How to Choose a Gardener and Landscaper: 7 Checks Before You Hire
Gardeners and landscapers cover everything from regular maintenance and hedge cutting to full garden redesigns, patios, turfing and planting schemes. Regular maintenance is usually hourly; projects are quoted fixed. These seven checks take less than half an hour and filter out most of the operators you'd regret hiring.
1. Read reviews across more than one platform
Search the company name plus “reviews” and look at several sources, not just the one the company links to. Hammerscore company pages for gardeners and landscapers combine ratings from multiple platforms into one score with links to the originals.
Read the negative reviews first. What matters is whether the same complaint repeats and how the business responds — a calm, specific reply is a good sign; blaming every customer is not.
2. Verify the credentials that matter
Landscaping is unlicensed. For tree work see our tree surgeon guide; for general landscaping, check reviews and ask for a portfolio of completed projects similar to yours.
3. Confirm insurance
Ask to see a current public liability insurance certificate. This covers damage to your property and injury to others. For larger jobs, also ask how your deposit is protected and whether any guarantee is insurance-backed.
4. Get three written quotes
Describe the same job to three companies and compare written quotes line by line. A proper quote lists the work, materials, start date, duration, payment stages and VAT. The form on any Hammerscore company page can request quotes from similar companies nearby.
5. Check the paperwork trail
The name on the quote, invoice and van should match the business you checked. Limited companies can be verified free on Companies House; sole traders should still give you a trading address and landline.
Red flags specific to this trade
Any one of these deserves a pause; two together mean look elsewhere.
- no portfolio for design-and-build projects
- quoting for drainage-heavy work without assessing levels
- asking for the full project cost up front
After the job
Pay by a method with a record, keep the paperwork, and leave an honest review — good or bad. It is the most useful thing you can do for the next person searching this company's name.
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