Guide
Questions to ask a gardener
Twenty questions covering scope, money, waste, insurance and continuity. Ask them at the site visit, before a price is agreed, and write down the answers.
Before the visit
Availability comes first. How soon can a site visit happen, and what is the current lead time between agreeing a price and starting? Which days of the week does the round cover this postcode? A gardener already working two streets away has lower travel costs and is more likely to hold a regular slot open.
Scope of trade matters next. Does this business do maintenance, construction, tree work or all three, and which parts are subcontracted? Who actually turns up, the person quoting or a team, and will it be the same faces each visit?
About the work itself
Specifics beat generalities. How many cuts a year does that hedge need to hold its shape? What height will the lawn be cut at through summer, and does the mower box or mulch? Which plants in this border are staying, and what is going in their place?
Timing questions reveal experience quickly. When in the year should this pruning happen, and why then? How will nesting birds be checked for before the hedge trimmer starts, given that damaging an active nest is an offence in any month? A gardener who answers those without hesitating has done the work before.
About money
Hourly or day rate, and how many hours in a day? Is there a minimum charge, and does it apply to a short visit? Are materials charged at cost or with a margin, and will receipts be provided? Is VAT included in the figure quoted, and is there a registration number on the paperwork?
For larger jobs, ask what the deposit is and what it buys. Citizens Advice advises keeping it under 25 per cent. How are stage payments structured, what triggers each, and how much is held back until snagging is complete? The Royal Horticultural Society suggests retaining around 15 per cent until faults have been put right.
About waste and insurance
Where does the green waste go, and under what registration number? Checking that number on the Environment Agency register takes a minute and is free. Soil, turf, slabs and fence panels need an upper tier registration; grass and hedge cuttings the gardener produced need only the free lower tier.
Insurance questions are short. What is the public liability limit, what is the expiry date on the certificate, and whose name is on it? Is there employers' liability cover for anyone else on site? For spraying, which pesticide certificates does the operator hold, and for chainsaw work, which certificate of competence?
About what happens afterwards
Continuity is the question most people forget. Who maintains new planting through its first two summers, and is watering included or assumed? What happens if a plant fails inside the first season, and is there any replacement guarantee in writing?
Communication closes the list. How much notice is given if a visit has to move for weather? What is the notice period on either side for ending a regular arrangement? How are extra works agreed, and will they be confirmed in writing before anyone starts, given that a change to an agreed price is not effective unless expressly agreed?
Common questions
What is the single most useful question to ask?
Asking for the waste carrier registration number covers legitimacy, record keeping and honesty in one go. The Environment Agency register is free and public, so the answer can be verified before anyone signs anything.
Should questions be asked in writing?
Answers given at a site visit become part of the contract once relied upon, under section 50 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Putting the important ones in an email afterwards creates a record that costs nothing to make.
Is it rude to ask to see certificates?
Established contractors expect it and carry cards or certificates for exactly this purpose. The Arboricultural Association advises homeowners that a competent arborist can show a certificate or ID card on request.