Get Quotes from Top Landscapers in Los Angeles, CA

Are You Licensed to Practice as a Landscaper in Los Angeles?

The California Contractors State Licensing Board (CSLB) is the regulatory authority for landscapers in Los Angeles. Per this agency's requirements, any Landscaper in the city who wishes to perform work for which the combined labor, materials, and other related costs are $500 or more must possess a C-27 - Landscaping Contractor License before doing so. Violating this licensing requirement is considered a misdemeanor offense. First offenders can receive a statutory punishment of up to $5,000 in fines, six months in jail, or a combination of both, and an administrative fine of $200 - $15,000. Note that these statutory and administrative penalties increase with subsequent offenses.

Interested parties that wish to obtain a C-27 - Landscaping Contractor License from the CSLB must meet certain eligibility requirements, which include the following:

• They must have reached the age of 18
• They must have attained at least four years of landscaping work experience at no lower than the journeyman level within 10 years of the date the license request is being made. Note that the submission of acceptable documentation to verify this work experience is usually required.
• They must correctly complete and submit an Application for Original Contractor License form, along with any stipulated fees and additional documentation that the CLSB may require at the time of the application.
• They must sit for and pass a CSLB-administered licensing examination. It should be noted that the CSLB runs a reciprocity program that allows applicants from some regions of the United States to waive the trade portion of its licensing examination. However, whether or not this waiver is granted depends entirely on the CSLB.

Applicants who meet the CSLB's eligibility requirements will be issued the requested contractor license, which must be renewed every two years. You can contact the CSLB at (800) 321-2752 for more information on its landscaper licensing process. It is also a good idea to confirm the licensing status of any landscaper you intend to hire in Los Angeles. This can be done by calling the CSLB via the phone number mentioned earlier or utilizing this agency's online license check portal.

How Much Do You Charge Compared to Other Landscapers in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles's landscapers typically utilize an hourly or square footage fee billing structure when charging for their services. As such, you should always get confirmation from any landscaper you intend to hire. It is also a good idea to get estimates from multiple contractors when looking to hire a landscaper in the city. This is because landscaping fees are generally influenced by factors like the specific type of landscaping work to be done and the labor intensity of this work. By getting multiple estimates, you can compare prices and come up with an average cost for your project.

A landscaper in Los Angeles earns an average wage of $39,590 annually. The table below provides a cost comparison of the average hourly wages of landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Los Angeles against those of this category of individuals across the rest of California and other major American cities:

Do You Comply with the Los Angeles Landscape Ordinance?

Making sure that your landscaper is conversant with the regulations and guidelines of the Los Angeles Landscape Ordinance is an essential step to take in ensuring a satisfactory outcome for your landscaping project. This ordinance contains stipulations and provisions that aim to bring order and certainty to the city's development process by doing the following:

• Improving the city's physical, social, economic, and aesthetic environment by ensuring the proper design and construction of landscaping related to all land use
• Ensuring that all landscaping work done in the city complies with relevant local and state-level mandates
• Providing necessary regulation to ensure the safety of members of the public as regards their interactions with landscapes across the city while also allowing for design flexibility in these landscapes

Confirming that your intended landscape contractor is familiar with and works per the requirements of the city's landscape ordinance ensures that your landscape project does not violate any of this ordinance's provisions. This, in turn, saves you from the penalties associated with ordinance violations and the financial, legal, and physical stress that typically comes with these penalties. You can get more information on the Los Angeles Landscape Ordinance and how this ordinance may specifically influence your landscaping project by contacting the Los Angeles City Planning Department at (213) 978-1271. Queries on this subject may also be directed to the city's Department of Building and Safety at (213) 482-0061.

Will You Get the Landscaping Permit Required as per the Los Angeles Code?

Landscaping-specific permits are generally not required for residential landscaping in Los Angeles. However, the city's Landscape Ordinance stipulates that building, grading, and use of land permits for construction and home improvement projects cannot be obtained unless the projects in question have been approved by the Los Angeles City Planning Department.

The first step of this approval process typically involves researching and identifying the necessary zoning regulations that may apply to the project through the city's ZIMAS mapping tool. The next step is consulting with City Planning Department staff to determine the necessary landscape plan requirements. The specific documents that will be required primarily depend on the nature and scope of the project. After this has been done, the necessary documents are to be submitted to the Los Angeles City Planning Department for review at any of the following locations:

Once the submitted documents have been reviewed and approved, applicants are issued the necessary clearances for the project. They can then obtain the relevant building, grading, or use of land permits from the city's Department of Building and Safety (LADBS).

An advantage of hiring duly licensed landscapers is that these professionals are typically conversant with the permit requirements for landscaping projects in the city. Nonetheless, it is also a good idea to determine your specific project's requirements before commencing it. You can do this by contacting any of the Los Angeles City Planning Department locations mentioned above or by contacting its executive office at:

Information on permit requirements for landscaping-related projects can also be obtained by contacting the LADBS at (213) 473-3231.

What Kind of Landscaping Services Do You Offer?

Professional landscapers provide various services to interested parties in Los Angeles. These services include residential and commercial landscaping services, landscape installation, landscape maintenance, landscape design, and more specialized services like hardscaping, softscaping, and xeriscaping. These services typically require varying levels of experience and knowledge of subjects like horticulture and arboriculture.

As such, it is important to ensure that your preferred landscape contractor is the right fit for the job by asking them to confirm their areas of specialization. It is also advisable to go a step further by requesting pictures of landscape projects similar to yours that the contractor has recently completed. Professional landscapers will willingly provide this information, and you should be wary of any contractor who is hesitant to do so. Once this has been done, you should also request a cost estimate for your intended project. Listed below are cost estimates for common landscaping services available to residents of Los Angeles:

What are the Best Types of Grass for Lawns in Los Angeles?

According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Los Angeles is categorized as having a Mediterranean climate characterized by pronounced seasonal changes in rainfall. Unfortunately, this climate type has led to severe droughts over time and subsequent state and local water conservation laws to combat the water shortage that typically accompanies these droughts. This includes California Civil Code Section 4735, which grants Los Angeles homeowners the right to use artificial turf or synthetic grasses on their lawns and prohibits any local authorities in the area from preventing them from doing so. Nonetheless, there are several options for homeowners in the city who prefer the natural and realistic feel of real grass and wish to install these natural grasses on their lawns.

Given the high temperatures and frequent dry periods commonly experienced in the city, the best types of natural grass for Los Angeles lawns are shade- and drought-tolerant grass. Examples of these types of grasses include:

• Buffalo grass
• Sand dune sedge
• Native California bentgrass
• Bermuda grass
• Zoysia grass
• St. Augustine grass
• Bahiagrass

It is always a good idea to consult with a landscaper before planting any of these grasses on your lawn to ensure optimal results. You can find qualified landscapers in Los Angeles via the CSLB's Find My Licensed Contractor portal and other reputable online organizations, like the Better Business Bureau and the National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Landscapers in Los Angeles?

Landscapers typically face a wide variety of on-the-job hazards, such as cuts and amputations, chemical exposure, slips, trips, falls, and equipment accidents. Landscape-related accidents are estimated to account for at least 100 deaths and 143,000 severe injuries yearly. To this end, all licensed landscapers in Los Angeles are statutorily required to post a surety bond of $15,000 and carry workers' compensation insurance if they have at least one employee.

In addition to these compulsory bonding and insurance requirements, it is also advisable to ensure that any landscaper you employ has a valid liability insurance plan. This insurance provides financial insulation if any detrimental on-the-job events occur during your landscaping project. Always confirm that your intended landscape contractor is duly bonded and insured before concluding any hiring arrangements with them. You can do this by requesting copies of their bonding and insurance certificates and contacting the issuing organizations to authenticate the provided documents.

You can also contact the CSLB at (800) 321-2752 for additional information on the statutory bonding and insurance requirements for landscapers in Los Angeles.