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Are You Licensed to Practice as a Landscaper in Dallas?

Anyone who intends to provide landscape-related services in Dallas must obtain the appropriate license or registration for such work. Performing landscape-related services for which a license or registration is required without first obtaining the license or registration may attract fines and other statutory penalties for offenders. To avoid fines, landscape professionals should always confirm if there are licensing or registration requirements for the type of landscape work they want to do.

While most landscapers do not need a license to provide their services, professionals who wish to work as landscape architects, pesticide applicators, or landscape irrigators must obtain the necessary license or registration. Interested persons must register with the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (TBAE) to work as a landscape architect.

Note that a registration certificate is only issued to applicants who meet all the requirements for either examination or reciprocity applications. You can confirm whether an individual is registered as a landscape architect using the TBAE find a professional tool. For more information concerning the requirements and processes for obtaining a landscape architect registration certificate, call the TBAE at (512) 305-9000.

Similarly, to work as a pesticide applicator, interested persons must apply for and obtain the pesticide commercial and noncommercial applicator license from the Texas Department of Agriculture and complete this agency's application process satisfactorily. An application for a pesticide commercial and noncommercial applicator license can be submitted online or by downloading, completing, and mailing an application form to:

Residents who intend to hire a pesticide applicator for landscape maintenance can confirm the individual's license status by calling the Texas Department of Agriculture at (877) 542-2474 or (512) 463-747.

Finally, interested persons must obtain a landscape irrigator license from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to work as a landscape irrigator. Note that a landscape irrigator license can only be issued to an applicant who has completed the required training, submitted a criminal history attestation, passed a state-approved exam, paid an application fee of $111, and completed the TCEQ application.

Quarries concerning other requirements for obtaining a landscape irrigator license can be directed to the TCEQ by calling (512) 239-1000. You can confirm a landscape irrigator's license by utilizing the TCEQ landscape irrigator license search tool. In addition to a state-issued license, landscape irrigators are required to register as irrigation contractors with the city's Building Inspection Division. You can confirm a landscape irrigator registration with the Building Inspection Division by calling (214) 948-4480.

How Much Do You Charge Compared to Other Landscapers in Dallas?

The hourly cost of hiring a landscaper in Dallas is generally influenced by the size of the lot, the scope of the work, and the amount of labor required to complete the job. However, landscapers in the city calculate the cost of their service using their preferred billing structure. Although most landscapers in Dallas utilize a billing structure that allows them to bill for their services hourly, some landscapers prefer to bill for their services by calculating the area of land to be worked on or the cost of completing the entire project.

Regardless of the estimated cost of completing the entire landscape project, comparing estimates from different landscapers for any landscaping project is crucial. Comparing estimates from different landscapers will help you to know the average market price for the project you intend to carry out while ensuring that you do not overpay for the project.

A landscaper in Dallas earns an average wage of $34,290 annually. Listed in the table below is the cost comparison of the average hourly wages of landscaping and groundskeeping workers in Dallas against those of this category of individuals across the rest of Texas and other major American cities:

Do You Comply With the Dallas Ordinance?

In Dallas, all landscape-related work must comply with the city's Landscape and Tree Preservation Regulations; failing to do this can lead to a stop-work order on any premises where such landscaping activity occurs.

To ensure strict compliance with the city's landscaping regulations, residents of Dallas are advised always to hire a landscape professional who is conversant with the requirements of the city's Landscape and Tree Preservation Regulations. Some conditions of the city's landscaping regulations include the prohibition of artificial plant materials for landscaping, the provision of automatic irrigation systems installed to comply with industry standards, and the protection of planting areas from automobiles through wheel stops, concrete curbs, or other permanent barriers.

For more information concerning the city's Landscape and Tree Preservation Regulations requirements, interested persons should contact the city's Building Inspection Division by calling (214) 948-4480.

Will You Get the Landscaping Permit Required As per Dallas Code?

Dallas has no landscaping-specific permits for landscape installation, maintenance, removal, or restoration. However, Dallas requires residents to submit a landscape plan alongside their application for a building permit for any work performed on a lot, as stipulated by section 51A-10.121 of the city's Landscape and Tree Preservation Regulations.

Failure to submit a landscape plan where it is required can lead to the dismissal of a building permit application by the Building Official. You can submit your landscape plan to the Building Official online or in person at:

Note that landscape plans submitted in person must consist of two blue lines or blackline prints. In addition to your selected prints, the landscape plan must have a scale of one inch equal to 50 feet or larger and be on a standard drawing sheet of a size not exceeding 36 inches by 48 inches.

Furthermore, a landscape plan will also include additional information like the name, address, and telephone number of the homeowner, location of existing boundary and dimension of the lot, description of plants materials to be used, and approximate centerlines of existing watercourses and the location of the floodplain before the plan can be considered complete.

However, the city's Building Official shall review the plan to determine whether it complies with the provisions in section 51A-10.125 of the city's Landscape and Tree Maintenance Regulations. Furthermore, the city's Building Official will also determine whether the plan meets all the minimum landscape design options described in section 51A-10.126 of the Landscape and Tree Maintenance Regulations before making the decision to approve the plan.

To avoid submitting an incomplete plan, it is crucial to contact the Building Inspection Division and ask questions concerning the requirements and conditions governing the preparation and submission of landscape plans. You can do this by calling (214) 948-4480. Once the landscape plan has been reviewed and approved and other building permit requirements have been met, applicants will be issued a building permit by the Building Inspection Division to commence work on the site.

In addition to submitting a landscape plan and obtaining a building permit for performing landscape work in their yard, residents of Dallas are additionally required to obtain a master permit for the installation of a lawn irrigation system that will be connected to the city's water supply. A master permit covers all types of work on a construction project, including installing a lawn sprinkler.

To obtain a master permit for installing a lawn sprinkler, applicants must submit a completed application form and two sets of plans drawn to a standard scale. The application form and all necessary drawing documents shall be submitted in person at:

All drawing documents submitted for review must have a minimum text size of 3/32 inch and a minimum drawing sheet size of 11* 17. Note that installation of lawn sprinklers can only be performed by contractors licensed by the State of Texas as lawn irrigation contractors and registered with Dallas.

What Kind of Landscaping Services Do You Offer?

Dallas Landscapers offer various residential and commercial services to interested persons. These services may include common landscaping projects like landscape design, installation, maintenance, removal, and relocation and more specialized tasks like xeriscape, softscaping, hardscaping, and plant health care.

Regardless of the type of services you need, you should ensure that the individual you intend to hire specializes in providing the particular service you want. Hiring a professional specializing in providing the specific service you want guarantees great results, including improving your home's curb appeal. It also minimizes mistakes that are likely to result from incompetence.

To avoid hiring an incompetent hand to do your landscaping work, it is always good to ask the individual if they have obtained any qualification, certification, or registration related to the service you need. For example, landscape architects in Dallas must hold a registration certificate issued by the TBAE before they can provide their services. You should always ask for proof of qualification and make sure you verify the information.

Next, you should ask the landscaper for references containing pictures of similar jobs they did in the past and a means of contacting the individuals who paid for these jobs. Do not hesitate to contact the individuals to verify the information on the pictures.

Once all necessary information has been verified, you can ask the individual to provide a work estimate detailing the type of work to be done and the amount of labor required to do the job. Listed below are cost estimates for common landscaping services in Dallas:

What Are the Best Type of Grass for Lawns in Dallas?

Dallas has a humid subtropical climate characterized by a wide temperature range and warm seasons that may last up to 249 days annually. Due to its humid subtropical climate, the Dallas area supports the growth of grains, small needle trees, shrubs, and grasses.

Although Dallas climate supports the aforementioned plants, the constant alteration of the natural topography and vegetation in the process of developing most of the city has increased air temperature and accelerated the process of runoff, erosion, sedimentation, and other factors that may impede the growth of natural plants in the city.

To reduce the rate of air temperature and the occurrence of erosion and sedimentation, the city encouraged citizens to preserve and enhance natural resources and vegetative space around them by embracing the city's Landscaping and Tree Maintenance Regulations. More so, Dallas has outlined a list of plants, especially grasses, that are good for landscape and helpful in stabilizing the environment's ecological balance. Some of these grasses include:

• Buffalo grass
• St Augustine grass
• Zoysia grass
• Bermuda grass

Per the requirements of the Landscaping and Tree Maintenance Regulations, residents of Dallas are allowed to hire planters as long as the soil requirements in section 51A-10.104 are met. However, residents are advised to consult professional landscapers before planting these grasses in their yard. Interested persons can find professional landscapers on professional organizations' directories, such as the National Association of Landscape Professionals, and third-party websites like the Better Business Bureau, Google Review, and Yelp.

Regardless of how you contact the professional, confirming their qualification, license, and registration is always important. For example, you can confirm a landscape architect's registration status using the TBAE find a professional tool.

Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Landscapers in Dallas?

In Dallas, there are no specific landscaping insurance requirements for professional landscapers. However, anyone performing landscape-related work as a contractor in the city must hold an insurance policy indicating Dallas as a certificate holder. This insurance policy will cover bodily injury, property damage, and death. To avoid bearing the financial liabilities associated with these incidents, residents of Dallas are advised always to hire an insured landscape professional.

Hiring an insured individual is vital because landscape professionals often come in contact with chemicals, machines, and harsh weather conditions that may affect their health and even lead to death. Furthermore, it is estimated that over 143,000 persons in the US get injured during landscaping-related activities every year due to the nature of the job.

While work injuries can not be eliminated, residents can minimize the effect of such occurrences by confirming that the landscape professional they intend to hire is insured. Residents can confirm the insurance status of their landscape professional by asking for the individual's insurance certificate and verifying from the insurance company that issued the certificate.