Posted by & filed under Lawn Care.

You finally decide to hire a Mississauga lawn care company after months of debating with your partner, and today is the day you get to come home from work to see your professionally manicured lawn. When you pull into the driveway you notice a scrape, about two inches thick, running the length of your driveway. As you get out to inspect the scrape, you notice most of the lawn is not mowed and there’s a hole straight through your viburnum bush suspiciously the size of a lawnmower.

After calling the company you learn that your lawn isn’t finished because one of their guys tripped on a divot in your lawn, breaking his ankle and losing control of the mower which rolled right through your viburnums; the scratch on the driveway is from their trailer pulling out as they rushed him to the ER.

Want to know the best part? They’re asking for the name of the homeowner’s insurance agent so they can file a claim to pay for his ER bill.

You might be thinking, ‘this would never happen to me,’ but these things can and do happen — if you choose a Mississauga grass cutting company without insurance. There’s more to hiring than just the price tag.

When a lawn care company is fully insured, it means they have insurance coverage to protect themselves and their workers from any accident that happens on the job. There are three different types of insurance coverage you should check for before hiring any potential Mississauga lawn care company, or contractor.

The first is workers compensation. This type of insurance coverage provides support to pay for the medical bills of workers, and provides wage replacement if they can’t go back to work right away. The second type is general liability. The name kind of gives this one away, but it specifically relates to protection against any property damage caused by the company. The third is called commercial auto insurance. This one will protect the company and the homeowner by covering damages caused by company vehicles.

If the company from the scenario above had all three types of coverage the homeowner would not be put into the stressful situation of involving their own insurance.

Hiring an insured company does more than protect your wallet. It also tells a lot about the owners of the company. An owner, who pays to be insured, is an owner who cares about their employees, and one who doesn’t cut corners to save money. It shows that they are willing to invest in their employees and their company because they plan on being around to serve you longer, and better.

This kind of service builds trusting relationships between everyone involved, and makes the company more productive because the employees feel protected at work.

When choosing a Mississauga lawn care or grass cutting service you should ask the following questions before hiring:

  1. Is the company licensed?
  2. Can they provide proof of their general liability insurance?
  3. Do they carry workers’ compensation insurance?
  4. Will they be hiring subcontractors for the work on your lawn?
  5. Do they have commercial auto insurance?

By asking these five questions you can save your self from the headache of unexpected costs, and actively promote the safety of employees on job sites.

You can also determine if a company is worth hiring by doing research online and reading reviews. When doing so, it is important to take any advice with a grain of salt because everyone has different expectations. While you might not mind if workers use your shaded porch to eat their lunch, others might find this disrespectful. That being said, when a company has the approval of the greater majority of customers it is probably safe to hire them. Sites that use star grading systems make it easier to have a better understanding of the majority opinion.

A lot of Mississauga lawn care companies operating today are on social media. If the company you’re considering has a strong social media presence it is incredibly easy to see the quality of work they do. So, look up contending companies on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to compare their work!

Social media is also a great way to understand the voice and priorities of any Mississauga lawn care company.  After reading a few posts you can ask yourself; do their social views a line with mine? Are they professional? Would I want to associate myself with their image? If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track.

If you’re still unsure, you can always take a look on the Better Business Bureau. Their site is a one-stop shop to find reviews, complaints and see their overall grading based on a set of criteria. Businesses are graded a letter from A+ to F along with the reasons for their grading, the grading criteria, and an overview. You can also request a quote from the Mississauga grass cutting company directly on the site.

Remember that no precaution is too cautious when it comes to hiring a Mississauga lawn care company. Do your research, and hire someone with insurance.

Posted in General by Demian Trudeau on August 30, 2016