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Jeremiah Bowman

What To Look For When Hiring A Quality Professional



In this area, there is not a shortage of individuals that call themselves professional Landscapers or Remodelers. Landscapers and Remodelers have diverse backgrounds and knowledge in their respected crafts. Some are more qualified to do the work than others.


Hill Country Scapes and Design wants to help you identify things that you should consider when hiring a quality professional in either industry. Post a need on Facebook and see how many people claiming to be landscapers and remodelers will respond. Just because they respond to your Facebook post doesn’t mean that they are truly a qualified to do the work. Hill Country Scapes and Design will break down a few key things to consider when hiring someone to work on your home or yard.


You can use this checklist when vetting a potential professional:


o Longevity - How long has this individual been in their respected profession? Is this John Doe that has thrown his tools, or lawn mower in the back of his truck/trailer and now claims to be a professional? Or, is this someone who has shown success through the years and has a well-established business with customer references and testimonies?

o Website – Do they have a professional website, or do they just have a Facebook page? Investing in a quality website takes time and cost money. If the person you are considering for a job doesn’t have a website I would pause and ask myself if they were a professional in this industry or just posing as such. Take a look at Hill Country Scapes & Design’s website for an example of a professional website.

o Insurance – Does the person you are considering carry insurance? Can they provide you a COI (certificate of insurance) if requested? If they don’t know what a COI is, then I would strongly encourage you to run as fast as you can and find someone else. Don’t simply trust that someone will fix something that they have broken out of the goodness of their heart. We have heard and seen instances where John Doe has broken a window and left the scene of the crime never to be heard from again. A quality professional will cover any maintenance related issues under their COI.

o BBB Business Rating – I am not talking about a Yelp, Google, Houzz, or Angie List rating. Did you know that companies pay these sites to boost their ratings to look more favorable? A BBB rating is not paid for, it is earned.

o Taxes – Are they registered with the state and do they pay taxes? Meaning they have a TIN/EIN Number. In order to be a viable company you have to go through a process of registering your business with the state. You can look up a company by searching the state archives, there is a $1.00 fee search, or you can call call the Texas secretary of state office directly at (512) 463-5555.

o Professional Licenses and Accreditations – In order to perform certain tasks such as irrigation installations the company must have an individual that is licensed in order perform the work. Make sure to ask for their licensing information.

o Pulling A Permit - Are they willing to pull a permit when doing work within the city limits, or do they try to fly under the radar?

o Community Support – Do you see this company, or individual providing support back into the community in which they live and work? What organizations do they support monetarily or through donation of service or time?

o Evidence of Work – Do you see examples of their work in the community that you live in? Can you look on their website and see evidence that they have performed work in familiar places versus uploading stock pictures from the Internet? Take a look at some of Hill Country Scapes and Design's projects.

o Pricing – Are they the lowest priced bid? If so, quality of craftsmanship and materials should be considered when going with them. Remember the phrase, you get what you pay for?


Friends, there is an abundance of individuals in and around our community that position themselves as something they are not. Please be careful and use the above checklist to help you identify the best professional for your project.


If you are looking for a quality professional that can check off all of the above boxes give Hill Country Scapes & Design a call.

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