Buyer Beware – make sure you know who you are dealing with
On this page you will find information about being cautious about who you choose to work on your landscape and about qualifications and standards within the industry.
The landscape industry is unregulated at present. Its workers may belong to Landscaping New Zealand (Landscape Industry Association of New Zealand) or NZILA (New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects) provided they have the necessary qualifications, and meet their quality criteria. On the other hand, many competent and reputable operators don’t belong to these industry bodies.
You are protected as a consumer under The Fair Trading Act and The Consumer Guarantees Act but by far the best protection is to ensure you have chosen the right person to carry out your work in the first place. This will save you wasted expense, time and energy.
Unfortunately there are unscrupulous gardeners marketing themselves as highly trained professionals. Although many businesses are very professional, with a strong work ethic, there are those who lack basic knowledge and can cause long term damage to your garden.
Gardening is both an art and a profession. To get the optimum results for any project, always ensure you are dealing with a skilled professional, so you avoid the heartache and expense of gardens spoiled through ignorance or careless practice.
Some basic questions to ask when approaching a landscape professional are:
- What experience do you have?
- Who may I approach for testimonials or references? Get names, contact details and check them.
- May I see your portfolio? Most professionals will have a photographic record of their past projects.
- What work have you done locally? Go and look and (if possible) talk to the client.
Don’t be afraid to shop around. Check out several professionals. This site has many to choose from.
