Finding a licensed landscaper in Hawaii can save you thousands

HONOLULU (KHON2) — The summer season brings an increase in landscaping business, and according to the Better Business Bureau, property owners are losing thousands of dollars this year working with uninsured and unqualified landscape companies.

Cameron Nakashima of the Better Business Bureau joined Wake Up 2Day Wednesday with information to help Hawaii residents avoid unforeseen risks. He says property owners often lose money because they worked with an unlicensed and uninsured landscaper.

“It’s incredibly common. We’re barely into the summer season and our local BBB already has 75 complaints and 68 scam tracking reports of bad landscape business since the start of the year. Most of these involve a landscaper who was not properly licensed and insured and cost the property owner thousands of dollars in shoddy work or property damage. Even for maintenance jobs like lawn mowing, it’s recommended to hire a professional with the proper license and insurance, but it’s especially important for larger jobs that involve more money and more risk.”

Some of these risks are overlooked when people hire a landscaper who is not licensed and uninsured.

“Most importantly, if a landscaper you hire does not have the necessary insurance and injures himself or someone else or causes property damage, you are very likely to be financially responsible for all of this,” Nakashima said. “Also, unlicensed landscapers may not have the proper training and may cut corners on materials, increasing the likelihood that accidents and damage will occur. Additionally, depending on the project, you may have to pay to have the work properly redone by a licensed and properly insured professional.”

Nakashima recommends these steps to know if a landscaper they want to hire is properly licensed:

· Check with the Better Business Bureau first. BBB accredited businesses must demonstrate that they have all necessary licenses and insurance to be considered for accreditation. On BBB.org, you’ll also find the landscaper’s BBB rating, customer complaints, and customer reviews.
· Alternatively, if the business you want to hire isn’t listed on BBB.org or isn’t accredited by the BBB, you can look them up on your state’s licensing board website to check for licenses and insurance.
· Finally, once you’ve found the properly licensed landscapers you want to hire, remember to collect and save copies of contracts, proof of payment, and communications to protect yourself in case you run into a problem.

The Better Business Bureau has more tips and resources to help you find the right landscape professional for your next project at BBB.org.