Comparison
One landscape company or two?
Updated · Glossary
When the company that builds a landscape also maintains it, nobody gets to blame the other contractor for dead plants, a leaking zone or a sunken paver. That’s the main reason developers and HOAs in Dallas–Fort Worth hire one company for both. Separate contractors still make sense if you already have a maintenance crew you trust, or if a public bid requires splitting the work.
Problems at handoff
A new community or commercial site usually changes hands twice. The installer finishes, then a maintenance contractor takes over, and the problems show up in the first season. Plants decline, the installer calls it a watering problem, and the maintenance crew says the plants went in stressed. Nobody has the irrigation as-builts, so the maintenance crew learns the zones by digging. A warranty claim stalls because the two companies disagree on what happened. And the maintenance crew priced the property before they ever saw how it was built.
Why one company avoids that
The crew maintaining the property already knows where every valve box, sleeve and drip line is, because their own company put it there. Plant warranties are simple because one company owns the plant from planting through the warranty period. And the builder has a reason to build it right. They’re the ones who’ll be out there every week keeping it up.
| One company | Separate contractors | |
|---|---|---|
| Warranty claims | One party responsible | Disputes over cause |
| Irrigation knowledge | Crew knows the layout | Learned after handoff |
| Point of contact | One account manager | Two or more |
| First-season problems | Fixed, no argument | Often argued over |
| Choice of maintenance crew | Tied to the builder | Free to pick separately |
| Best fit | New communities, new commercial sites | Existing crew you like, split public bids |
When to use separate contractors
- You already have a maintenance contractor who does good work, and you only need a one-off build like a new entry or amenity center
- Public or institutional rules require separate bids for construction and maintenance
- The build is a specialty job your maintenance company doesn’t do
If you go that way, protect yourself at handoff. Get the irrigation as-builts, a plant list and the warranty terms in writing, and walk the site with both contractors before the installer leaves.
Common questions
Do we have to use the same company for maintenance after the build?
No. Our development division builds for clients who keep their own maintenance contractor, and while most choose one company to avoid the handoff, it isn’t required.
What should we get from the installer at handoff?
Irrigation as-builts showing valves, zones and controller locations, a plant list, warranty terms in writing, and a joint walk of the site with the maintenance crew.
Who handles plant warranties when one company does both?
The same company, so there’s no argument about whether a plant died from installation or from care. Whoever you hire, ask them to put the warranty length and terms in the proposal. Ours covers plants for 90 days for customers without a maintenance contract, and for life while we maintain the property and manage its irrigation.
We run a development division and a maintenance division under one standard. You can see our entry monuments and hardscape work, or request a proposal.