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What Is a Hardscaper?

To understand the work a hardscaper does, you need to know the difference between hardscaping and landscaping. While the design principles are similar and you might sometimes use the terms interchangeably, there are differences.

Landscaping beautifies an outdoor space primarily with living elements including trees, shrubs and planting beds for flowers and ornamental plants. Your lawn is also part of your landscape.
Hardscaping, as the name describes, uses hard, non-living elements such as stones, pavers, bricks and landscape rock. You might also consider a patio or deck elements of your hardscape.

A hardscaper or hardscape contractor will specialize in creating a beautiful outdoor space with these nonliving elements. For this article we’ll focus on hiring a contractor to create a hardscape, though we’ll use the term landscape to talk about your outdoor space as a whole.

Good to Know

Good landscape designs often incorporate hardscaping and hardscaping often requires softer, living elements to create the right balance and look.

Examples of Hardscaping Projects

Here are just a few examples of hardscaping projects. These projects can give you ideas for elements to incorporate your design and help you understand the hardscaping work your contractor will do.

Retaining Wall Block

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Pavers & Stepping Stones

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What Questions Should You Ask Hardscape Landscapers?

Finding the right hardscaper starts with asking the right questions. Here are ten questions to ask a prospective hardscape contractor to ensure you find the best one for your project. Hardscape projects and contractors differ, so you might have different questions or some additional topics to ask about. Use these as a guide to get started.

Hardscape Contractors: 10 Questions to Ask Before You Hire

1. Is your company insured?

A professional hardscape contractor should have insurance. The contractor’s insurance protects you from being responsible for damages or injuries that happen during a hardscaping project on your property. If the company uses subcontractors, make sure they’re covered by the contractor’s insurance.

2. Is your company licensed and bonded?

Your state may or may not require licensing for landscapers or hardscapers, depending on factors such as the type of work they do or the size and cost of their projects. Ask about licensing requirements and ensure the contractor has a license if your area requires one. Even if licensing isn’t a requirement, bonding might be. Bonding represents a type of insurance that protects you financially if the hardscape contractor doesn’t complete the work or doesn’t pay their workers.

3. What’s your experience with this type of hardscaping work?

While hardscaping doesn’t require the same knowledge that plumbing and electrical work do, a good hardscaping contractor understands technical factors such as how to create a solid foundation for stone and paver projects and how to design drainage for the hardscaped surfaces. They also need to be experts with elements of landscape design like scale, proportion, color and texture.

4. Do you have references from previous clients?

A reputable, experienced hardscape contractor has satisfied clients who have provided references and recommendations and will be eager to share them with you. They should also have photos of projects they’ve completed to demonstrate the look and quality of their work.

5. What kind of permits and inspections are required?

Not all hardscape projects will require permits and inspections, but an experienced, professional hardscaper will know when they’ll be necessary. The contractor should have a plan for pulling any necessary permits and the timeline should factor in any required inspections.

6. What will the project timeline be?

Find out expected start and end times, what might cause delays and how the contractor will handle changes to the timeline. Since weather is a factor in outdoor work, delays might be unavoidable. However, there should be a plan to complete the project in a timely fashion.

7. What can I expect during the work?

It’s good to know who will be on your property, and, for large projects, how long they’ll work each day. Find out where they’ll need to stage materials and if you need to designate a place for deliveries prior to the project. If you have a large project planned, find out if any heavy equipment, such as forklifts or mini-diggers are necessary. Be clear on what cleanup the team will handle when the work is done.

8. What’s the best way to keep in touch with you?

The hardscape contractor will likely not be on the site for the entire project and may only stop by to check on the work. Make sure you have a way to contact them with any questions or concerns the on-site workers can’t handle.

9. Will you provide a written estimate for the project?

The hardscape contractor should be able to specify details on the cost of products, project materials and labor. You’ll need this information to plan properly and stay on budget. The contractor should be willing and able to answer any questions you have about it.

10. How will I handle payment for the hardscaping work?

Know how and when you’ll need to pay for the work. Depending on the size of the project, there may be different options for payment.

Planning Your Hardscape Project

Before you hire a hardscape contractor, there’s some work you need to do. You need to create your budget and start thinking about the hardscape design you want.

Budgeting for Hardscape Work

Start your hardscape project by planning a budget. Make sure it’s a budget you can afford, but factor in your reason for creating a hardscape:

If you plan on selling your home in the near future, you may want to budget less for the project so you recover as much of the expense as possible. Pay attention to the landscape and hardscapes in your neighborhood. If your design is significantly more elaborate than those of neighboring homes, you may want to scale back your plans and budget.
If you simply want to create a beautiful, useful space to relax or entertain and have no plans to move, you might be willing to budget more. Having a space you and your family can love and enjoy for years to come may be worth a larger investment.

Consider the type and quality of materials and be sure to budget for about 10 percent for extra materials. This excess covers natural waste that occurs during any hardscape project and gives you a small supply of materials to replace pavers, edging stones, etc. that become damaged over time. You may also want to select some lower-cost alternatives for your materials. Having these economical options in mind can help you get back on track quickly if your plans begin to go beyond your budget.

Tip

Use our Retaining Wall Block Calculator and Paver Calculator to estimate materials as you build your budget.

Prep Work for a Hardscape Contractor

The contractor you hire should be able to help with design or offer you pre-planned designs, but you might want to start sketching out your own ideas to inform the contractor’s plans and help them build a quote.

Once you have the contractor hired and the date set, there will likely be some additional prep work, such as getting your yard ready for the work, securing pets, etc. Our article, Hardscape Landscaping: Prepare for a Hardscape Installation, will give you tips on getting ready for a successful project.

Get Ideas for Your Hardscape Project

Ready to start planning your hardscape project? Our library of ideas and product guides can help you start planning your design.

Hardscaping Inspiration and Guides

See our full library of Lawn and Garden Ideas and Outdoor Living Inspiration.

Other Exterior Upgrades

Got other ideas for making the most of your outdoors? Let Lowe’s handle your next exterior home project. Depending on your location, available installation services include: