The Essential Guide to Hiring a Landscape Lighting Professional.

Are you building or remodeling your home? Are you looking to revamp your peaceful escape, but not quite sure where to begin the process of adding landscape lighting? If you want the job done right, but have no experience with hiring landscape lighting designers or lighting contactors, how are you supposed to choose the best company for the job? Below are the best steps to take to hire a landscape lighting professional for your next project.

Start by asking friends, family members, and co-workers for recommendations. Word of mouth referrals are great because you get to talk to people who have had first-hand experience with the company you might be working with in the future. Typically, the people closest to you can give an un-biased opinion and can either refer you to someone they had a great experience with, or save you from working with a company they didn't particularly enjoy. 

After narrowing your search, the next step is to dig a little deeper and start researching the companies you've found. Look at their Google reviews, Yelp, ANGI, or Houzz. Check our their websites to gather more information including the work they have previously done and blogs containing useful questions you may have. Maintaining a strong social media presence these days is key. See if the company you're looking into has recently posted, or see if they have been M.I.A. for too long.

Once you've completed the steps above, schedule in-person consultations with with remaining companies on your list. It can be useful to have questions prepared ahead of time outlining your needs and wants for your landscape lighting project. Here are some general questions you may want to ask:

• How long has your company been in business?
• Do you warranty your work? What does your warranty cover and for how long? Make a note of their answers to compare each of the companies you'll be interviewing
• What are our payment options?
• Do you have a list of addresses where we could drive by and see your work? You want this answer to be "Yes". Be sure to drive by the properties after dark.