A penny saved but a dollar lost!

Having work done on your home can get expensive... fast! It's no different with your landscape... retaining walls, paver patios, custom lighting... all those things can add up to more than people were expecting.

It begs to reason then that when the opportunity to save a few dollars comes along by hiring an unlicensed contractor, or some day laborers from your local nursery people are going to jump all over it. I mean in this new economy "saving money" is the new black right?

But are you really saving as much as you think you are... if any at all?

Full disclosure... One Landscape IS a licensed landscape contractor in the state of Nevada (NVCL#80104). We are fully licensed, insured, bonded and have been subject to jumping through more hoops than you can imagine. Of course we are going to want you to hire a licensed contractor... because that's who we are!

Hiring a licensed contractor isn't going to guarantee that you'll LOVE your landscape or that you'll even like working with the contractor you ultimately choose. It doesn't guarantee that they'll return your phone calls in a timely manner or that they'll be there for you when you have questions in the future...

But hiring a licensed contractor does protect you and it provides you with the resources you need to hold them accountable in the form of the NV State Contractors Board.

Beyond the fact that every contractor must continually maintain liability insurance and an active bond, they also must be able to pass several tests pertaining to Nevada State contracting law and a specific test as it relates to their specific field. This provides you with at least some comfort level in knowing that a licensed contractor does actually know what it is they are talking about.

And here's one more thing to consider if that's not enough...

If an unlicensed contractor or someone working for them gets hurt on your property, you could be held liable. In Ramierez v. Nelson (2006) and Rosas v. Dishong (1998) the courts found that the homeowners acted as employers and thus were liable and damages were awarded to both plaintiffs families for injuries sustained to workers performing work for which a contractors license was required on their properties.

Beyond all of the protection a licensed contractor provides, most contractors have many years of experience and they can help you see things that you might not otherwise have thought about. Find one you trust and let them help you get your job done.