Landscaper Red Flags to Watch Out For

Whether you’re on the board of your HOA board or you’re tasked with the job of property manager, the job is not always fun and games. There are serious decisions to be made, concerns to consider, and budgets to abide by. You make the neighborhood what it is, take care of the common areas, and most importantly, determine who cares for the landscaping and maintenance of your HOA community.

As you balance form and function, listen to homeowner feedback, and try to account for a myriad of factors in your decision-making, there is one choice that stands out above all others: the company you select to care for the community’s landscaping.

As you prepare to hire a landscaping company, you must be aware of landscaper red flags. These warning signs can save you from hiring a bad landscaping company and set your property up for immediate and long-term success. The key is identifying these red flags during the selection process and before you commit to hiring a particular company.

If you are unsure of what warning signs to look for, have no fear; we have over 25 years of landscaping experience in the Tampa Bay area, and we are here to help. Check out the landscaper red flags below and be on the lookout for them as you evaluate the companies you may potentially hire.

Before we dive into the warning signs that could signal a subpar landscaping company, it’s important to understand the consequences of mistakenly hiring a bad landscaping company. After all, isn’t landscaping a pretty straightforward job? What could possibly go wrong?

Unfortunately, many properties in Tampa Bay find out the hard way that a bad landscaping company can cost you dearly. Sure, they may leave debris on the sidewalk or cause the curb appeal of your community to deteriorate, but these issues are only the tip of the iceberg.

Poor landscaping can damage your infrastructure and harm or kill your plants, leading to hefty repair bills and a blown budget. Unprofessional landscaping techniques can create unsafe environments for residents and visitors, which could cause injuries, lawsuits, and a host of other serious problems. Even the seemingly harmless (though annoying) issue of poor aesthetics can have serious long-term consequences in the form of plummeting property values.

In other words, your decision to hire a landscaping company can dramatically affect the well-being of your community on both a superficial and a much deeper level. To avoid these and other disastrous outcomes, it’s essential to look for the following landscaper red flags.

 

If a company openly tells you that they don’t have any prior experience, it might not be the greatest idea to trust them with all of your landscaping needs. While this particular red flag is different from bad landscape company reviews or a history of landscaping complaints, it is still a legitimate factor that should raise some concern.

We’re not saying that you shouldn’t give hardworking, dedicated, ethical landscaping companies a chance just because they’re new. After all, everyone has to start somewhere. However, if this inexperienced landscaping company can’t offer you things like a full project scope, detailed plans, and an execution strategy, you likely shouldn’t trust them with your landscape, especially when your community is a significant responsibility compared to a smaller project.

If a company claims to have prior experience but doesn’t have any evidence of it, that’s even worse. The last thing you want to do is work with a company that claims to know what it’s doing but is underprepared, inexperienced, incapable of providing professional service on a large scale, and worst of all, dishonest.

We respect all hard workers, but when it comes to proper landscaping, you need to have the experience to get the job done. This is especially true in the Tampa Bay area, where climate factors play a major role in landscaping techniques, and the standard of excellence is quite high.

 

Speaking of experience, if the landscaping company you’re considering isn’t able to offer you a list of previous clients or references that you can call and check in with, that’s a major red flag. Any landscaping company worth its salt will be proud of its previous work and have healthy relationships with its previous clients. They should be able to provide you with a list of people that you can get in touch with who will happily vouch for their services.

If they are unable, unwilling, or hesitant to refer you to previous clients, you should reconsider your willingness to hire them. Whether they are lying about their experience, lack confidence in their work, or have poor client relationships, the fact of the matter is that failing to provide you with references disqualifies them from working on your landscape.

A landscaping company that brags about its work but cannot provide examples, including client references, should also raise red flags. In scenarios such as this, there is a distinct possibility that they are either being dishonest about their experience or they have damaged the relationships with their clients. Either way, it’s bad news.

 

One of the advantages of living in the digital age is the free access to an astounding amount of information. As you evaluate potential landscaping companies, you can use online feedback to inform your decision-making process.

Look for landscaping complaints, read landscape company reviews from as many sources as possible, and scour the internet and social media for real client feedback. While information gathered in this way isn’t the end-all be-all of selecting a landscaper, it can provide valuable context and real-life experience that would otherwise be difficult to find.

Remember that people are far more likely to share bad experiences than they are good ones, and you are only getting one side of the story when you read landscape company reviews. However, if specific landscaping complaints come up again and again, there’s a good chance that they’re legitimate. In other words, take what you learn with a grain of salt, and feel free to ask the company to clarify any concerns you find particularly troubling.

 

If you’re reading over the prices that a landscaping company offers and they seem too good to be true, they probably are. Sometimes, a bad landscaping company will price their services low just to secure your business without any intent of following through or providing quality work. 

The result of unrealistic pricing is almost always the same: you end up paying more. Either the landscaping company you hired bills you for additional charges, or you will have to hire another company to fix and finish the work the first one failed to provide. In other words, they will cut corners to stay within that budget, try to extort more money from you, or simply fail to complete the job as promised. No matter what, unreasonably low pricing is one of the top landscaper ref flags.

Always check what services are being included in the proposed contract prices and lay them out item-by-item. This allows you to compare them against other landscaping companies, see where corners are being cut, and hold a company accountable if they fail to deliver on their promises.

 

Before you hire a landscaping company, you absolutely must check their proof of insurance and other credentials, like loss prevention. Skipping over this vital step leaves you exposed to unnecessary risk and sets the stage for serious trouble and expensive consequences.

Even the most professional landscapers experience accidents and make mistakes. The problem does not lie in the situation, but in the lack of insurance and loss prevention. If your prospective landscaping company does not have the proper coverages, you’re going to be left liable should something go wrong. Talk about a (very expensive) nightmare.

Any landscaping company that is hesitant to or cannot deliver proof of proper coverage should be immediately removed from your list. Insurance is expensive, but crucial. If the company you’re working with doesn’t have it, it’s best to avoid working with them to save yourself the risk, headache, and responsibility if something goes wrong.

 

When you hire a landscaping company, you expect a relationship. While you don’t have to invite them to Thanksgiving dinner, you should have a healthy professional dynamic that includes consistent communication. If you are consistently ignored or do not have a dedicated contact person within the company, you should consider that a serious red flag.

Note that this particular problem is not directly related to the company’s landscaping abilities. Instead, it speaks volumes about their professionalism, priorities, and potentially even their ethics. A bad landscaping company makes their clients feel unimportant and uninformed when they should be clearly communicating plans, progress, concerns, and so forth.

If you don’t feel like a priority (or are getting blown off), do not hire that landscaping company. You deserve better, and a long-term relationship with an unprofessional company simply is not sustainable.

 

The Tampa Bay area requires specialized knowledge and experience to landscape effectively. Factors like the climate and salty environment are great examples of why working with a local landscaping company is imperative. In fact, one of the top landscaper red flags is a lack of local experience.

That’s why we recommend working with a company like Landcrafters. With over 25 years of experience in the Tampa Bay area, we have the experience and expertise to help your property thrive, even in the challenging Tampa Bay climate. Feel free to reach out to us to learn more about how we can take your property to the next level, no matter what your dream landscape might look like!

A reputable landscaping company will be transparent about its experience, pricing, insurance, and processes. They should be able to provide references, proof of insurance, realistic proposals, and a clear scope of work. Strong local experience and consistent communication are also key indicators of professionalism.

 

Before signing a contract, ask about the company’s experience with similar properties, who your dedicated point of contact will be, what services are included in the price, how issues are handled, and whether they carry proper insurance. You should also ask for references and examples of comparable work.

 

To be honest, in some cases yes. Unusually low pricing is often a red flag that corners will be cut, services will be excluded, or additional charges will appear later. Quality landscaping requires skilled labor, proper equipment, and thoughtful planning – those are all things that come at a realistic cost.

 

Landscapers should know and understand the area they’re taking care of. Tampa Bay’s climate, soil conditions, salt exposure, and storm patterns require specialized knowledge. A company without local experience may use improper plants or techniques that lead to long-term damage, higher costs, and poor results. Local expertise helps ensure your landscape thrives year-round.

 

At a minimum, a professional landscaping company should carry general liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage. Loss prevention plans are also important. Without proper insurance, liability for accidents or damage could fall directly on your HOA or property management company.

Clear, consistent communication is essential. You should have a dedicated contact person who keeps you informed about schedules, issues, and improvements. Poor communication often signals deeper problems with professionalism and accountability.

 

It’s always best to trust your instincts and choose not to move forward. Red flags during the selection process rarely disappear after the contract is signed. It’s far better to pause, ask questions, or continue your search than to commit to a partnership that could create costly problems down the road.

 

With over 25 years of experience in the Tampa Bay area, Landcrafters combines local expertise, proactive communication, comprehensive services, and long-term relationship building. We understand the responsibility that comes with managing community landscapes (and we take that responsibility seriously).

 

Deciding on the right landscaping company is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your community. If you’re looking for a proven partner with deep Tampa Bay experience and a commitment to long-term results, Landcrafters is here to help! Reach out to our team today to start a conversation about your property’s unique needs.