I am convinced that not a single homeowner in the history of the world has ever paid attention to their plumber when they say, “Landscaping is not included.”

You know the drill. You tell the homeowner both in writing and in person that once you replace the waterline, you’ll do your best to put the yard back together, but they will eventually have to get a landscaper to finish it. You replace the water service, do your best to put the yard back, make it look as nice as possible, and now that the homeowner’s problem is fixed, they come roaring out asking why you didn’t do a better job.

There are more than a few annoyances in the plumbing profession, but this one is probably one of the more common complaints from all parties involved.

Even though none of us will ever truly solve this problem, I have a few tips for putting the yard back together and how to write it up and talk to the customer about it before, during and after a dig.

Writing out definitions

Nearly every contractor writes something like “no landscaping included,” but what does that verbiage mean to the homeowner? Most homeowners look at landscaping like the local college campus, golf course, park entrance or resort. They automatically think of green grass, shrubs, flowers, pavers, patios, mulch beds, sprinkler systems, trees and edging.

When you say, “No landscaping included,” the homeowner thinks, “No big deal! I didn’t expect the plumber to do my landscaping anyway!” When you write up your contracts, the definition of “landscaping” must be spelled out. I suggest using the terms demolition grade, rough grade and finish grade. Define demolition grade as something along the lines of an attempt to refill the trench with the dirt that was removed during excavation/demolition and removal of foreign objects and large rocks/boulders. Define rough grade as flattening, raking, and generally transforming the construction site to have a specific slope or grade. Define finished grade as bringing the surface to a desired elevation tolerance and providing a smooth surface.

After you define the terms, say that you’ll provide demolition grade only. This way, the expectations are clear. We are plumbers, not landscapers.

It would help if you also considered adding an option in your contract to have the job site professionally landscaped. Many homeowners want a turnkey project and want to avoid having to find a good landscaper. If you know a good landscaping company, add their price to your bid as a line item. Make the homeowner check whether they want the project professionally landscaped for the extra fee. If they don’t want the additional expense, that’s OK.

If you do your landscaping at the end of the job, make sure you keep that as a separate line item and make the homeowner decide. If you provide turnkey jobs all under one price, think about what it will take to do that quality job. Do you have to bring rolls of plastic for the spoil? Are you taking every scoop of dirt off site and bringing fresh gravel, sand or topsoil in? Are you going to need filter fabric? Rolls of straw? Yard pins? Grass seed? Plate compactors? Sod strippers? All of that costs a lot of money and should come at a premium price. Keep that in mind.

Talking about the project

It’s an overly used cliché, but setting expectations is essential. Before the project begins, ensure the homeowner is aware of the project’s scope. Explain what part of the yard will have to come out and where the spoil will be set and if the project will be left with a hump for settling. Let the homeowner know if they should expect settling and where the means of ingress/egress will be for the heavy equipment.

During the project, invite the homeowner out. This will allow them to say what’s on their mind and ask questions. It will also allow you to gauge how far off the expectation path you let them get.

As you start to wrap up the project, invite them out and let them know you will start wrapping things up. This will give them one last opportunity to verbalize concerns or ask any final questions before you load up the equipment and head out. It’s a bad idea to load up all the equipment and head out only to have the homeowner come out and ask if you could move one piece of dirt.

Getting it perfect

The perfect standard for putting a yard back depends on how long, how deep, what kind of grass and what kind of soil. Suppose you have a minor repair in a very nice yard. In that case, I suggest excavating straight into the back of a dump and hauling away all the spoil — filling it back in with compacted gravel compacted every foot or so with a plate compactor, landscaping fabric and finally topsoil, seed and straw.

If you have access to a sod cutter, you can also cut the sod and set the sod aside before you start and put it back when you are done. If it’s a longer dig, maybe consider running plywood or thick mil plastic on the side of the trench to make putting it back easier. Just remember that compaction is critical.

There are also significant differences between excavating for line replacements throughout the country. Up north, there are routinely sewer lines over 10 feet deep with hundreds, if not thousands, of tons of spoil and solid rock. They may be shallower in other parts of the country and others deeper. Every area is different.

Let me make one last point crystal clear. This is about yard work, not work on the sidewalk or street. That’s an entirely different thing.

About the Author

Anthony Pacilla is a registered master plumber for McVehil Plumbing in Washington, Pennsylvania. He has over two decades of experience in the plumbing and HVAC trades, and has a bachelor’s in business and economics from Thiel College.