Finding a quality contractor for your water feature project may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be! Below are some strategies that you can use when searching for the contractor that will be the best fit for your project.
Preparation Is Key
The best way to find a water feature contractor is to do research on what exactly it is you want the finished project to look like. I know this may sound a bit overwhelming but think of this project as an investment in your future.
The Basics
You will want to know what a quality water feature looks like and research what maintenance and service is recommended for the type of feature you’re interested. Check out Koi Ponds and Water Gardens and What You Need To Know About Pond Filtration to find out more about what to look for in a quality water feature and how you can enjoy it for many stress free years.
Once you know more about what makes a quality water feature, take the time to build a basic vision of what you want, don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Look around on popular sites like Pinterest, Google and Instagram for pictures of water features. Search terms like: backyard pond, water garden and pondless waterfall for starters. Either entire features or specific parts such as “just the waterfall” will work for building your vision.
Save some inspiration pictures and take several pictures of the area where you want the feature to be installed so you have a starting point when you begin working with the contractor. Having a basic vision and pictures will be extremely helpful. An experienced water feature designer will be able to help you perfect your vision and price it accordingly.
The Search Begins
Now that you’ve done the research and you have a vision, you can begin looking for a contractor. Like choosing a contractor for any other job, there are a certain set of attributes that you should be looking for. The contractor should:
- be properly licensed, insured and an established contractor
- be knowledgeable, experienced, and a specialist in water features
- have a style, team, personality, and price that you want to work with
The Acid Test
Ideally the contractors that you are researching should pass the first and second set of questions before you move into a phone consultation with them about your specific project. Most of this information you can find yourself online or through a quick phone call to ask.
Question #1 – Are they licensed, insured, and established?
Licensed and Insured
Licensing and insurance are safeguards for you, the homeowner, against taking the legal blame for shoddy work, damages to your property, or bodily harm sustained by anyone involved. A landscaping specific license does not exist in Maryland, but a general home improvement license does and is necessary for any permanent home improvements done to the home or property.
Whether or not a contractor holds an MHIC (Maryland Home Improvement Commission) contractor license should be your first question. If the answer is yes, then find out if there is liability insurance. This should be the case if the contractor has a valid MHIC license since the license requires the contractor to have insurance.
If the answer is no to either of these questions, then it would be best to find another contractor. Each state is different, but the general rules apply: no license and insurance = no go
Established
If the answer was yes, then do a little research into the contractor’s business. A few questions to get started might be: Does the business have a quality website that shows a portfolio of past projects? Has the business been active for at least several years? Are there any reviews of the business on Google, Better Business Bureau, Facebook, or other sites?
Many other questions could be asked, but I think you get the point. Taking thirty minutes to research your potential business partner just might save you endless hours of headache down the road.
Question #2 – Are they knowledgeable, experienced, and a water feature specialist?
Certifications
Water features are a special breed of outdoor project and they require specific knowledge, skills, and experience to install correctly. Several pond equipment manufacturers offer certifications for contractors. Aquascape, Atlantic Water Gardens, and Savio are all manufacturers that offer certifications to contractors. Don’t hesitate to ask the contractor if they have a certification from any of these.
Show Pond(s)
Certifications are not the only way to help ensure that your prospective contractor is a water feature specialist. A proven track record full of great looking water features and glowing reviews, but more than they should have a collection of examples of their work for you to examine.
If the contractor seems to be more focused on specializations other than water features, it can be a sign that they do not have much experience with water features which is a red flag.
Reference Customers
You may be thinking, “Sure they have examples of their work, but what am I looking at exactly?” and that’s a fair point. A contractor might be able to make a water feature look absolutely amazing for the twenty minutes you spend looking at it, but you don’t get to see what goes on behind the scenes.
A great contractor will have reference customers who are willing to show off their pond and tell you all about their experience with the contractor and what they built. Make sure to ask about how old the feature is, how hard the maintenance is, whether they have had any major issues, and whether they’d have the contractor build for them again.
Some contractors offer events throughout the year that include “Pond Tours” which allow you to spend a few hours touring local water features built and, in many cases, maintained by that contractor. These and other events held by professional water feature specialists can be a great way to refine your vision for your project and also find out what the contractor is all about.
Specialized
Water features are technically landscape features, and many landscape companies branch out into the water feature field, but you want to see a focus and specialization from your contractor. A great pond builder will either only focus on water features or be a landscaper that has a separate team focused on water feature design, construction, and maintenance. You want to have a minimally stressful experience, and having focused professionals designing and building your water feature is a great way to make that happen.
Style
A water feature, like many other things, is a mixture of both art and engineering. A specialized, experienced, and certified water feature builder will be able to properly engineer a feature to fit your project, but every builder has a slightly different style. Make sure you appreciate the style that shines through the portfolios of any contractors still on your list before you sign them up to complete your project.
Now you should have your list of contractors narrowed down. Some contractors will want to do an onsite visit right off the bat, while others will want to have a phone consultation before an onsite visit. Start getting to know your finalists and scheduling the consultations, it’s time to meet.
Question #3 – Team and price that you can work with?
Team
Your water feature project is going to be a long and lasting addition to your outdoor experience, so make sure to get to know the contractor and the team that will be personally involved with your water feature.
Hopefully this outline has helped give you a good starting point for finding and hiring a pond or water feature contractor to build a beautiful and sustainable water garden on your property. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.
