If you manage a community or a commercial property, you have probably sat with three or four landscape maintenance bids spread across the table, and the annual totals were the first thing you looked at. That makes sense. The budget is real, and the board or owner is going to ask about it.
But the number at the bottom of the page rarely tells you what you will actually get. Over the years I have seen plenty of properties choose the lowest bid and spend the next two years wondering why the place never looks right. Communication is nonexistent; the proposals for extra work show up late or not at all, and the quality of the work isn't anything special. The bid was cheaper. The year was not.
So what should you compare? Here is what I would look at if I were sitting in your chair.
1. Are the bids pricing the same property?
Before you compare prices, make sure every company is pricing the same scope. One bid includes 30 mowing visits, another quietly assumes 33. One includes two mulch applications a year, another includes one. One covers irrigation inspections monthly, another only "as needed."
The easiest way to fix this is a clear scope sheet that every bidder prices against: mowing frequency by season, bed maintenance, pruning cycles, turf and ornamental programs, irrigation checks, leaf removal and seasonal color. If a company won't price your scope as written, that tells you something too.
2. Did they walk the property?
A company that bids your property off only an aerial map is guessing. A company that walks it notices things: the low spot by the clubhouse or main entrance that holds water after every storm, the overgrown sight line that keeps drawing complaints, the irrigation zone that has been running into the parking lot. Those details end up in the bid, or they end up as surprises after you sign.
Ask each bidder what they noticed on the walk. The good ones will have a list.
3. How will they communicate with you?
This is where most landscape relationships fall apart, and it almost never shows up in a bid. Ask every company the same questions:
- Who is my account manager, and how often will I see them on site?
- What will I receive after each visit or each month?
- How quickly will I get a proposal when I ask for one?
- Who do I call when something goes wrong, and can that person make a decision?
You want specific answers, not "we pride ourselves on communication."
4. What is the plan for the crew on your site?
Ask how many people will be on your property, how often, and whether it will be the same crew week to week. A consistent crew learns your property. They know which beds the residents care about, where the dog park needs extra attention, and that the leasing office wants the front entrance sharp before Saturday tours. A rotating crew starts over every visit.
5. How do they handle extra work?
Enhancements, storm cleanup and irrigation repairs are where budgets get stretched. Ask how extra work is priced, how quickly proposals come back, and whether they will recommend improvements on their own or only respond when you ask. A good partner brings you ideas before the season, with a budget attached, so nothing catches you, your owners or your board off guard.
6. Who is behind the company?
Finally, find out who you are really hiring. How long have the people running the company been in the industry? Will an owner or senior leader ever be on your property? When a problem comes up, is there someone close enough to the work to fix it fast?
The question to ask yourself
When the bids are side by side, ask which company will be the easiest to work with a year from now. Sounds simple, right? It is the question that matters most, and the one the bottom line can't answer.
At Cedar Hill, we see our team as an extension of yours: another set of eyes and ears trained to communicate the plan, what we accomplished and anything we see out of place. If you have a bid package coming up and want a second set of eyes on the scope, we are glad to walk the property with you.