The short version: check the paperwork before the personality
Most people choosing a landscaper in Saltash start with a name from a neighbour, a Facebook post or a search, then ring and see how the conversation feels. That is a fine place to start. It is a poor place to stop. A pleasant call tells you the person is easy to talk to. It tells you nothing about whether the quote is fixed, whether the waste will be taken away legally, who will actually be in your garden or how much you will have paid before a single slab is down.
The eight checks below take about an hour in total, spread over a few days. Each one is something you can verify yourself, mostly from official sources. They apply to any firm you are considering for patios, paths, walls, decking, fencing or a new lawn, and they are the same checks whether the quote comes from a one-person business or a large company. Do them in order, because the early ones filter out most of the problems.
The eight checks
1. Get the quote in writing, as a fixed price
Citizens Advice separates two things people often treat as the same. A quote is a fixed price, so you know what you are getting and how much it will cost. An estimate is just a rough guess, so you might end up paying more. Ask for a quote, not an estimate, and do not rely on a verbal price. The same page lists what a good quote includes: a fixed total price rather than a daily rate, a breakdown of the work and materials, how long the price is valid, whether the price includes VAT, and when the price can go up, for example only if you agree to extra work.
2. See the breakdown, not just the total
A landscaping job has a dig, a base, a surface, edging, waste and a finish. A sound quote names them. When the quote is one line and one number, you cannot tell whether the dig is included, whether the old surface is removed or whether the waste is somebody else's problem. Ask for the breakdown. If the answer is vague, the job may be vague too.
3. Ask about insurance and see the document
Citizens Advice says to ask the trader for copies of their policies, to confirm they will not expire before the work finishes, and to check they have public liability insurance. This matters in a garden more than people expect. A cracked drain cover, a damaged neighbour's fence or a delivery lorry clipping a wall are all things that can go wrong on a landscaping job. Ask for the certificate rather than a promise. A firm that carries cover will usually be glad to show it.
4. Confirm the business is who it says it is
The first Citizens Advice page above also says to ring the business to confirm it exists and that the person works there, and to ask for two or three recent examples of similar work and contact those clients. If a firm says it belongs to a trade body or scheme, Citizens Advice's page on finding and checking a trader says to check the scheme's own website to make sure they are really a member. Note that membership of a scheme is optional for a trader, so absence of a badge proves nothing either way. What counts is that anything claimed can be checked.
5. Ask who is doing the waste, and check the carrier
Spoil, old paving and green waste have to go somewhere legal. Householders have a duty of care for their own waste. The government's waste duty of care code of practice says householders must take all reasonable measures to make sure their waste goes only to an authorised person, and that if you use a private business to take it away, you should check that it is an authorised carrier with a valid upper tier registration. That applies even to a business that offers to take your waste. A carrier's registration number should start with "CBDU", and in England you can check the Environment Agency's public register by number, business name or postcode.
In Cornwall, the same question applies to skips. Cornwall Council's page on skips on the highway says that if you have space, the skip must go within your property boundary, and that if you do not, the skip company has to apply for a licence to place it on the road. Cornwall Council says a licence application takes a minimum of two weeks to process, so ask early who is arranging the skip.
6. Find out who will actually do the work
Ask a simple question: who will be on site each day? Some jobs are done by the person who quoted. Others are passed to subcontractors, or the quoting person is on site only for the first day. Neither is automatically wrong. What matters is that you know, and that the person you are dealing with is accountable for the standard of the finished work. Ask whether any part is subcontracted, such as the groundwork, the paving or the electrical supply for lighting, and who you contact if something is not right.
7. Keep the payment stages sensible
Citizens Advice advises keeping any deposit as low as possible and not agreeing to more than 25%. Get a receipt for any deposit. A sensible landscaping schedule ties payments to stages you can see: materials delivered, groundwork complete, surface laid, final finish. Be cautious of any request to pay everything upfront.
8. Look at the work, not only the review count
Reviews are useful, but a count alone can mislead. A long list of five-star ratings might come from a different type of job entirely. A short list might belong to a newer profile. What you want to see is finished work of the type you are asking for, photographed properly, and a clear answer to the question "can I speak to someone you did a similar job for?" Look at the edges, the joints between slabs, how the paving meets the house and how the levels fall. Those details show care better than any rating.
Saltash details worth raising on the first call
Local conditions change how a job runs, and a firm that has thought about them will usually say so before you ask. Many gardens in and around Saltash slope, and many streets are narrow or lined with parked cars. Ask where the delivery lorry will stop, how materials will reach the garden and whether any part has to be carried by hand. Ask where the skip will go, because the council rule above means a skip on the road adds a licence and a wait. Ask what happens to the levels if the garden falls away: does the quote include steps, a retaining wall or extra edging?
It also helps to ask how long the job should take and what happens if the weather turns. Groundwork and paving do not go well in standing water, and a sensible schedule allows for that. A clear answer on timing, with a start date and a rough finish date written on the quote, is another sign of a firm that plans its jobs.
Verify it yourself in ten minutes
- Ring the number on the quote and confirm the business name and where it is based.
- Ask for the insurance certificate and read the dates.
- If a trade membership is claimed, check it on the scheme's own website.
- If a company is named on the quote, look it up in the public records, and if the quote is from a sole trader, ask for the full name of the business.
- Ask who is arranging the skip and the waste carrier, and check the carrier on the Environment Agency's public register.
- Read the quote for a fixed total, a breakdown, an expiry date and a VAT line.
Red flags that justify walking away
- A price given only as a day rate, with no cap and no fixed total.
- A request for most or all of the money before work starts.
- Pressure to decide today because materials are left over from another job.
- No written quote, or one that changes each time you ask.
- A refusal to show insurance, or to say who will be on site.
- Waste that is "sorted" with no mention of where it will go.
One red flag is a reason to ask a question. Two are a reason to ask for more time. Three are a reason to move on to the next quote.
What to send to get a fixed quote
A fixed quote is only as good as the facts behind it. Photos of the space from two or three angles, the rough size, what is there now, the surface you have in mind and where a skip could go will all help the person quoting give you a firm figure instead of an estimate. For local context, read about landscaping in Saltash, browse recent jobs to see the finish you like, or read more about the business. Then send photos and your town for a free quote. Call Dec on 07940 259799.
The eight-check scorecard
| Check | What good looks like | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Written fixed quote | A fixed total with an expiry date and a VAT line. | Only a verbal figure or a day rate. |
| 2. Breakdown | Dig, base, surface, edging, waste and finish named. | One line and one number. |
| 3. Insurance | A certificate you can read, in date. | A promise with no document. |
| 4. Identity | Business name, phone and base all check out. | Claims that cannot be verified. |
| 5. Waste | A named, registered carrier or a clear skip plan. | "Sorted" with no detail. |
| 6. Who is on site | A clear answer, including any subcontracting. | Vague or changing answers. |
| 7. Payment stages | A low deposit, then stages tied to visible work. | Most of the money upfront. |
| 8. The work | Finished jobs of the same type, with a past customer to ask. | Only stock images or ratings. |
Questions people ask
What should I check before hiring a landscaper in Saltash?
Check for a written fixed quote with a breakdown, insurance you can see, a business whose details can be verified, a legal plan for waste, clear answers on who will be on site, sensible payment stages and finished work of the same type.
Should I pay a deposit to a landscaper?
Citizens Advice advises keeping any deposit as low as possible and not agreeing to more than 25%. Always get a receipt, and tie later payments to stages you can see.
How do I check a waste carrier is registered?
In England, use the Environment Agency's public register of waste carriers by registration number, business name or postcode. The GOV.UK code of practice says a carrier's registration number should start with CBDU.
Do I need a licence to put a skip on the road in Saltash?
Cornwall Council says a skip should go inside your property boundary if you have space. If you do not, the skip company has to apply for a highway licence, and an application takes a minimum of two weeks to process.
Is a quote the same as an estimate?
No. A quote is a fixed price. An estimate is a rough guess, so you might end up paying more. Ask for a written quote.
Sources
- Before you get work done on your home (Citizens Advice) (checked 2026-11-05)
- Find a trader and check you can trust them (Citizens Advice) (checked 2026-11-05)
- Waste duty of care: code of practice (GOV.UK) (checked 2026-11-05)
- Placing a skip on the highway (Cornwall Council) (checked 2026-11-05)