Rules
Part of Getting started with native landscaping across the U.S.
How to vet a contractor for native landscaping in 2027
The questions that separate a native-plant specialist from a mow-and-blow crew, plus the contract terms that keep substitutions and watering honest.
What to take away
- Ask for scientific names. A crew that cannot supply them cannot control substitutions.
- Native planting, irrigation, tree work and pesticide application are different licensed scopes.
- Get establishment watering written into the contract or expect it not to happen.
- Visit a job the crew planted three years ago, not one finished last month.
Start with vocabulary
The fastest screening question is a naming question. Ask which species the bid includes and get the answer in Latin. A crew that answers "native grasses" for a $6,000 bed is either subcontracting the plant knowledge or improvising at the nursery.
Standardized names exist precisely so this is checkable. USDA notes that its PLANTS Database supplies standardized information on the vascular plants, mosses and lichens of the United States and its territories, so any species on a bid can be looked up in one place.
The distinction matters more than it sounds. A Fish and Wildlife Service write-up of a native plant workshop opened with exactly that ground: botanical terminology, and what it means for a plant to be native rather than introduced. If a professional cannot hold that line, the plant list will drift toward whatever the wholesaler has in stock.
Confirm which scopes each person actually holds
One company rarely covers everything. Ask who performs each of these and under what credential in your state:
- planting and bed construction;
- irrigation modification, which often requires a licensed installer and a backflow test;
- tree removal or pruning, which is arborist work and may need a city permit;
- herbicide application, which is licensed in most states when done for hire;
- grading or drainage changes, which may need an engineered plan.
Ask for the certificate of insurance directly from the insurer, not a photocopy, and check that it is current on the date work starts.
Compare bids on the same scope, not the same number
Three bids are only comparable if they cover the same square footage, the same removal method, the same plant sizes and the same aftercare. Give every bidder your plant list and your area measurement so the differences are in price and method rather than in guesswork. The rest of that work is reading the quantities, allowances and exclusions once the bids come back.
| Ask for | Why it changes the number |
|---|---|
| Removal method and disposal | Sod cutting, sheet covering and herbicide differ in cost and timing |
| Plant sizes and counts | Plugs versus one-gallon stock can double or halve the plant line |
| Soil work | Amendment is often unnecessary and always billable |
| Establishment care | Watering visits, weeding visits, and for how long |
| Replacement terms | Whether a dead plant is replaced free, and for how long |
Write the substitution rule down
Substitution is where a native job quietly stops being one. The clause you want is short: no species substitution without written owner approval, and any substitute must be a straight species from the same regional list. Without it, a sold-out sedge becomes a big-box cultivar and nobody tells you, and the substitution quietly discards the hand-collected regional material you were paying for.
Attach the plant list and a scaled plan as contract exhibits. Both are also what your permit office and HOA will ask for, which is why checking local rules early saves a revision cycle.
Check references that have aged
A three-month-old job proves nothing except that the crew can plant. Ask for two addresses planted at least three years ago, and go look. Are the plants spaced for their mature size? Is the edge still crisp? Did the owner have to replace much?
Bring the questions from the planning guide to that visit. The owner will tell you more in five minutes than any portfolio.
Common questions
Is a license required? It varies by state. Contractor, irrigation and pesticide licenses are separate; check each with your state board.
Should I pay for a design first? For anything beyond one bed, yes. A paid plan you own can be bid by several contractors.
What deposit is normal? Enough to cover ordered plants. Avoid paying most of the job before anything is installed.
Who waters after installation? Whoever the contract names. If it names nobody, it is you, starting the day the crew leaves.
