighting design build contractor
By Mike Gambino
For most homeowners, the hardest part of any home improvement project isn’t the work itself, it’s finding a competent and reliable contractor to do the job. Installing a landscape lighting system requires many skills so you want a quality contractor who will perform at a high level from start to finish.
Everyone has heard stories about horrendous contractors. Those that took deposits and were never seen again or started the job got in over their head and abandoned the job incomplete. Or the ones who never should have been hired at all because they were completely incompetent or supplied inferior materials.
Choosing the right contractor can make the difference between a successful and effective landscape lighting project and a disaster. But even for experienced home owners who have a lot of contracting work done, finding the right contractor can be a challenge especially when it comes to landscape lighting..
It can be difficult to hire contractors and know what you’re getting. You’re spending a lot of money, and you’re dealing with your home. If they do it wrong, there can be a whole lot of heartache, aggravation and expense.
If you’re doing a big project, you may hire a contractor, who may hire subcontractors for specialty work such as control systems and electrical. Homeowners with renovation experience sometimes work as their own general contractors, hiring specific trades people for each job. While this may save you money, it can be time-consuming and will mean multiple contractor searches instead of just one, since you’ll have to find a specialist for each smaller job.
Whichever way you go, there are steps you can take to find the right contractor while still keeping your budget – and your sanity – under control. Here are some tips to help you find a landscape lighting contractor who will get the job done right.
Know what you want before you get pricing. Start with a scope and some ideas,. Don’t start by talking to contractors. You’ll get a more accurate project cost if you can be very specific in what you want done and the finished look you would like so they can make it happen. One of the best ways is to drive around your area to get ideas. But the best way is to search the internet to find high quality high resolution photos of lighting schemes/effects that you find appealing. Print some of them out on high quality photo paper so you can show them to the prospective lighting contractors that you interview.
Ask friends, relatives and co-workers for references. People in your neighborhood who have done similar projects that you like the looks of are your best sources. If you know people in the building trades, ask them, too.
Expect a contractor to be too busy to start right away. The best candidates are the busy ones, you should be very suspicious of someone who says they can start tomorrow or later in the week.
Ask what work will be done by the contractor’s employees and what work will be done by subcontractors. A good idea is to ask for an employee list to make sure the contractor really has the employees he says he does and won’t be using casual labor hired off the street.
Choose the right contractor for the right project. Someone who did a good job landscaping your neighbor’s yard isn’t necessarily the right person to design and build a custom landscape lighting system at your home. You want to find a company that routinely does the kind of project you want done. You don’t want them to use you as a guinea pig.
Check licenses, complaints and litigation history. In California any home improvement project contracted for which exceeds $600 requires that the contractor must be licensed. Check License Validity and status with California state license board and local court records for problems. Ask the contractor for a copy of his license and copies of the licenses of the major subcontractors who will work on the job if any.
Check references. If a contractor does not seem trustworthy then they should probably not be hired at all however if you are willing to go against your instincts see if you can talk to current customers, because those clients have the most recent experience working with the contractor.
View their work. This is best done by viewing high quality photos of projects they have completed that are similar to yours. If they don’t have any photos or the quality of them are less than adequate to tell the story then you probably should disqualify them. Lack of photos or low quality ones show inexperience and or lack of investment in their business. Both are not qualities of seasoned professionals who have successfully completed many projects similar to yours.
Read online reviews, but don’t consider that enough information. Some sites allow anonymous reviews, and the site doesn’t check to see whether reviewers actually used the contractor. You want to read the reviews carefully to make sure the contractor is the right person for your job and will work well with you. Keep in mind that reading reviews is not a substitute for checking references.
Sign a detailed contract. Make sure your contract spells out exactly what will be done, including deadlines, progress payments, the exact materials that will be used and who will provide which materials. “If you don’t have it documented, it’s your word against theirs. If the builder’s contract is not detailed enough, write up your own or provide addendums. Any change in the project, whether you ask for additional lighting, should generate a written change order that includes the new work, materials and cost.
Negotiate ground rules. Discuss what hours the contractor can work at your home, what kind of notice you’ll get, what bathroom the workers will use and what will be cleaned up at the end of every workday.
Talk to the contractor frequently. For a big job, you may need to talk or e-mail every day. If you see a potential issue, speak up immediately. Something that is done not to the buyers liking will be harder to fix later after your contractor has packed up and moved on to his next job.
Verify insurance coverage. Know what is covered by your homeowners insurance and what is covered by your contractor’s business insurance. Get a copy of the company’s insurance policy. Get a copy of their workers compensation insurance if employees are working on your property.
Don’t make the final payment until the job is 100 percent complete. Some contractors are notorious for finishing most of the job and then moving on before they get to the final details. Don’t make the final payment until you are completely satisfied with the work.
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 .
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