HOA Landscape Management: 10 Keys to a Successful Landscaping Partnership
~6 mins
When you partner with a landscaping company for your HOA landscape maintenance, how do you know things will work out?
Like any relationship, it takes effort on both sides. But a few key strategies can make a big difference.
What makes a successful HOA landscaping partnership once you’ve hired a vendor? Great communication. Proactivity. A focus on safety. Innovative ideas for improvement. Easy access to account information.
Paul Wisniewski, Vice President of Operations at Level Green Landscaping, shares a few key points that help ensure a solid and successful relationship.
Let’s learn more about HOA landscaping partnerships, including:
1. Great HOA Landscaping Communication
This one is first on the list for a reason. It’s huge.
Good communication keeps residents informed, prevents costly mistakes, solves problems quickly and saves HOA boards money.
Wisniewski suggests focusing on property manager landscaping communication. Then the property manager can keep the HOA board and residents informed.
One example: “The property manager needs to communicate with the residents so they know exactly what we’re responsible for and what we’re not,” he says.
Imagine a hundred different residents calling the landscaping company account manager to ask if crews can prune their shrubs, when they’ll be mowing, or if new perennials will be installed.
“Every HOA community we serve is different and has different services in their contract,” Wisniewski says. “At some HOAs we do all the mowing. Some just have us mow the common areas. One HOA might have us mulch beds and do pruning on individual homes, another might not.”
You can see the potential for confusion.
At Hidden Bluff, an HOA community in Catonsville, MD, Level Green Landscaping Account Manager Tyler Kreft works with the HOA board to create a spreadsheet on each homeowner’s specific expectations.
“Everyone wants the ground ivy removed from beds,” Kreft says, “but one house might say ‘Prune all the laurels to under the window height but don’t touch my weeping Japanese maple.’
“There are lots of different requests,” Kreft says. “It’s a lot to manage, but the operations manager and the HOA board do a great job communicating with each other.”
Communication is a top priority for Kreft.
“I always make sure I reach out to them so they don’t have to reach out to me,” Kreft says. “I let everyone know when we’ll be there and what to expect.
“Proactively communicating with HOA boards helps tremendously,” Wisniewski says.
Some of the best HOA landscaping communication happens when Level Green account managers attend HOA board meetings.
“We go to as many HOA board meetings as possible to answer residents’ questions, explain what things we’re responsible for there, and make sure they know who to contact if they have questions,” Wisniewski says.
Here’s a great real-life example:
When Level Green first started working with Moorefield Green HOA, a sprawling community of more than 500 houses in Ashburn, Va., we noticed the property’s trees really needed elevating, which means pruning lower branches or thinning branches to let more sunlight through. The trees hadn’t been pruned correctly for a number of years.
But the HOA board and residents had some concerns. They had never heard of tree elevation. They worried the trees they loved would be overpruned.
So, their Level Green account manager attended two HOA b
oard meetings to explain the process, why the trees needed it, and the benefits to the community.
Everybody felt better. After the project was done, residents loved the results. The trimming improved the look and health of the trees, improved sight lines and really opened up the whole community.
That HOA landscaping communication was key.
2. Proactivity Is a Priority
Level Green account managers are always talking about proactivity and handling any issues before HOA property managers or residents are aware of them.
“We shoot a quick text to them when we see anything that needs attention,” says Level Green Account Manager Jesse Ware. “We always want to beat them to the punch.”
A successful HOA landscaping partnership is all about staying on top of things, account manager Tyler Kreft says.
“I like to be on site often and be proactive,” Kreft says, “making sure that I bring things to their attention before they see it. It's really about how we can protect their investment and improve upon what they currently have.”
3. Working Together on a Budget Plan
HOA budgeting can be a real headache. HOA-experienced Level Green account managers help boards plan personalized landscaping budgets that work.
Budget worksheets are a great tool for cost-effective community association landscape management. Level Green account managers prepare annual budget worksheets to help customers plan their commercial landscaping budgets.
They’re a helpful starting point. Then, budgets can be adjusted based on current needs and priorities.
One good example: an HOA might need tree work, which can be an expensive project.
Many HOA communities are aging, built in the 1980s or 1990s. That means their trees have matured and the canopies are much thicker and denser than they were years ago.
Dead or dying branches can tumble, causing significant damage and liability concerns. Routine tree pruning takes those dangerous branches out before they fall.
But what if you have 50 or 100 trees on your HOA property? Pruning them all can get costly. So Level Green account managers work with customers to create a manageable commercial tree pruning plan and budget.
Crews can tend to 20 trees a year over the next five years. That spreads the cost out and makes it easier for managing HOA landscaping services than waiting five years and pruning 100 trees at once.
Meanwhile you reduce the risk of a tree or heavy branch falling on a pedestrian or car, both insurance and liability issues.
4. Safety Concerns Are Addressed
Safety is important on any property, but HOA residents often have extra concerns.
Pedestrians are strolling the sidewalks. Kids are playing in driveways. Prospective buyers are checking out neighborhoods with an eagle eye.
As landscaping crews mow, trim, and maneuver trucks throughout your Washington DC, Maryland, or Virginia HOA community, are they being safe?
In a successful HOA landscaping partnership, you talk about it.
Level Green account managers can tell HOA clients about a host of safety measures crews take, from inspecting properties for any hazards before mowing to placing safety cones around their parked trucks as a reminder to thoroughly check the area before driving away.
5. Property Service Reports to Keep HOAs Informed
Level Green’s digital property service reports detail exactly what services were performed when on HOA properties.
Were flower beds weeded? Trees pruned? Mulch delivered? Irrigation checked?
It’s all outlined for the HOA property manager, in a snap. They include photos, too. Crews might point out a hole they discovered that should be filled in so nobody twists their ankle.
You’ll see a photo of your freshly mowed lawn or the newly installed flowers. HOAs have picture proof we were there. This kind of instant communication contributes to a successful HOA landscaping partnership.
6. Easy Access to Your Account
Level Green sets up online customer portals designed to connect an HOA property manager or board member with their Level Green account manager.
The portal collects all the information you need about your landscaping services in one place and gives you a bird’s eye view of what’s going on. Meanwhile, you know your account manager is looking at it too, and seeing any requests you make.
You can view your upcoming visits for the next 30 days. Look up details of past visits. See all your invoices. Request a specific service. Attach photos of your property to help explain what you’d like crews to do. Review any proposals that have been suggested and sign off on them right in your portal.
It’s a self-service hub, allowing you to do anything you’d otherwise do via a phone call, text or email, but on your own time, and with a tangible record of all your HOA landscaping communication.
7. Consideration for Residents
Nobody wants to be rattled awake by the sound of a mowing crew at 6 a.m.
So Level Green HOA landscape maintenance crews strategically plan their tasks, Wisniewski says.
Nice quiet weeding can be done early, saving the noisier equipment work for after everybody’s had their coffee.
Sure, our crews are there to mow and prune, install seasonal flowers, and blow away debris.
But they’re also nice. This should be part of HOA landscaping best practices.
“Consideration is extremely important,” Wisniewski says. “Our crews watch out for people walking so they can stop noisy equipment while they pass.”
8. Proactive Ideas for Improvements
When an HOA and its landscaping company work together to make the community even better, everybody wins.
In today’s competitive market, HOAs need perks that will attract new buyers.
It might be a dog park, or a landscaped exercise trail that doubles as a nature escape. A flickering fire pit with seating and festive string lights creates an instant community hot spot.
HOA landscaping companies should be full of innovative ideas, and board members and residents should bring ideas to the mix, too.
9. Technology to Make Your Job Easier
HOA property managers are busy. HOA communities are often massive. Technology can help.
Level Green uses innovative mapping software that generates handy quality audits our team members will send directly to property managers.
If we see an issue anywhere on your HOA property, we can drop a pin on a GPS map of exactly where it is and send it you with a note so you can see where it is, along with the plan to address it. You don’t have to walk out there to see it, or even leave your office.
10. Innovative Ideas to Save Money
Everybody appreciates saving money, including HOA boards.
Level Green account managers propose lots of cost-saving ideas to their HOA clients, from using growth regulators on shrubs to reduce the need for pruning to opting for a multi-year landscape maintenance or snow removal contract to lock in prices and avoid annual increases.
Account manager Jesse Ware tells how he suggested a simple strategy for maximizing efficiency in seasonal color flowers to help a HOA customer get bigger impact for less money.
He pointed out that while zinnias are planted eight inches apart, lantana are spaced 12 inches apart. So you need fewer lantana to fill the same space.
It’s a simple idea but it shows he understands their budget concerns and offers ways to save.
Expect a Great HOA Landscaping Partnership with Level Green
When you’re considering partnering with a commercial landscaping company in Maryland, DC or Virginia, ask them what their strategies are for a successful HOA landscaping partnership.
They should have a whole list.
If you’re not already a Level Green Landscaping client, we’d love to add you to our growing list of happy customers. Our focus is on commercial properties like offices, mixed-use sites, HOAs, municipalities and institutions in Maryland, Washington DC and parts of Virginia.
Contact us at 202-544-0968. You can also request a free consultation online to meet with us one-on-one.
We’d love to hear from you.
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Douglass Delano
Doug Delano (and Bill Hardy) opened Level Green Landscaping LLC in 2002 to offer Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia reliable commercial landscape maintenance services.