You have the landscape design of your dreams all planned out, from the planting materials to the layout.
Now, it’s time to bring that vision to life so you can start enjoying your transformed outdoor space. But in between signing off on the stunning landscape design and sipping cocktails on your living area, things can get a bit messy — and that’s completely normal.
Instead of feeling horrified when you look out your window only to see dirt where your lawn once was, you need to understand what all goes on during the landscape construction process.
6 Things To Expect During Landscape Construction & Installation
1. Prepare for Some Noise
Depending on the size and type of project, the landscaper may need to bring in equipment like excavators, trenchers and saws — which are all known for being a bit noisy.
Most landscapers won’t start working too early, maybe around 7 or 8 a.m. on weekdays. They also won’t work late into the night, so you won’t have to worry about the noise bothering neighbors during normally quiet hours.
But if you’re at home during the week, you’ll have to deal with the sounds of equipment, digging or cutting materials while you go through the landscaping construction process.
2. Things Will Get Messy
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the same is true for your property. During the landscape renovation process, you’ll be dealing with dust, dirt, stacks of hardscape materials and other things around your yard. It’s just a part of any project.
You’ll just want to make sure the landscaper walks you through the project once it’s finished so you can make sure all of that mess is gone.
3. Put Safety First
While it may be your yard, it’s also a construction zone with possible hazards.
The landscaping team is trained to follow safety practices on the jobsite, but that’s not the case with you and your family. There could be heavy equipment, ditches, uneven ground or tools you could trip over.
Don’t let children or pets near the area under construction. If your pets normally stay outside in the project space, you’ll need to keep them indoors until it’s complete.
4. Delays Can Happen
Even when everything is done correctly, delays like weather or unforeseen issues can still set landscapers back and delay the landscape installation process.
Most companies will have a clause in the contractor about how they aren’t responsible for acts of God (or force majeure) affecting the completion date. But, many will incorporate weather days into their initial time frame, so you’ll want to see if that’s the case.
You just need to understand they can’t control the weather, and that can affect the construction progress.
Other things that can slow down the process are if you request changes or a material (like plants) you requested is no longer available and needs to be substituted.
5. Being Proactive Pays Off
You’re not the only one dealing with your landscape’s construction. It can also affect your neighbors, from crews parking on the street to the noise.
For major landscape construction projects, let your neighbors know about it and what to expect. Taking a proactive approach can make the situation go a lot smoother and prevent complaints.
Let them know that if there’s any damage to their property or problems, although not expected, the landscaper will make the repairs or resolve the issue.
6. Landscaper Cleans Up Each Day
There’s not much that can be done about the piles of dirt and equipment during the construction process. But, you should expect your landscaper to clean up trash and other unneeded materials each day.
You don’t want the employees leaving cups, loose nails or other materials lying around that could pose safety or clutter issues. Plus, trash can easily make its way to your neighbor’s yard, and they aren’t the ones who signed up for this project.
At Outback Landscape, we know how important it is to keep your (and your neighbor’s) property clean and looking as good as possible throughout the landscape construction process.
We expect our team members to throw away any trash, move larger equipment out of the way and in a safe “off” position, remove items that have drifted off of your property and address any concerns you have before leaving each day.
We want the landscape construction process to be as easy and enjoyable for you and your neighborhood as possible.
Contact us at 208-656-3220 or online to request a free consultation so we can get started on constructing your dream landscape.
