Table of contents
Before you start: this guide is for the DuPage homeowner sitting on three quotes that don't add up. The cheap one quoted lawn care for $80 a visit; the middle one is at $130; the expensive one is $185. They look like the same job. They are not the same job. Here are the ten questions that turn a brochure into a contract you can hold somebody to.
Verify they are licensed for the work they bid
Illinois does not license general landscaping, but it licenses irrigation contractors, arborists who climb, and any crew touching electrical for low-voltage lighting. Ask for the IPLA arborist number if they bid tree work, the plumbing-license number if they touch sprinklers, and the electrical-contractor number for landscape lighting. Three out of four discount bids skip at least one of the three.
A licensed crew costs more because the licenses cost the company $4,000 to $11,000 a year to keep. That cost lands in the bid. It also lands in your warranty.
Ask for the certificate of insurance, addressed to your name
Every legitimate contractor carries general liability and workers' comp. The cheap quote often does not. Ask the contractor's insurance agent (not the contractor) to email a Certificate of Insurance with your name in the certificate-holder field. This costs the contractor nothing and takes their agent ten minutes. Anyone who can't produce one inside two business days is uninsured for your job.
[!warning] If a worker gets hurt on your property and the contractor isn't carrying workers' comp, your homeowners' policy is on the hook. We've seen $40,000 hospital bills land on the wrong policy. Ask for the certificate.
Confirm they have done your specific job
Lawn care, hardscape, and snow management are three different businesses. A crew that mows 800 lawns a week is not the right crew to lay a 600-square-foot paver patio, and a hardscape crew won't show up reliably for snow at 4 a.m. Ask: "When was the last time you did this exact job? Can you give me three local addresses where I can drive past?" If they hesitate, you have your answer.
Get a written scope, line by line
A good landscaper writes the scope before the price. The scope reads: "6-inch CA-6 compacted base; 1-inch concrete-sand setting bed; Unilock Brussels Block, Sierra blend; polymeric sand joints; aluminum edge restraint." If the scope is "patio installation," you don't have a contract — you have a hope.
We have walked into homes where the bid said "stone patio" and three months later the homeowner found out "stone" meant flagstone over sand, no edge restraint, no permit pull. Specificity is the cheapest insurance you can buy.
Pin down who is on-site, every day
Some crews are owner-operated; the person who quoted is the person digging. Some crews are 60 employees and you'll never see the salesperson again. Both can do good work — but the contract should name the project foreman and confirm the foreman is on-site every day the crew is. If the foreman swaps mid-project, your scope drifts.
Pull the permit, in their name
If the project needs a permit (most patios over 200 sq ft, every retaining wall over 4 feet, every electrical run for landscape lighting), the contractor pulls the permit, in the contractor's name. If they ask you to pull the permit "to save time" or "for the owner discount," that's a tell. They don't want their name on the permit because their inspection record is bad. Walk.
Confirm the warranty in writing, with a duration
Most legitimate landscape warranties run 1–2 years on workmanship and pass through the manufacturer warranty on materials (paver manufacturers warranty for 25–40 years). Ask: "What's covered, for how long, and what voids it?" If the answer is verbal, the warranty is verbal — which means the warranty is fictional.
Check three references, by phone, in the same neighborhood
Online reviews are useful but everyone has them now. Phone references in your neighborhood are the gold standard. Ask the references three things:
- Did the crew show up on the days they promised?
- Was the final invoice the same as the original bid?
- Has anything broken since the install, and if so, did the contractor come fix it without arguing?
The third question is the one that separates the field. Anyone can do good work; the test is what happens when something goes wrong.
Sign a payment schedule that protects you
Standard DuPage hardscape jobs run 30% deposit, 30% on material delivery, 30% on substantial completion, 10% retainer for 30 days after final walkthrough. Anyone asking for 50%+ upfront is using your money to finish the job in front of you. This isn't always a scam, but it's always a risk.
Read the cancellation clause
Illinois has a three-day right of rescission on home-improvement contracts signed in your home. After three days, your only out is whatever the cancellation clause in the contract says. Read it before you sign. If the clause says "non-refundable deposit," that's a $1,500–$3,000 risk you take on the day you sign.
How we score our own bids
We give every prospective client a one-page bid that lists every spec by line. We name the foreman. We attach the certificate of insurance and the permit-pull policy. We list the warranty, in writing, with a duration. We don't always win the bid — sometimes the cheap quote wins because the homeowner doesn't know to ask these questions. We hope this guide changes that.
When you're ready to compare bids on a real project, request a free estimate and we'll send the same one-pager to you. You can put it side-by-side with the other two bids and see what they're missing.
