Yes, we are fully licensed and insured. Virginia law requires contractors to carry workers compensation insurance.
• VA Contractor License #2705166635
• Backflow Prevention Device Worker #2717057311
• Pesticide Business License #11861
• Commercial Pesticide Applicator 121605-C
• Virginia Department of Agriculture Certified Fertilizer Applicator CFA-13382-2306
When it comes to working on your home, there’s always the cost of the work, and then there’s the additional cost if things go wrong. Working with a licensed and insured contractor ensures as the property owner, you are protected in case of mishaps.
A contractor cannot obtain a State Contractors License without first possessing a minimum amount of experience, must pass a business management test, is subject to a criminal history background check, and must not have any unresolved contracting complaints outstanding. In addition, Virginia law requires contractor carry Workers Compensation Insurance for all employees so that if a worker is injured on your property, you are not legally liable for covering the cost of said injuries and rehabilitation. This last piece is crucial since your homeowner’s insurance likely will not cover those costs. You can verify all contractor licenses through DPOR’s website here: http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/LicenseLookup/
All our employees are well-trained and supervised. We vet all our employees to ensure they will uphold our standards of integrity and quality work. If there’s ever any issue, we encourage you to contact Jason or Dawne in our office and talk with us directly for any concerns you have.
We do not recommend blowing out your irrigation system with your air compressor because most residential air compressors do not provide the volume of air needed to properly blow out all the water from the lines. We use a 185cfm pull behind air compressor to blow out your irrigation system and ensure all the water has been removed from the lines for proper winterization.
We call the utility hotline (Miss Utility 811) prior to installing all irrigation systems so not to interfere with any underground utilities. It is important to note however that homeowners are required to mark any private underground lines installation (e.g. gas, electric, landscape lighting, invisible fencing, or drain tiles) before we begin. We will not be responsible for damage to any unmarked private lines if they were not correctly marked.
An annual backflow test is required to ensure that no unwanted substances are flowing back into your drinking water. This must be done by a licensed “backflow prevention device worker,” who has been specially trained and has successfully completed an examination that tests his or her competency in the subject of cross connection control and backflow prevention. After the test has been completed, we will send in the report to the utilities office of the county you reside in.
A companion meter is able to be installed for irrigation systems in Chesterfield County. The usage through this meter is only charged water and no sewage which is approximately a 60% savings over running the irrigation through your house meter.
A typical system is comprised of a controller (which functions as the brains of the system), valves (which open and close to release and stop the flow of water to underground pipes) and sprinklers (which distribute water to specific areas). The sprinkler system can be customized further with rain shut off devices, soil moisture sensors and drip irrigation zones
We connect the backflow device if it was removed for storage in the winter, pressurize the system and check for any leaks. Next, we run each zone and check heads for damage or leaks and adjust for proper coverage, Finally, we complete the state required backflow test.
We recommend watering 3-4 times per week, usually 10-15 minutes per spray zone (30-40 minutes for rotary zones).
The best time is very early in the morning – you should begin watering around 3:00-4:00AM. By doing this, you ensure the grass has time to completely dry before the evening dew starts since this propagates fungus and other lawn diseases.
The installation of an automatic rain sensor will ensure that after rainfall has accumulated, the system will temporarily stop the automatic watering cycle, preventing overwatering.
Absolutely! All labor is guaranteed for one year. All materials we use come with the manufacturer’s warranty.
For more details on irrigation systems, including how they work and what is required, please visit Chesterfield Counties Utilities website page here: http://www.chesterfield.gov/Utilities.aspx?id=11342
An average 20 light system might cost only $12 to $15 per month. If the system utilizes our latest LED fixtures that are low-voltage, the cost drops about 75% to just $3 or $4 per month! The best systems turn out to also be the most efficient and eco-friendly.
Fixtures which operate at 30 volts of energy or less are considered low voltage. By using a transformer, integral or remote, line voltage (120V) is converted to 12 volts. Our lighting systems are both energy and cost efficient. In addition, the custom installation process is minimally invasive to the property; everything is done by hand, so no deep trenching is involved.
There are numerous advantages for using a low voltage system. It’s less disruptive to existing landscapes and low voltage cannot shock you (whereas line voltage can be dangerous if connections get old or frayed). Interestingly, low voltage lamps provide more lumens of light per watt used – we illuminate walkways with just a 10- or 20-watt lamp and large trees with 35, 50, or 75-watt lamps. Finally, low voltage systems can be moved or changed much more easily than line voltage systems.
We offer a photo cell or a timer. A timer allows you to set the lights to turn on and off during the specific times you want. A photo cell offers the sun up/sun down option which uses a sensor to measure natural light and switch on/off the lights accordingly.
Cutting the grass at a taller height during warmer temperatures avoids stressing the grass and causing it to turn brown. The roots of your grass are only as deep as your grass is tall so to keep a green healthy lawn it must be cut taller.
During spring or wet seasons, when the grass is growing faster, the grass needs to be kept at the same height. We will mow your lawn weekly to avoid cutting twice or cutting more than 1/3 of the height off. Mowing regularly helps prevents stress to the grass, which can lead to a brown lawn. It can also prevent vulnerability to pest and disease.
Heavy clippings, not clumps, on the lawn returns nutrients and nitrogen to the lawn. This helps create a healthier lawn without additional expense.
Sod is the most cost-effective solution to wind and water erosion by saving months of exhaustive maintenance, frustration and expense. It establishes your lawn anytime the ground isn’t frozen instead of having to wait to seed during a short time period.
Sod has multiple benefits to make it worth the expense. It is applied as mature grass, can handle traffic within two to three weeks after installation without damage, absorbs sound and provides a cool atmosphere, is a barrier to weeds, and requires less water than seed. Sod will give you an immediate, even grass height where seed will be uneven until it has matured.
• Early spring: Ornamental grasses, semi-woody perennials, broad leaf evergreens and spring flowers
• Early summer: Evergreen shrubs and spring flowering shrubs
• Fall: Flowers
• Winter: Trees and evergreens.
You typically want to remove 6” or less – taking anything more will result with the cut portion looking like dead sticks since the leaf growth on mature shrubs is only at the ends of the branches where light gets to it.
If you do need to trim them back significantly, the best time is late winter when the shrub is dormant, and the new growth will be coming in soon to shorten the time of the dead look. Then just keep the shrubs pruned on a constant basis to avoid this happening again.
We use a premium double shredded hardwood mulch dyed brown or black
Tall Fescue is the recommended seed for Central Virginia, but it does need to be reseeded to keep it looking good each year. We offer the best seed available, Blue Tag Certified, which is guaranteed to be weed (and other crop) free.
Aerating, overseeding and fertilizing is essential to keeping your lawn looking it’s best or to get the lush lawn your looking for. We recommend doing this in the fall since the heat of summer, high humidity and lack of water will all affect your grass.
Core aeration loosens up the soil and allows water, oxygen and other nutrients to get to the roots of your grass and gives new seed a place to grow. For lawns that have heavy traffic on them, core aeration is necessary. Overseeding will thicken your grass in thin areas and rejuvenate the existing grass.
Fertilizing is necessary to jumpstart the seed growth. We also recommend fertilizing the lawn two more times in the fall: 4-6 weeks after aeration, seeding and starter fertilizer using a fall fertilizer, then a second application 4-6 weeks later, using a winter fertilizer.
