Founded in 2008. The Landscape Juice Network (LJN) is the largest and fastest growing professional landscaping and horticultural association in the United Kingdom.
LJN's professional business forum is unrivalled and open to anyone within within the UK landscape industry
LJN's Business Objectives Group (BOG) is for any Pro serious about building their business.
For the researching visitor there's a wealth of landscaping ideas, garden design ideas, lawn advice tips and advice about garden maintenance.
Replies
What have you been asked to guarantee exactly?
A guarantee should be issued in advance of any work being carried out. You must carefully consider what exactly you're agreeing to insure against.
Well written and considered terms and conditions are essential for not only safeguarding the client but also as a safeguard against being held responsible for something that's not within your control.
Just one example: Let's say you've been asked to quote for the laying of a patio. You are told that this patio is for entertaining and it is assumed that the patio will only be exposed to foot traffic.
You agree to replace any slabs that crack or are damaged during use. You then find that your client has been using the patio to park a car on. Subsequently the paving is damaged and a claim is made against you because the patio is deemed unsuitable for use.
Clearly the patio has not been used for its intended use but there's still the issue of what you've agreed to guarantee. Soe simple wording within terms and conditions would indemnify against abuse.
Can you elaborate on what discussions you've had with your client?
The wording and being specific is exactly what I'm getting at.
The patio is Indian stone with epoxy resin jointing and for foot traffic only (you couldn't get a road vehicle on it perhaps mini digger due to the access I've put a low growing hedge around it)
but I am looking to specifically state what I'm guaranteeing.
That to me is the structure (movement) and workmanship but not if damaged accidentally or through misuse Or for fading / marking / staining of the stone.
If he only asked you after work commenced, and you've been paid for the job, I'd tell him to jog on.
Do a search on the internet for some examples.
Here's one provided by Brett: http://www.chichester-driveways-paving.co.uk/brett-guarantee-exampl...
(don't copy it though, just use the example to craft your own.) You may want to get a lawyer to have a look, just to be sure.
Always be very careful about what you agree to after an agreement has been made. Having said that, you should be working toward a high standard anyway so as long as you're achieving this, you should not need to worry about anything biting you at a later date.
I just want to get it written in a way that I can't get burned because they had a solid marble table delivered and they dropped it or something equally as bad.
Thanks I'll have a look at the link now
If you want to draft something out I'm happy to have a look. (Accepting no responsibility of course, lol;)