Start with: How long have you been in business? Are you licensed, bonded, and insured? Can I see three recent projects similar to mine? Then: Who manages my project day to day? How do you handle change orders? What does your warranty cover? Can I talk to recent clients?

Design-build means one company handles both design and construction. The advantage is accountability and streamlined communication. Hiring separately gives you an independent design advocate but introduces a handoff where miscommunication can happen. For most residential projects under $200K, design-build is more efficient.

Check that bids cover the same scope: same base depth, paver thickness, plant sizes, and included elements. A bid that’s 30% lower often reflects thinner base prep, smaller plants, or missing elements. Ask each company to break their bid into categories for line-by-line comparison.

Yes — Washington requires a general contractor’s license for any project over $500 in labor and materials. You can verify any contractor’s license at lni.wa.gov. Also look for ICPI certification for hardscape and ISA certification for tree work.

Requesting more than 30-50% deposit upfront, reluctance to provide a written contract, no physical business address, unable to show proof of insurance, no recent references, and a bid dramatically lower than every other estimate. Also watch communication patterns during the sales process.

Both models have strengths. Larger firms offer more design capability, dedicated project management, and robust warranty backing. Smaller operations can be more flexible and sometimes lower cost. The questions that matter more than size: Do they have experience with projects like mine? Can they handle my timeline?