How Landscapers Near Me Protect Properties During Driveway Installations in Middletown, RI

The landscaping around your new driveway is vulnerable to the construction process and crew. Flower beds, shrubs, lawns, and walkways can be damaged by heavy equipment and foot traffic. To minimize damage and let your landscape spring back quickly after a major renovation, here’s how landscapers near me protect properties during driveway installations in Middletown, RI.

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Protecting your property is an important detail that a reputable landscape contractor will take very, very seriously. Our standard property-protecting methods include:

1. A thorough pre-construction walk-through so we can identify fragile landscape elements and give the homeowner a chance to temporarily relocate them, move them, or otherwise protect them. This also helps set expectations. Some areas of the landscaping will inevitably be affected by the work to some degree, and it’s up to us to explain what could happen. We always clearly state in our contract what measures we will take to protect your property and how we will repair any damage we may cause to your softscape and hardscapes. 

2. Laying down a plywood “track” to minimize damage to your lawn if materials need to be carried from the truck to the driveway; and also to spread the weight of heavy equipment while driveway excavation, footings, and edging work is being done. This simple trick prevents the weight of equipment from compressing the soil, which can harm trees and grass near the driveway.

3. Protecting hardscapes with a durable protective covering such as plywood so that foot traffic, equipment, and even a single dropped driveway paver won’t damage your front entry or retaining walls.

4. Shrubs can be roped back or wrapped in landscape fabric to protect their limbs from breaking off. We can also remove smaller plants, and put them in shade, being careful to cover the roots and keep the plants moist during construction; and then carefully replant them once the driveway installation work is complete.

5.  If a tree is in close proximity to the driveway and its roots may eventually push the driveway surface up causing unsightly bulges or cracks, we may recommend its removal (or if possible, move it to another location in the landscape).

6. We make sure to stage equipment and materials where it will do the smallest amount of damage. If possible, we will park on the street; if that’s not possible, we’ll select a spot in your front yard that will be least affected by the construction work.

7. Before any work begins, we identify the location of all buried utilities so that none are impacted by the work.

Tip: Always be sure that everything you are concerned about is spelled out clearly in your contract: where the crews will park, where they will stage equipment and materials, exact measures for protecting your landscape and hardscapes, and what the company will do to repair or replace all damage caused during the construction process. Setting clear expectations and knowing who will be responsible for what, will “pave the way” (pun intended) for a successful driveway installation project.

We treat your property as if it were our own. Your landscaping is an important part of the personality of your home and we understand the emotional impact of even a single damaged plant! We take pride in our work and believe that your lasting impression of us - how we conducted ourselves during a project, the quality of our work, and the condition we left your property in - is even more important than your first impression!

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