Many of our clients are curious as to how we differentiate between a fee based service and services they should expect to receive a free estimate for first, before agreeing to a contract for payment. We haved outlined some information below to help you understand the difference between a free estimate and what may be considered a fee based service. 

 

 

Considerations:

 

When a company representative arrives at your property their time driving to and being on site evaluating your project is costing the company money in some regard. This may be to meet with you and provide an estimate or a diagnosis of their initial assessment of your project. You may then wonder, why or how do companies offer free or discounted services? Many companies offer free or discounted services in an effort to earn your business. Clients may be mindful of the quality of service they receive with companies offering free services, coupon deals or price match, price beating guarantees. Companies may advertise or offer these items for different reasons. It may be a company trying to grow its client base through offering these deals or it may be that they have a difficult time winning business upon their own merits. A company may not want to take the time to devise their own plan of action and associated costs making a price match guarantee an easy way to secure a job. Their objective may be to let other companies do the leg work then ask to see their estimate offering to give you a price break in return. Most companies are curious as to what their competition may be charging for like services. However, there is a difference between curiousity and unethical business practices. You have to evaluate the companies approach to earning your business and then ask yourself, is this the kind of company I want working at my property?

 

Always request that each company provide their own estimate and detailed list of materials for your project without offering another companies assessment and price. This way you can verify you will receive what you are paying for and that each company is capable of providing their own accurate assessment. You should not have to obtain one companies estimate and provide a copy of it to another in order to receive a fair deal.  There may be room for negotiation if you prefer one company or contractor over another. However, a company should earn your business upon their own merits, abilities and time spent on your project. These "deal" offerings make many clients question whether they are being provided the proper information for repair services or if the company has the experience and knowledge to properly execute their project. All too often, we find clients being provided costly estimates or repair invoices that may not have been necessary to fix their problems, didn't or won't fix the problem or their project was poorly executed using sub standard technique or lesser quality materials unbeknownst to the client. Don't get caught in these traps, contact Evergreen Irrigation & Landscaping for your next outdoor project.

 

 

New Installation/Renovation Project Estimates

 

Consultations and estimates for your new irrigation, irrigation renovation, drainage, landscape or other outdoor projects are always free in an effort to earn your business.  An estimate, by definition, is an approximate estimation or judgement of the value, number, quantity or extent of the service requested.  We offer exact cost estimates for most of our projects and this is discussed with each client and detailed on the proposal. Most outdoor projects require an on site evaluation along with other information before an exact cost estimate can be provided. Other outdoor projects may be discussed over the phone or through email and a fairly accurate verbal or written estimate will be provided. We schedule a complimentary on site consultation based upon the service being requested by each client. The complimentary on site consultation may last up to one hour. The purpose of the consultation is to coordinate a meet and greet site visit to discuss your outdoor project as well as obtain the necessary information to provide an estimate for your requested services. 

 

 

Irrigation Repair Service Estimates

 

Free estimates for repair services are provided with the most accurate judgement possible based on what can be described by the client or visually inspected above ground without performing extensive labor or installing materials. In some cases, a service call fee will be requested for diagnostic services followed by an on site estimate for the coinciding repairs. This may be due to the location of the property, personnel availability during different times of the year or that time consuming troubleshooting service may be required to obtain an accurate diagnosis before the full extent of repairs can be determined. Once a diagnosis is complete, an estimate can be provided for the coinciding repairs. If your not sure if your repair estimate will be free, contact our office so we can discuss your situation in detail to determine if we can provide a free estimate on your behalf. 

 

Sometimes, one irrigation system component needs to be repaired or replaced before other irrigation components viability can be accurately determined. When an estimate may include such challenges, we inform our clients in an effort to ensure everyone is sharing the same information. We recommend that our clients be available during any diagnosis and repair service for this reason. We do understand that many of our clients lead busy lives, so we try our best to schedule to your availabilty or work with you by phone when necessary. Please understand that repairing one or a few components of your irrigation system does not guarantee your entire system will work to perfection, this is most applicable to older systems, complex systems or systems that have been neglected, "band aided" over time.  If we feel these factors are possibilties with an existing irrigation system, we discuss this with our clients in an effort to provide the best possible outcome and options available. These factors and understanding them in advance is why hiring a licensed, reliable and reputable irrigation contractor to make the proper assessment of your irrigation system is to your advantage.  Our goal is to provide you with repair options allowing you to choose which repairs are most important for your property based on your budget.

  

We include with any scheduled irrigation repair service a complimentary adjustment of the existing irrigation heads for proper spray pattern along with setting your irrigation controller for proper watering days and times as required by local code. We also consider your existing lawn and landscape requirements when setting each individual zones watering times. If your existing lawn sprinkler system has any gaps in coverage due to inadequate design, landscape deflection, malfunctioning or broken head components,  we will try to alleviate this problem as best as possible through the adjustment process. If this still leaves areas that will not receive adequate water, we will make our clients aware of any additional recommended repairs using the most cost effective solutions. 

 

 

 

Exceptional Service With Competitive Pricing

 

 

We estimate all our outdoor projects and services using industry standard pricing for labor and materials. We encourage our clients to obtain additional estimates and evaluate other companies not only for cost comparison and repair recommendations but integrity too. It never hurts to get a second or third opinion. Especially when contracting for complex or costly installation, renovation or repair services. We understand that our clients want the best service and materials available at the best price, so we offer competitive pricing for the services we perform. Make sure when you compare one estimate with another you are comparing apples to apples with like quantity and quality. If you are not clear on some of the differences that may create estimating differences then give us call and we would be happy to discuss this with each client.  

 

When you choose Evergreen Irrigation & Landscaping, a licensed irrigation and drainage contractor or certified landscape specialist is on site and has determined the extent of necessary materials or repairs for your outdoor project. If our licensed or certified contractor must leave your project during the course of work, he will return to perform a site check, evaluate our employees work as well as discuss and go over the project with you the client before requesting final payment. This is the specialty, hands on service we provide for our clients creating confidence in our relationships. We also guarantee our workmanship and warranty materials purchased and installed by us, against defects. We then outline these details on each written estimate, invoice and contract, not leaving our clients guessing as to what materials and services they have purchased and received. There are no commission based sales or repair technicians on our staff providing our clients with peace of mind when making these decisions for their property. Not only do we guarantee our work, we are always available for our clients with a positive, helpful attitude when they need us. We believe this is what sets Evergreen Irrigation and Landscaping apart from many other comparable providers. Contact us today for your free estimate and the difference you can hear, see and trust!