Every season we build many different types of landscape projects. It can be a small paver patio or a 150′ long retaining wall. It can be a complete design build for an entire back yard project or a simple planting project. This year we feel that landscape renovations will be the big hit. Defining planter beds, adding some plants, curb appeal and patios for out door rooms will most likely be the top concerns our clients want.

Innovative ideas in landscape construction are desired by our clients. Sometimes it is hard to keep up with fresh new ideas as a landscape contractor. It takes work on our part to stay fresh and keep new looks coming to our over worked minds. Since we are landscape contractors, our forte is not necessarily making sure you are getting a lot of innovative ideas for your landscaping, but landscape designers do. We do however, make sure that all of our clients get landscape designers or architects that we trust and work with. Our feeling at woodyscustomlandscaping.com is that we can select a designer or architect that suits our clients wants and personality. Let’s face it, not everybody gets along with everyone. So we try to hand pick a designer to your particular situation and project type.
Not every landscape estimate calls out for a landscape designer, but we feel that designers offer fresh ideas for our clients.

Serving the Vancouver WA area for over twenty years with exceptional landscaping services.

When getting landscape estimates and landscaping quotes, make sure the landscape contractor is licensed, bonded and insured and can offer the services you are requesting.
Note if the contractor shows up promptly and on time.
Be sure the estimator and you communicate and both understand the scope of the work.
The landscape contractor should be listening to you. You are the boss.
Don’t get more than three reliable and qualified estimates. Confusion follows shortly after more than three landscape estimates are received. It’s very hard to keep the estimates apples to apples.

Make sure the landscape bids are for the same items and sizes. It is very important that every one is bidding on the same work. It can get confusing. This makes the argument for hiring a landscape designer first, thus lessening confusion. Landscape designers implement a working design for you in which everyone bidding is bidding the same items.
If the price seems to good to be true, your probably right.
The lowest price might be done right, but ask yourself the question why was every one else higher in price. I’m sure there’s a good reason.
Check references. Make sure they are licensed, bonded and insured.
www.woodyscustomlandscaping.com has been building and installing affordable landscaping for over twenty years in the Ridgefield Washington area. Our references are fantastic and our services are hard to match.

If you are someone who is contemplating hiring a landscape contractor for your landscaping needs? Make sure that the potential contractor can supply or give answers to the following questions before you let them give you any landscape bids.

1. Do they have a current contractors license

2. Have current liability insurance

3. Have workers compensation for their employees

4. Have plenty of references

5. Have staff that are certified ie: CLT, ICPI, NCMA CLP etc.

6. Has the contractor won any awards. Like what and for what.

Once you call for an estimate, and have one given.

1. Check website again for information about contractor

2. Did the contractor come on time? Did he or she present themselves well? Did the contractor listen to your needs? What was your first impression?

3. Make sure you check references.

4. Make sure you get an itemized bid. It should tell you how much material, sizes of plants, etc. Don’t accept generalities on your estimate sheet.

5. Make sure you know what you are getting and know the payment plan. Don’t pay the contractor in full until the job is finished to your satisfaction.

Submitted by WALP SW Chapter Member
James C. Woodhead
Woody’s Custom Landscaping, Inc.
Woody’s Custom Landscaping, Inc. has been serving the Vancouver Washington and Portland Oregon area over twenty years with landscape industry certified staff and award winning projects.

Here is a project that is now finished that gives a look at just about every segment of landscaping.

It included a small water feature, seat wall, fire pit, interlocking concrete paver patio, outdoor kitchen, pergolas, drip irrigation and of course the planting.
I think it shows what every thing in a large job can look like. It also shows well individual items that may be something our clients want to install as separate projects.

We have served the Camas area for over twenty years with extensive knowledge in landscape construction and are known as a company that knows what service is as a landscape contractor. We endeavor to make the landscape process from the initial bid, to design and finally implementation of the project itself, as enjoyable as we possibly can.

Feel free to check our references at woodyscustomlandscaping
Serving the Vancouver Portland area with quality and care.

In the last 5-6 years outdoor rooms and the phrase outdoor living has hit a all time high in the landscaping industry. Almost every client wants to be able to go into their backyard and enjoy their outdoor environment with some hardscaping. For some it’s just a matter of a larger patio with some turf. I call turf, “soft patios”. For others, a large outdoor living area, is on the agenda. These outdoor rooms offer such options as a BBQ, large patio space, covered areas, seating areas, fire pit, water features and of course planting.

In the photo below is a project that has a small water feature, natural gas fire pit and a large interlocking concrete paver patio.

The next photograph includes the outdoor kitchen we installed.

The next photograph shows the outdoor kitchen again, but with two covered pergolas we constructed.

This next photograph gives a good view of the entire upper outdoor living area that we built.

The landscape designer for this project was Outman’s Landscape Design, based in Vancouver Washington. We were thrilled to be able to work as a design build team with Troy Outman.
For quality landscape construction choose Woody’s as your landscape contractor.

Getting a landscape bid should be easy. It really should just be a e mail or telephone call away. It’s when you get the bids that the work really starts for the home owner.
You should ask yourself questions like: Was I comfortable with the contractor or representative? Did they come on time to the estimate? Did the landscape contractor listen to your needs and follow your budget considerations? Is the contractor licensed, bonded and insured? Did you check their landscaping references? What are the credentials of the landscape company? How did the prices compare with other landscapers? If you had any question on the landscape estimate, did you get them answered? Does the landscape contractor have employees that are certified in the type of work you are proposing to install. Has the landscaper won any awards for their work?
As you can probably see, getting landscape estimates are pretty easy. Finding the landscaper to install your project takes a little time and effort. Asking most of the questions above will help the process of finding a qualified landscaper to install your landscape.
If your looking for a landscape bid on your project, go to our web site woodyscustomlandscaping.com I think you will like what your see.

I got to say very clearly that I love landscaping and the business of being a landscape contractor in Vancouver and Portland. Landscaping is one of the few jobs where you must be a jack of all trades. We must of course understand horticulture and it’s practices. As a custom landscaper, being proficient in carpentry, masonry, plumbing, lighting, water features, design and business practices are all just a small portion of the wonderful industry of landscaping. We must be able to figure what our clients want and deliver the product at a price both the client and the landscaper can agree to. In the end we must make a profit. In the marketing end of things, attracting potential clients to your firm can be quite a challenge in these hard financial times, but the challenge is just another part of what I find stimulating and quite rewarding. What other trade can you work mentally and physically every day and still at the end of the day see just what got accomplished. So many people don’t see the actual accomplishments they go to work for every day and landscaping is not like that at all. To top it all off, each and every job has a degree of artistry involved. For example in the last 20 years of landscaping in our company, we have received over 17 awards for different residential landscaping and numerous trade show awards. I love being a landscape contractor in the Vancouver Portland area and really just want to say thank you for all of our past clients we have had. It has been a pleasure that goes on from day to day.
Woody’s Custom Landscaping, Inc. has been serving the Vancouver Portland area for over twenty years as a landscape contractor with friendly, certified and professional service.
woodyscustomlandscaping.com

Thought I would share some of the projects we have finished since October in Vancouver Washington. The first project was a design build in which we installed a complete outdoor environment, complete with a huge paver patio, seat wall, natural gas fire pit, water feature, and covered pergolas. We also installed drainage, planting, drip irrigation and some decomposed granite walkways. to top it all of a outdoor kitchen area was constructed. www.woodyscustomlandscaping.com

Our other project was more of a formal garden in the front yard and back yard in Vancouver. In the back yard we constructed a interlocking concrete paver patio with new irrigation, planting,led lighting etc. The side yard got a new flagstone stairway, flagstone pathway, planting, irrigation and led lighting. The front yard was more of the same. www.woodyscustomlandscaping.com

Serving the Vancouver Washington area with professionalism that you want from a landscape contractor.

When choosing a landscape contractor in the Vancouver Washington area, you might ask yourself a few questions as a home owner. Is the contractor licensed in Washington or your state as a landscaping company? Do they have liability insurance? How about Workers Compensation. Do you care if they hire illegal aliens? Those are the first questions you should find the answers to.
Next you must check all references they give you. When you check the references, ask these questions. Would they hire the contractor back? Were they on time every day? Did they install a quality job. Did they do the work themselves or sub contract portions out to third party contractors. Did they keep the project in budget? Were they courteous and polite? Did they clean up every day. Did they finish the job in a timely manner? These are all questions that should be asked before starting any contract work. You should be happy and satisfied with the answers.

At Woody’s Custom Landscaping, Inc. we invite any one of our potential clients to check our list of references. Go to our website at www.woodyscustomlandscaping.com and see the many references that our clients have filled out. We have won over 17 state awards for our residential construction and are proud of our achievements.
Most of all our employees are certified ICPI for paver installations. The same is true for retaining walls, in which they are certified NCMA. We also have 2 employees who are landscape industry certified through PLANET.
For quality hardscape and softscape professionals contact Woody’s Custom Landscaping, Inc. We have served your area for over 20 years with quality driven service.

“All the leaves are brown
And the sky is grey
I went for a walk
On a winter’s day
I’d be safe and warm
If I was in L.A.
California dreamin’
On such a winter’s day.”
-  Mammas and Pappas, California Dreamin

OK, so we are not in L.A. or anywhere where it is temperate and dry. Lucky for us in the Pacific Northwest all we really have to concern ourselves about is the constant rain. I’ve grown used to it after 21 years. As my father says, ” That’s why they call Washingtonians “Moss backs”.” As a contractor we must keep slugging away at our work. Thankfully, we have work and are able to still install most of our landscaping jobs. The wetness can get you a little tired of slugging through the mud though.

As I was saying, the rain does make a lot of mud and makes cleaning up after ourselves a difficult task at best. As for real fun, try wheelbarrowing a full wheel barrow of gravel through a 6-10″ layer of mud. Even worse getting our equipment stuck is a reality almost every day, especially on new construction.

However, when it is all said and done, we make sure our clients get a picture perfect landscape installation every time. It does take some extra effort, but that is what you do in the winter as a landscape contractor

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Serving the Portland and Vancouver area with distinctive certified and award winning service. www.woodyscustomlandscaping.com

A large pond done in winter two years ago. The first picture is obviously the before shot. The second picture is the after. The months of construction were December, January, February, March. It can and does get done.

Woody’s TOP recommendations for professional, honest contractors, in Southwest Washington/Clark County  www.hsnwa.com