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FAQs about finding a landscape contractor

Why did a landscape company send me here?
This site's find-a-landscape-professional search is provided by ALCC, a trade association that supports the landscape industry in Colorado. We help raise the level of professionalism in our industry with education and advocacy. We encourage sustainable landscape practices. Our search includes member organizations around the state, from arborists and garden installation to commercial landscape maintenance and residential design/build.

I want my lawn mowed this weekend. Can you help me find someone?
Our members are landscape contractors, and those that offer maintenance do so on a seasonal contract basis. Their employees are already scheduled for contracted maintenance work, so one-time tasks do not fit their schedule as they are committed to serving ongoing clients. 

For a single mowing service, you might consider one of the many on-demand apps that offer this service. We are not affiliated with any of these apps, so we cannot endorse the services provided. We recommend that you find and contract with a landscape maintenance contractor for ongoing services in order to guarantee that your landscape receives the proper care throughout the year.

I was referred to three companies, and no one has called me back. Why?
Many of our member companies are small businesses, and with the current labor shortage many of companies are in “all hands on deck” mode to complete their work. With everyone in the field working o client projects, they may not be able to take your call. We ask for your patience, as it may take several days to return calls when call volume is high and all available staff are on the job site during the day.

Why is there a wait list at every company I call?
There has been a consistent shortage of laborers available for the last decade. Landscape companies can only accept the number of clients that their workforce can serve.

Unemployment is high—how can there be a labor shortage?
Landscaping is a demanding job, and it is seasonal in nature. Landscape companies are challenged to find job candidates who can handle the physical demands of the job and who are willing to take a job that is not year-round. Companies report that they welcome new hires from outside the industry, but many quit after a few weeks or days—even after a few hours in some cases.

To complicate hiring challenges, the H-2B guest worker program, which allows companies to bring seasonal workers from outside the US to supplement their workforce, is currently suspended through December 31, 2020. When all efforts to hire American workers have been exhausted, this program allows companies to bring foreign workers to complete landscape crews and help American businesses continue to operate at full capacity. Learn more about H-2B and the landscape industry.

I just have a small job—why can’t I find a company to take on my project?
With a shortage of labor, resources are strained and many landscape companies must turn down work. As a result, they may prefer to keep their crews employed on a job that they can see through from start to finish rather than coordinate for a different work site each day.

The quotes I’m getting seem really high. Why does it cost so much?         
Our member companies have committed to raising the level of professionalism in the landscape industry. In order to operate with integrity, they have expenses related to business license, workers compensation, insurance, and other required tools that keep their clients and employees safe. A large number of company owners have degrees in horticulture, landscape, or arboriculture and are experts in building and maintaining landscapes that are suited to Colorado’s unique conditions. Many also invest in ongoing education of their workforce in order to raise the quality of their services and to create a workplace culture that retains happy, skilled workers.

Learn more about why it helps to hire an ALCC member. (link to “Why and how to hire an ALCC member” video)