What to ask a commercial landscaper before you sign: insurance, scope, Colorado's SB24-005 turf rule, and Broomfield's turf replacement rebate.
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Property managers in Broomfield, CO often inherit a landscape contract they did not write. Whether you are renewing a vendor or hiring one for the first time, the questions below will tell you more than the price line does. Green Landscape Solutions has served Boulder County since 2002, with more than 1,000 completed projects, and these are the points we would want a manager to settle first. This post does not repeat our earlier piece on the ROI of commercial maintenance. It focuses on what to ask before you sign.
Start with five checks: what the company insures, how it trains crews, whether staff hold pesticide licenses, which associations it belongs to, and whether it has worked on properties like yours. NALP's guide to choosing a commercial landscape contractor recommends these checks before you request bids.
NALP advises owners to know what they want before they ask for bids, because needs differ by property type. A medical office, a retail center, and a business park all use their grounds differently. Write down who walks the property, where snow and water collect, and which areas must look sharp year-round.
NALP suggests asking directly: "Do you have insurance to protect both your employees and your client?" It also suggests asking whether the firm provides ongoing safety training. Request a certificate of insurance and read it. A verbal yes is not coverage.
NALP recommends asking other building owners and managers for recommendations, and looking for firms that have handled large projects for businesses like yours. Call the references. Ask what happened when something went wrong, not only whether the grounds looked good.
A low bid can mean the contractor does not understand the scope or lacks experience. NALP cautions owners against simply taking the lowest price. Compare bids line by line, and ask each bidder to explain what is and is not included in the visit schedule.
Two bids with very different totals may cover different work. One may include spring cleanup and fall mulch. The other may not. Put every bid on the same scope sheet before you compare totals.
NALP also tells owners to understand what maintenance after installation involves. That matters on any property that has had new plantings or irrigation work.
Yes, for new development and redevelopment. According to a 2025 Western Resource Advocates guide, SB24-005 requires communities to prohibit nonfunctional turf, nonfunctional artificial turf, and invasive plants on commercial, institutional, and industrial properties, and on HOA common areas. The guide gives January 1, 2026 as the implementation date.
The same guide says a redevelopment project is covered when it disturbs more than 50 percent of the total landscape area, and that only the disturbed portion must comply. It also says functional turf, such as turf in a recreational or regularly used community space, is treated differently. The guide is a template for communities, not the bill itself, so confirm how Broomfield applies the rule to your project before you design around it.
If your property is changing hands, being renovated, or having beds and turf removed, ask every bidder how they handle the state rule. A contractor who has not heard of it is a red flag. A design and construction team that also maintains the site can plan plantings that stay within the rule.
Yes. The City and County of Broomfield runs a Large Property Turf Replacement Rebate Program for converting high-water, cool-season turf, such as Kentucky bluegrass, into native and waterwise landscapes. Businesses, HOAs, multi-family complexes, schools, and other commercial, industrial, or institutional water customers are eligible.
The city's page lists conditions you should read before you commit:
The city page gives two different per-square-foot amounts in different places, so we are not quoting a figure here. Contact Broomfield's conservation staff for the current amount and the program year's dates. Broomfield also reports an average of 14.3 inches of precipitation per year, and only 11.4 inches from April to October between 2017 and 2022, which is why the city encourages waterwise landscapes.
A solid contract names the scope of work, the visit schedule, the insurance carried, and who is responsible for each area. NALP's guidance does not list specific contract terms, so use these as a starting checklist and have your own counsel review the final document.
We handle commercial work as one accountable team that designs, builds, and maintains. Our commercial landscaping and landscape maintenance services are open to property managers, owners, and HOAs. We are members of ASLA, ALCC, NALP, and the BBB, and we hold a 4.8 rating on Houzz. We do not claim to have a project in every Broomfield business park, and we will tell you plainly if a property needs a different approach.
NALP does not set a number. Three comparable bids on the same scope sheet is a practical starting point, since it shows where one bid is missing a line item.
Read your contract's termination terms first. NALP also notes that good landscapes take time, so give a new company room to perform before judging results.
The WRA guide describes the rule as applying to new development and redevelopment, not existing landscapes. Check with the City and County of Broomfield about your specific project.
Broomfield's rebate program is open to eligible non-residential water customers. Apply and receive approval before construction begins, and confirm the current amount and deadlines with the city.
We serve Broomfield and nearby communities, including Broomfield, Louisville, Superior, Erie, and Lafayette. See all of our service areas, or read about our commercial landscaping services.
Bring us your current contract or bids and we will walk the grounds with you. Call (720) 468-0987 or Tell Us About Your Property.
NALP does not set a number. Three comparable bids on the same scope sheet is a practical starting point, since it shows where one bid is missing a line item.
Read your contract's termination terms first. NALP also notes that good landscapes take time, so give a new company room to perform before judging results.
A 2025 Western Resource Advocates guide describes the rule as applying to new development and redevelopment, not existing landscapes. Check with the City and County of Broomfield about your specific project.
Broomfield's Large Property Turf Replacement Rebate Program is open to eligible non-residential water customers. Get approval before construction begins, and confirm the current amount and deadlines with the city.
