Marilyn wrote:

" if he is licensed and bonded (which he
should be), you can file a claim against his liability insurance for work
that
was done incorrectly or not completed.

how do I find out who his insurance company is?

There should be a state licensing agent for contractors (the agency that
assigns contractor numbers that identify them as licensed and bonded) - they
will have record of his insurance information and can direct you on how to
contact the company.




FYI for future landscaping work - make sure you have a contract which
spells out
all of the above

Pam and all,

THANKS so much for getting me started here. The contract is not specific
but does say he will replace trees which die. How dead do they have to be
and when are they replaced? Also, many perenials which I have never
seen....it was a bad winter...none are turning green.

Well.....dead is dead! Not exactly a situation that can or needs to be
negotiated :-)) But I would claim for replacement anything that does not leaf
out properly this spring. Many perennials emerge quite late - only after
temperatures warm up sufficiently - so there is still a chance for many of
these to still appear, although I'd track their emergence against what is
happening with your neighbors' gardens. If your new plants do not emerge or
appear to be growing properly when all of the rest of your neighbors' gardens
are flushed out and going nuts in spring, then it is time to call this joker
back to do some fixing.



For my next contract for a backyard patio, I will put some of these details
in the contract. Anything specifically I should include?

Just all of the lessons you have learned from this unfortunate experience.



Also, for hardscape, do you find that having a plan paid to get bids, is
better than getting the free plan from the local nurseries?

You get what you pay for. Most nurseries that offer "free" landscape designs do
so as inducement to you to buy their plants. Landscape design is a skill that
requires time and training and as a professional designer myself, I have a hard
time imagining the quality of a design someone is willing to give away for
free, even if it is included as part of a package deal that includes the plants
and the installation of the overall design. OTOH, contracting with a business
that offers design and build services (formulating a landscape design AND
installing it) will usually result in prompt service and decent follow-though.
But you will likely be paying more than if you have in hand a "free" nursery
plan and putting that out for bids. Often, landscape contractors are not that
eager during the busy season to install other folks' designs unless it is a
big, money making project.

HTH
pam - gardengal