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6 Tips to Help You Hire the Best Landscaping Service

If you own a house or property, you know all about the landscaping struggles that come with home ownership. It isn’t hard to spot landscaping services in any major city, but finding reliable ones is another question all together.

Here are 6 things you will want to know when it comes to hiring a professional landscaping service in your area.

1. Check the BBB Rating of the Landscaping Service

The Better Business Bureau provides tons of useful information that you can use to check the status and reliability of a company. Look to see if the landscaping company you are looking at is in good standing, that their licenses are up to date, and that they have little to no complaints listed.

2. Quality (Experience) over Quantity (Price)

We all like to save a dollar from time to time. But is saving that dollar worth it if the service you receive is subpar? Like almost everything in life, you get what you pay for. The barrier to entry for starting a landscaping service is low, so we always recommend that you seek out a company that has a solid reputation for providing excellent service.

When a landscaping company cuts corners, you can guarantee that you will have to go back and fix that work, costing you a lot more in the process.

3. Let Your Landscaper Handle the Permit Process

It doesn’t matter where you live in the United States, if you want to make major changes to your property or a structure, you’ll need a permit.

Experienced landscaping companies understand the permit process and are more than capable of helping you apply for the right permits. In some cases, you will have to pay for the permit up front, or the company you hire may include it as an item on your bill when they invoice you.

Always be wary of a company that tries to skip getting permits. Not having the proper permits for a job can lead to hefty fines that you don’t want to be responsible for paying.

4. Beware of Large Deposits

Deposits are a normal part of any service business, but massive deposits are not. If a landscaper asks you for a large deposit upfront, be wary of them. This is often a major red flag as these types of landscapers will usually take your money and run.

This isn’t to say that every company that requires large deposits is a scam, but if the company is unproven and doesn’t have any legitimate reviews, you have the right to be concerned.

5. Ask About Their Warranty

Even the best landscaping companies have to redo work sometimes. It’s a fact of life. Whether the workmanship was bad, or the materials themselves were defective, always ask your landscaping service about the warranty they provide.

As a general rule of thumb, a high quality company will stand by their work and offer a warranty for it, while lower quality ones will offer no compensation should things go wrong.

6. Sign a Contract

This is one of the most important things you can do. A contract is legally binding and will outline exactly what the landscaping company is supposed to do.

In cases where things go wrong, where the company is negligent, or tries to cheat you out of work you paid for, you can sue them for damages using the terms laid out in the contract. Sometimes contracts may seem formal, but they are designed to protect both you and the company, so use them!

Questions? Ask Harmony Tree Services

Hiring the right landscaper isn’t easy. Harmony Tree Services has been offering dedicated landscaping services to clients in and around Allentown for many years.

Don’t hesitate to give us a call if you have a question about landscaping. We are more than happy to help.

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ServicesTree and Tree Stump Removal

5 Things Your Local Tree Removal Service Wants You to Know

Nothing makes your property look more beautiful than a mature tree. Unless of course that tree is badly damaged in a storm, falls over, or threatens the safety of your house.

When you’ve had enough with a tree, it’s time to call a tree removal service.

We prepared this list in order to help you better understand the tree removal process. If you have a tree that needs to be removed, read on.

1. Check for Underground Hazards

One of the most popular services people request from us is tree stump removal. You won’t believe how many people try to remove a stump on their own. Never do this on your own unless you know what you are doing. Often times there are dangerous cables and pipes located below a tree that could hurt you or become damaged if you strike them with a shovel or other heavy equipment that you aren’t familiar with.

2. Tree Bylaws Are Tricky

Every city is different in the way they govern trees with their bylaws. If you require a tree removal service for a tree that overhangs on your neighbor’s property, check your local bylaws to make sure that you have the authority to remove the tree in the first place.

In most cases, a simple conversation with your neighbor can resolve most problems. If you want to remove a tree and your neighbor refuses, there is little you can do unless the bylaws are in your favor.

3. Do Not Do It Yourself

It may seem easy to rent a chainsaw and start cutting a tree down, but it isn’t. Unless you are experienced with tree removal, we highly recommend that you hire a tree removal service to help you do the job.

A simple mistake can lead to a lot of costly headaches. You more than likely do not have the proper insurance to cover any damage you may cause to you or your neighbor’s home. When you hire a tree cutting service, their insurance will cover any accidents, saving you from being liable for anything should it happen.

4. Tree Disposal Isn’t Easy

Large trees are not easy to dispose of. Some homeowners believe that they can cut a tree and leave it for the garbage crews to pick up. It simply doesn’t work like this.

One of the many perks of hiring a tree cutting service is that they fully dispose of any trees that you pay them to cut down. You never have to worry about discarding several cords of wood, branches, and other debris.

5. Experience Is Key

Reliable tree removal services are worth every penny you spend on them. You never have to worry about accidents when you work with a company that has decades of experience in the tree removal and landscaping industries.
A reputable tree cutting service will assess, cut, and dispose of the tree for you, making the entire process as painless as possible.

Need To Remove a Tree?

If you are looking to remove a tree on your property, call Harmony Tree Services today. We have been providing landscaping and tree services to clients in and around Allentown for many years. Whether you need to cut a dying tree, or prune a healthy one, we are ready to help.

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