A Site-Visit Checklist for Reviewing Your Landscape Maintenance Vendor

A good maintenance vendor welcomes a site walk. Doing one regularly, with a short checklist, catches small problems before they become expensive and keeps the vendor accountable to the contract. This list is a starting point you can adapt for your site.

Lawns and beds

• Is the lawn evenly cut, with clean edges and no bare or waterlogged patches?
• Are beds weeded and mulched, and are plants healthy and fed?
• Are dead plants being replaced within the agreed time?

Trees and shrubs

• Is pruning done safely, with no hanging or dead branches over paths or parking?
• Are hedges and shrubs shaped, and young trees staked and healthy?

Irrigation

• Does the system run on schedule, with no leaks or broken emitters?
• Is water use tracked, and is there a plan for rain and dry spells?

People and safety

• Are the crew in uniform and equipped, and are numbers as per the contract?
• Is there a named supervisor on site, and are attendance records kept?
• Are chemicals stored and handled safely, and is garden waste removed promptly?

Reporting

• Do you receive a regular report with work done, issues found and work planned?
• Is anything raised in the last report still open?

Questions to ask on every visit

Ask the supervisor what problems they are watching, what has changed since last month and what they need from you. Vendors that know their site answer quickly and specifically.

For a fuller list of what a maintenance contract should cover, see our AMC checklist, or read about our grounds maintenance service.