The easiest way to bring your lawn and landscape to life after a long, cold winter is to hire a professional landscaping company. That way, you can enjoy the warmer weather and longer days without having to put in endless hours of yardwork.

While hiring a landscaping contractor is a relatively easy decision, choosing one can be challenging. Which credentials decipher one company from the next, and how can you be confident you’re getting great service at an honest price? Here’s a quick and straightforward checklist to use in your search for spring landscaping services.

Licenses & Qualifications
While professional licenses are by no means the only indicator of expertise in any profession, they are the baseline credentials confirming adequate knowledge and proper training. In New Jersey, there are many different licenses a landscaping company can acquire. Aside from the standard state and professional landscape contractor licenses, look for additional qualifications such as:

• Backflow Inspector
• NJ Certified Fertilization Applicator
• Certified Nursery and Landscape Professional
• NJDEP Certified Pesticide Business, Applicator & Operators
• Agronomist
• SIMA Certified Snow & Ice Professional
• NJ Tree Expert
• State of NJ Public Works Contractor Cert.
• NJ Tree Company Business Reg.

Experience
There are always new landscaping companies popping up, but your best bet is to choose one that has been in business for many years. Longevity shows that a contractor not only knows what they’re doing, but also understands how to treat customers. They wouldn’t be in business for so long if they didn’t grasp the importance of providing the complete package including customer experience.

Portfolio
An established landscaping company will usually have a large portfolio of projects illustrating their expertise. With companies that haven’t been around long, it can be difficult to see what you’re getting beforehand. Even when the services are described and explained, the old adage holds true: A picture is worth a thousand words.

Reputation
In this day and age, it’s incredibly easy to get information on just about any company. All you have to do is go to social media sites like Facebook and see what people are saying. Also look for testimonials, awards and other signs of a positive reputation.

Passion
With a checkmark next to all of the above criteria, the ultimate differentiator is a true passion for the art and science of landscaping. That’s exactly what we have here at High Tech, and it’s what makes us one of New Jersey’s most prestigious landscaping companies. See how we can bring the beauty of spring to your home.