A Guide to Commercial Grounds Maintenance Contracts
What is involved in a commercial grounds maintenance contract?
If you own or operate a commercial facility with its own garden, lawn or natural outdoor space, you’ll want to make sure it is kept in its best condition all year round. Whether it is an office, industrial, retail, leisure or educational facility, the condition of the external grounds can have one of the greatest impacts on the first impression your facility gives to staff, pupils or visitors.
Proactive is better than reactive
Yes, we know it’s been said time and time before, but it is absolutely true when it comes to commercial grounds maintenance contracts. At WeedWise, we take a bespoke approach to designing our commercial contracts as we know that no two sites are the same. A good contract should be reflective of the seasons but offer enough flexibility, as we all know the UK can be so unpredictable when it comes to weather.
It should be thorough without being overly complicated. Making sure our clients have a transparent understanding of what is being delivered; and what is expected from our services is critical when designing our specifications and contracts.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
Communication and Accountability
Whether you’re a single site operator, or a national operator with 100+ properties, you’ll obviously want to have clear and concise contact. At WeedWise, we operate a customer focused model meaning our contracts managers and Directors are always available to contact.
We feel it important to build in an element of flexibility into our specifications as seasons can alter and conditions vary. With this in mind we always listen to our clients and aim to be as proactive as possible when operating any work schedule.
Key Components
Lawn & Grass Management
Usually the largest proportion of an external space, the condition of your lawn or grassed area can have a huge impact on the overall aesthetics and appearance of your site. Understanding how and when to cut grassed areas is paramount to good grounds maintenance.
In addition to just cutting, the use of specialist selective herbicide treatments can sometimes be necessary and preferred to ensure any broadleaf weeds are eradicated from the grassed area, leaving a far better result in the long term.
Hedge & Shrubs
More often than not, a site will have some form of hedging or shrubs. Sometimes, just a small corner or patch, others with hundreds of metres, so knowing the best horticultural practice and what equipment to use is critical to achieving the best results. Like the grassed areas, if a hedge or shrubbed area is kept neat and well trimmed all year round, it will have a direct impact on the overall appearance of the wider property.
Landscaping Services
Sometimes falling under remedial works, being able procure both soft & hard landscaping services should be a consideration when looking for a suitable contractor. Being able to redesign or replant an area that might have been neglected in the past is a great way of improving, not only the appearance, but the usability of a site.
Weed Control
This is something that is often overlooked when defining a specification of works. Thorough treatment is key to maintaining a weed free site, and the effective use of herbicides is a skilled job. At WeedWise, we have our own in house BASIS registered advisors, meaning we are highly qualified and experienced in complex weed control.
Tree Services & Arboriculture
If you have trees on your property, then it’s important to keep them in a healthy and safe condition. A tree survey is a great place to start as it will identify any issues, but also highlight any safety concerns. The survey will also present any remedial works required to make your site safe, and provide a graded approach to these works which helps with prioritising and budgetary elements.
Street & Building Cleaning
Hard surfaces usually show deterioration and weathering due to their natural make-up. Either a one off, or scheduled cleans can make all the difference to your external environment and also help to remove any slip hazards.
Finding The Right Commercial Grounds Maintenance Contractor
With a myriad of operators now available right across the UK, understanding what value your contractor can bring to your business is clearly a key consideration. Achieving great results all year round comes with an ability to deliver care and passion constantly.
Here at WeedWise, we operate a team of long standing operatives and managers to ensure we all have the same ethos to our work. Operating from Northamptonshire, we cover neighbouring counties such as Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes, Warwickshire, Hertfordshire and Greater London to name a few.
For more information on how WeedWise can help you achieve the very best from your outdoor environment, please get in touch via the information below:
0800 074 0931