As you know, we recently wrote a uniform Request For Proposal (RFP) so that landscaping companies could submit bids for getting our entrances into shape and maintaining them annually.
In addition to being posted online, the RFP was sent to the following companies:
- Gardner Landscape
- Daigre Lawn Care
- Alford’s Landscaping LLC
- Southern Boys Lawn & Landscape
- Posey’s Lawn Care LLC
- All Seasons Landscaping and Lawn Care (our existing grass contractor)
- ProGreen Lawn and Landscape
Most if not all of these companies replied, and said they would be submitting a proposal. However, when the deadline passed, only All Seasons had done so.
The amount of their bid was $12,748.50. Since no other bids were received, we have nothing else for comparison, so we don’t know if this price is high, low, or typical for a job like this. However, the board felt that this amount is simply too much to spend. Therefore, we will beautify the entrances ourselves. The Common Areas Committee is meeting tomorrow (Wednesday, 2/13/2019) at 6PM at the park pavilion. With all the talented gardeners we have living in Spring Lake, and many people volunteering to help, getting the entrances in shape will be an ideal project. We’ll leave it to the committee to work out the details, but we’re thinking that a couple of “landscaping weekends” with the HOA providing supplies, materials, drinks, and an “after” party at the pavilion with great food should take care of everything, and be a lot of fun besides.
It was well worth writing the RFP and getting proposals, to find out if the cost of having this work done by a landscaping company was feasible. While we received just 1 response, it was enough to make the choice between spending that much of your money vs. putting together a couple of fun weekends with our neighbors a clear choice indeed.
Look for more news on this and other projects coming soon!