Installing a Landscape

If hiring a professional to install a new landscape or upgrade your current landscape, these tips will help ensure quality work.

The contractor/designer you hire should be:

• Insured and properly bonded
• Licensed by the State of Nevada as a landscape and irrigation contractor and hold city and county business licenses
• Able to furnish several current and past references with work samples
• Able to provide a Certified Arborist and Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor as a consultant or have one on staff
• Knowledgeable about proper horticulture in a desert environment

Closing the contract

• Negotiate a clear, detailed contract in writing. Do not accept verbal agreements
• Read the entire contract. Understand its terms and conditions and check for warranty coverage
• Verify licenses and check with the Nevada State Contractors Board and the Better Business Bureau for any complaints against potential contractors
• Examine plans or drawings for accuracy prior to approvals
• Secure payment and performance bonds from the contractor
• Confirm the contractor has obtained the appropriate permits through the building department
• Ensure all documents are correctly signed and dated by involved parties

Your landscape should include:

• Proper plant selection for the climate
• Plants with the same water needs grouped in the same irrigation zone
• Plants appropriately located in relation to other plants, structures, hardscapes and exposures to reduce unneeded maintentance
• Appropriate planting practices

Your irrigation system should:

• Be designed for when the plant is full grown
• Be designed so plants with similar water needs are on the same watering station
• Provide drip irrigation for shrubs and trees
• Include a spray system that covers the entire lawn efficiently and uniformly
• Use an irrigation clock with multiple programs and allows watering in one-minute increments
• Include a blackflow prevention assembly and infrastructure that meet all local codes and ordinances

During the installation

• Make frequent walk-through inspections to monitor work
• Require your contractor provide you with unconditional "waiver and release" forms when you make a payment for any completed phase of your project
• Keep a job file with copies of all documents
• Within 24 hours of the project's completion, file a notice of completion with the County Recorder's office

After the installation, you should have:

• Complete written operating and maintenance instructions from your contractor
• "As-built" drawings for your records, including hand-noted changes on the copy of originals

Your warranties should:

• Cover installation and start-up adjustment and winterization of all equipment
• Include specifics about individual components and system performance
• Spell out exactly what the contractor covers

Maintenance contracts

If hiring a professional contractor to maintain the landscape after it is installed, request the following in your estimate:

• Specific monthly charges including maintenance, fertilization, repairs and replacement of plant materials
• How often service will be provided (typically how many days per month)
• Detailed schedule of all maintenance to be performed
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