Do I Need a Contractor?

Dependent upon what type of look you are trying to achieve, the grade of the area where you are installing your border, the type of border you want and your skill level, it is sometimes best to hire a professional to install your garden edging.  If you are building a retaining wall, raised garden or entry way and want a clean look with corners and relatively straight sides, unless you possess the tools, skill and know-how, a professional is definitely the way to go. For a less structured appearance, a short wall (not a retaining wall) or a recessed border even a novice do-it-yourselfer can handle these projects with the right know-how.

When choosing a professional stone mason or landscape company specializing in edgings or hardscapes to do a job, the very first place that I look is the Better Business Bureau website.   I click on type of business and enter the zip code where the work is to be performed. This will bring up most businesses in that area. You can choose which ones you want to check out or if you have been given a suggestion by a friend or colleague you can check out the individual business and see how they rate with the BBB. When I am choosing a professional, they have to at least be listed with the BBB even if they are not a BBB member. In my experience, if they are not listed, they are usually either not licensed or not insured and often not reputable.  I do not work with contractors who do not have at least an A- rating.

I always look to see how many complaints a business has had in the last three years. Every business gets complaints, so having a few complaints is not necessarily a bad thing. I am looking for the complaints to have been resolved. I usually exclude businesses with too many complaints or with any outstanding complaints. I limit the number of complaints they can have in three years to four or five, as long as they are all resolved.  Larger businesses with more employees and more work crews are going to have more complaints.  I very rarely choose contractors with unresolved complaints because they are showing me that they are not concerned about my satisfaction as a customer.  

The website also tells you how many people the business employs.  I personally prefer smaller, Mom and Pop businesses, but always consider the size of the job. A big job may be too much for a company with less than 10 employees. Don't be afraid to get estimates from several contractors or to ask for references from any contractor that you are considering. Always try to see some of the work that they have done.