How to Know When to Hire a Landscape Professional

Every landscape improvement has the potential to be a rewarding project you can do yourself, but sometimes it is better to just hire a professional to do the job. Here are some objectives to remember when deciding whether you need a professional to do the work for you.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Protect the health and safety of your family and guests. If your attempt to do it yourself fails, will anyone be harmed? A botched vegetable garden is not a threat to anyone, but a poorly designed or built deck could collapse.

2. Obey all local codes. If you are not familiar with these, consult someone who is. Many projects require a building permit. The local building department can review your plans and let you know whether you need them to be professionally prepared.

3. Stay on your own land. Do you know where your property lines are? If you want to build a permanent structure near your property edge but can't locate your property line markers, a survey might be worth the cost.

4. Be realistic about your time. Will the project take more time than you want or are able to devote to it?

5. Be realistic about your talents. Do you care more about the experience of doing the project than the results?

6. Protect the value of your property. Will your property be altered in a way that it would be costly to reverse if the project doesn't work out? (See "Avoid Major Errors in Taste in Your Landscape Improvements," under Related eHows.)