Maintaining common areas is one of the board’s most basic responsibilities. To fulfill that responsibility, the board contracts with a professional landscaping company. The board seeks bids from several potential companies, carefully considering the competence and expertise of each company and comparing fees. These fees may seem like an added—or even unnecessary—expense; but, in the long run, the additional cost will be less than the losses you would face without professional help. Consider the advantages:
Professional Expertise: It takes more than a green thumb to maintain attractive and functional landscaping. Your contractor employs professional staff and trained labor crews. This expertise translates into a cost-effective and successful landscape maintenance program for your community.
Bulk Purchase Savings: Your landscape contractor purchases plants and supplies in bulk quantities at reduced prices and passes the savings along to you.
Improved Plant Survival: Trees, turf, shrubs, and other plantings are costly. Without proper care, they don’t survive, especially immediately after installation. The landscaper guarantees newly planted shrubs and trees for a specific amount of time, usually one year, so you don’t have to pay for replacing dead plants.
Reduced Liability: The association’s landscape contractor is properly insured and knowledgeable about—and in compliance with—all local and federal environmental requirements and safety regulations. Your contract shifts responsibility to the contractor and reduces the association’s liability.
Landscaping is very important to the community’s quality of life and its image and value. Is it worth what the association pays for these services? Yes! In fact, failing to invest in professional landscape maintenance is a false economy because curb appeal makes your neighborhood desirable and contributes to the value of individual homes.
