My first thought is you might be paying too little. A more experienced and expensive place might suit your needs better.

$9500 is the cost we both agreed and that's a good sum for this area . The landscaper has 12 yrs of doing this so he should know how to price his jobs is my thinking?

I’d find someone a little more professional.

Have you seen his other work? Is he a landscaper or a lawn man?

Yes, he has done primarily commercial landscaping and I looked at those today and they are pretty generic but nice enough. I asked him if he had done any residences and he said not recently. He also does year round maintenance for commercial businesses.

My thoughts too hummingalong2. He did ask me to submit a list of 15 plants that I like to him, he said if he had to get a someone to draw it up it would be an additional cost. I told him I already have that (from a previous designer) several years ago and he said we could use that one.

he's a pro but doesn't have a computer app for renderings? and he wants additional fees if you do want a picture? really? No. find someone else. Unless you want something very simple and generic. anything more than that may be above is capabilities. for 9500 bucks, you should be getting a rendering or diagram that show you where everything is going.

just the fact that he had to redo everything and 'start over' because you wanted to add a crepe myrtle is a little red flag. Did you have anyone else come out for a bid?

Yes I did have another landscaper come out and he gave me around the same amount, that was several years ago. He never showed back up, word is he does grass sowing on pipelines and has a large landscaping business to boot. Called another "landscaper" that a relative used who did a good job but couple of plants died and they had a hard time getting him back out to replace. Its slim pickings in my neck of the woods. I've called several others and they just don't call back. Not enough competition in town is my opinion.

Beth H. if there were someone in town that could do the renderings as you've mentioned the job would be so overpriced you couldn't afford it. $9500 is a lot of money for someone like me (retired) to pay. I had to pay $200 for a drawing 6 yrs ago and then the landscaper that was involved with that project then got too busy to do mine (the one I mentioned who was doing the pipeline work). This is the last phase to complete my home that I built 8 yrs ago and I'm so frustrated and sad that I cant seem to finish. My husband is upset with me to boot. Shouldn't ask for that dang crepe myrtle..haha

Oh I understand it's a good amount of money. I paid about the same on a house we renovated. but his price included a drawing of both the front and back yards and the types of plants he was using. it at least gives you a visual of what you're paying for!

(the previous guy who charged you to do the drawing, but then HE backed out of doing it, should have given your 200 back) But hey,,if you like that rendering, give it to your new guy and have him follow that design. maybe tweak it a bit for your Crepe!

Did you like the rendering you got from the first designer? If so you can find someone more motivated to install it for you. I understand you are far away from most designers but maybe you could call some outside your area and ask them to make an exception for you.

I'm glad you knew not to sign a contract that was not itemized.

Halve your expectations for that budget. Or double your budget. And hire the “fancy” guys from town. If you want a professional, you need to pay professional rates.

Otherwise you are left hiring the unprofessional.

They may or may not have the actual horticultural abilities, but they darn sure won’t have any business abilities or much bedside manner. You will have to do a LOT more due diligence on your end to not get scammed by a hack.

You should have a drawing with a list of plants and their sizes. This should be part of a contract that specifies all the work that will be done and what materials will be used. See if you can find a landscape designer to take care of the design drawing if you can't find a landscape design build firm to do your work (they have both designers and installers). If the landscaper you have been dealing with has been doing commercial work it's likely that he is following a landscape architect's or a designer's plans. In my experience most "landscapers" are not able to do designs and don't know anything about plants.

He may be covering up his lack of familiarity with design and plants with the rudeness.

You don't say how large an area this is and what you want to include to it's impossible to say whether $9,500 is reasonable. It is definitely in the professional plans catagory. Get a professional to do design drawings for you. $200 may be too little. You could entice them to make the trip by making sure to pay their time and travel if necessary. Perhaps the gruff guy could then install according to plan (if he can read plans!!!)

Agree with ebc3 although I will add you should move on to another contractor entirely - I doubt your location is so isolated you really cannot get somebody else you like better to do the installation.

Every plan I've ever had specified the number and types of plants. And I've done this a few times and in 5 different states. I don't think the problem is your budget,but his lack of knowledge and skill.

Landscape contractors are so called because they work using written contracts, and are legally entitled to do so - same as any other kind of contractors. Landscape installation contracts are based partly on plans prepared to determine exactly what materials - including plants - are required. These "blueprints" are then presented to the customers, who must approve them before work proceeds.

As mentioned previously a design company and a separate installation company can be hired to undertake a landscape project together (or independently from one another, as in a plan is bought from a designer and then multiple different contractors are asked to bid on it). Or a single company that provides both services can be used for the whole thing.

For the most secure situation do not commission what you consider to be a costly project without detailed plans in front of you, that you have approved. And use only a bonded, insured and licensed landscape contractor to do the installation.

How frustrating for you! Is there a local nursery nearby who could advise you and do the installation? Here's a radical thought- plan out your own landscape. Do your own research on plants that will thrive in your area. Post diagrams of your layout on Houzz and get advice from the community. When you have a satisfactory plan, hire someone to do just the installation. I realize that this isn't ideal but given the limited resources in your area it may just work for you.

speaking as someone who lives and works in a rural area, you're currently dealing with someone who is perfectly happy doing business on a handshake (or on the text message equivalent). You're not going to get him to change how he does business. At $9500, your project is small enough to be pretty easy but big enough to certainly be worth looking at. I say keep looking for someone who operates in a way you're comfortable.

Landscaping could bills easily add up. Decent trees costs anywhere from $500-$2000. Bushes, planting’s, etc... costs $100+ easily each. Remember you are not picking up a plant from a home centers. These are delivered, installed, and guaranteed. If there is any hardscape, that escalates the cost significantly.

However, I think ANY major landscaping job should come with some sort of rendering and product list. I’d consider a different company if not available.

If you have the time and inclination, and can locate another person willing to bid, I would get a second quote.

I am often lazy about doing this but a friend who got three fence quotes recently reminded me (through her relaying the process) that not only then do you get an idea if the price is fair, you can get more questions answered and likely make a more informed decision. For example, my friend had questions based on her conversations with Fence Bidders 2 and 3 that she went back and asked Bidder 1.

Best of luck with your project! Landscaping can make such a huge difference.

UPDATE: Well guys, the landscaper fell through. Received a text the next morning (after warning my husband that's what he would do..lol). He said "after our meeting with all the uncertainty, I respectfully am unable to do the job for you", as to which I replied "there was no uncertainty ______ you should have been able to provide specifics to your contract rather than leaving us guessing as to what we were getting. Respectfully..its probably the best for the both of us". I know ..I sounded rude but just so tired of "so called" professionals not having there business together and their being vague or lack of professionalism causes mistrust on my part. I just don't believe I'm asking too much for a detailed contract and I appreciate of you giving me the great advice to move forward. SO....I did contact another landscaper he and his wife came out, she seems like she has a good eye for design, we talked about the selection of plants and I felt good about our conversation and expectations, budget etc. They are about $900 more than what the other landscaper quoted, but, if all goes well I guess it will be worth it. I am getting a little gun shy at this point as they came out 2 weeks ago, they are suppose to give us a sketch with plant suggestions etc. and still haven't heard back yet. Getting a little worried, its getting H O T down here in the south and need to get these plants in the ground before its gets really hot.

Maybe you really want a landscape architect, who will make the plans, renditions,etc. It's a college degree program.

For a now ~$10,000 planting you should be getting a detailed drawing and proposal - something more than what I think of as a "sketch", in this context. Contact the couple and ask for an update, maybe they have too many pans in the fire to have gotten back to you yet. This should also help you find out if they are actually going to make it back to you.

its getting H O T down here in the south

Sounds like this project should be undertaken during the fall planting season at this point. This would be a lot better than trying to get newly planted stock through a hot summer. Really the only consistent reason to plant any cold hardy plants anytime in spring - instead of fall - is lack of availability of specific items by the time fall comes. Due to spring being the boom time for plant sellers every year.

Yes, you are expecting to much from a plain Jane mow and blow kinda company. Move up the food chain for the plans. And even for the execution of the plans.

couple things:

1 - it may sound odd coming from a landscape designer who does scaled plans for everything from a $2000, one day job to a six figure install, but I'm going to have to pump the brakes on the whole notion that one "should" get a detailed drawing, planset, whatever, just based on project size. If one has paid for a scaled, detailed drawing of the area to be designed, then that's what's owed. Otherwise it comes down to whatever documentation makes it clear what work is being performed, who is providing what, what constitutes a completed project, and what makes all parties comfortable.

The creation of a landscape master plan is a skill and a service in and of itself. Not every landscape installer is a landscape designer. If no plan is a dealbreaker, step one is hiring someone for the plan.

2 - it's June 1 in what has been, for us and all our colleagues, a banner year. I'd follow up with them if you're serious about going with them. They're probably working 90-100 hours a week like the rest of us are right now.

3 - I agree w/ Embothrium that summer's not the greatest time for planting jobs. We'll only plant in June if there's irrigation, and we generally try to only do hardscapes in July and August. Not sure I agree with their thing about spring planting though, but I'm sure that's a discussion for another day.

At this point, I'd say don't rush into anything just to get it done. If you have the confidence in this new team that you described, ping them so they know you're still very interested, and see what they come up with.

following

Otherwise it comes down to whatever documentation makes it clear what work is being performed, who is providing what, what constitutes a completed project, and what makes all parties comfortable.

In other words - since this is a planting job - a detailed drawing showing all involved components and their placement.

I failed to mention that our landscaping does include irrigation of the flower beds and lawn. They did mention it would be about 3 weeks which should be today actually. My husband did touch base with him about needing the drawings and he said he would get one for us, I do believe they are probably pretty busy. Question: Would you still wait and do a fall planting if irrigation is being put in? Some of the plants that I wanted are Natchez crepe myrtle, hydrangea, dwarf gardenia, most of the landscapers in the area buy from nursery growers about 2 hours away. I understand these nurseries grow specific plants for some landscapers and I believe that's the case with mine, I will verify, they did say they get a healthy selection from these growers, so that is a plus. I'm thinking that the selection may get low by the time they start landscaping so I'm getting a little anxious.