What does it take to stay ahead of the ever-evolving regulations for commercial landscapes? We can tell you first-hand that it takes more time and effort than it did as recently as three or four years ago. Even smaller municipalities’ guidelines are becoming more complicated and being updated more frequently as they follow the lead of larger cities.
Much of this is due to sustainability efforts and the growing awareness of just how fragile portions of our nation’s water supply can be. Commercial property owners that run afoul of these types of regulations may not even realize it — until they get a notice in the mail, a complaint from a neighboring property owner, or have to respond to negative mentions of the incident online.
The good news is, as a property owner, you shouldn’t have to burden yourself with knowing every new landscape-related regulation that comes down the line. Your landscape provider should be willing and able to keep those types of problems from ever reaching your desk.
If you’re unsure your landscape company is able to navigate compliance issues for you, it only takes a few questions to find out for sure. Start by understanding the three key compliance areas below so you can ask the right questions.
You’ve likely noticed that water has been a hot topic over the past few years. So it’s no wonder that our first two property compliance areas involve water management. We’ll start, specifically, with stormwater management.
There can be costly consequences for commercial properties that don’t manage stormwater runoff by the book. Not only can this problem damage your property but it often leads to wider environmental issues. A defined strategy to prevent flooding, soil erosion, and water pollution is your best defense against these costly stormwater management issues.
Your landscape provider can start by getting guidance from the EPA’s NPDES Stormwater Program. Three typical requirements for handling stormwater are as follows:
We can’t overstate how vital it is to have a stormwater management strategy in place (before, not after problems arise).
These regulations are becoming more and more widespread every day. They’re no longer limited to regions that have historically faced drought conditions, as communities try to prevent future water shortages. Sustainable landscaping practices are making it possible for commercial property owners to adhere to stringent irrigation rules without sacrificing any aesthetic appeal.
Sustainable tactics include using native and drought-tolerant plants. These plants require less water and maintenance, saving property owners money while giving them unique plant and tree options to help make their properties stand out from standard landscaping designs.
Smart irrigation systems further these water-conserving practices, using modern sensors that detect rain and monitor soil moisture levels. This keeps landscaping materials properly watered and healthy without wasting water. Even simple steps like maintaining mulch at ideal levels (about three inches thick) help you maintain compliance with local water regulations.
Whether your provider has years of experience in your geographical area or is recently expanded to the region, it’s important to make sure they have a process that can handle local regulations and changes, so you don’t have to worry about them yourself.
Years ago, California was one of the first states to make news headlines responding to residents complaints about noisy lawn equipment. That led to legislation and sweeping landscaping noise ordinance updates across the country. Some cities have even banned gas-powered leaf blowers in residential areas altogether!
Luckily, electric-powered lawn equipment has advanced in the past decade to become a much quieter option for many commercial landscaping services. It’s not just leaf blowers either, as commercial lawn mowers are now considered by many providers to be as effective as their gas-powered mowers.
To avoid any noise complaints, it’s wise to choose a landscaping provider that offers tailored solutions for your specific needs.
Let’s drill down a bit.
Unfortunately, commercial landscaping regulations vary widely from state to state and city to city. And with new landscape companies starting up each year, many property owners find themselves dealing with surprise violations.
Waste disposal is another issue that often trips up property owners, especially with new regulations leaning into sustainability. So-called “green waste” or “yard waste” usually needs to be separated from solid waste. Examples are below:
Composting helps reduce green waste, but that’s usually only available to residential property owners. Your landscaping provider may be able to work with municipalities that offer a composting program, though, so be sure to ask. This can help avoid taking up space in landfills.
As for trees, they can make green waste compliance more complicated.
At Yellowstone Landscape, we know how important trees are to the environment and how big of an investment they are for our customers. These amazing enhancements to properties do come with many concerns, however, as seen below:
Not only are there municipal regulations that protect certain trees from unnecessary removal or trimming, but homeowners associations can be just as strict with tree ordinances. A quick example of a tree removal law is where a permit is required to cut down any tree with a diameter of six inches or more (at chest height).
The American Society of Consulting Arborists can give you an overview of numerous other concerns.
Did you know that a key part of a good landscaping company’s duties includes protecting wildlife? It’s the right thing to do for the animals. Also, it takes a wide range of living creatures to have healthy biodiversity in your landscape.
Landscape designs and maintenance practices that give no thought to the impact on local wildlife’s habitat can truly hurt the environment. Not only that, but many forms of wildlife help draw interest to certain areas of your commercial landscape. Examples include:
As for general best practices for wildlife-friendly landscape designs, native plants are a great choice. These naturally provide ideal food and shelter for local wildlife. Also, consider the bloom timing of your plants to create diverse habitats (and be visually appealing to guests, residents, and staff).
Integrated pest management helps protect beneficial creatures large and small, by avoiding the overuse of pesticides. Check with your state’s wildlife conservation department to dive deeper into innovative updates to landscaping best practices. For example, Florida has a great resource, if you’re looking for a broad overview.
Why Partnering With A Knowledgable Company Matters
There’s nothing constant about landscaping regulations - except that they’re constantly evolving, and probably always will be. That’s why having a reliable landscaping company with plenty of regulatory experience will take a load off your mind by ensuring your commercial property stays compliant.
The good news? Maintaining compliance helps avoid fines and hassles, but these best practices are also meant to keep your landscape healthy, thriving, and vibrant year-round.
Property owners and managers have a lot on their plates without having to read through landscaping regulatory updates from the state, county, and city. A trusted landscape provider should stay on top of any guideline updates for you.
Furthermore, a provider with decades or more of commercial landscaping experience can identify potential compliance pitfalls long before they cause problems. Your landscape partner should be able to set your property up for success and be ahead of any new laws simply by being on top of landscaping trends across the country.
With over 70 branches nationwide, our company has an extensive database of local regulations to inform our compliance strategies. For example, we’ve been at the forefront of sustainable xeriscaping in southwestern states like Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas for more than 20 years.
This experience has helped us ensure the compliance of our commercial customers’ properties in regions newly hit by drought conditions.
Another way Yellowstone Landscape keeps our customers worry-free about regulations is through our local expertise. Our branches have national resources at their disposal but are individually managed by leaders who live near each of our branch locations, many for their whole lives.
That makes a big difference in understanding the environmental nuances and staying in touch with municipality leaders to stay informed about new guidelines for landscape installation, irrigation, design, etc.
We also put as much effort into compliance education as we do other crucial aspects of our business. This allows us to quickly adapt to any new landscape laws that might impact our clients. This education comes into play in our weekly maintenance checklists as crew leaders check plant health and compliance-related concerns that could result in daily fines otherwise.
How Commercial Landscapes Differ From Residential Landscapes
Yellowstone Landscape only services commercial properties.
This gives us an advantage over companies that work for residential and commercial property owners. It allows us to laser-focus our efforts on commercial properties, which typically have more complex and stringent regulations.
Commercial real estate is more visible than residential, too. That means any compliance mistakes are bound to get noticed immediately and non-compliance fines come quicker. And with larger acreage, the fines and news coverage could potentially expand due to the size of the property and the wide-spread damage from erosion, a fallen diseased tree, or pesticides.
Our full-time arborists even go the extra mile by offering tree inventories. This service alone can protect you from regulatory issues that could arise as late as five years down the line.
Those differences in residential and commercial landscaping are a lot to think about. And property owners shouldn’t have to police these complicated nuances themselves. Your provider should handle those burdens.
As mentioned, you can go as deep as you have the time for when it comes to local regulations for commercial landscapes. Four organizations to help you investigate further (other the EPA) are listed below:
If you’re a Yellowstone Landscape client, you can always get any regulatory questions answered with a quick phone call to your account manager. The key to remember is that staying compliant should still produce world-class landscapes.
If you can avoid the most common compliance problems (stormwater, water usage, and noise ordinances), it saves you from major headaches and negative attention. However, it’s still important to adhere to other regulations that cover how landscaping debris (green waste) is removed since even a small fine might still put your business or property in trouble.
We’re well aware commercial property owners don’t have the time to read every local regulation that pops up or gets tweaked out of the blue. In our opinion, it’s your landscaping company’s responsibility to ensure you don’t have to keep up with countless regulations and updates.
After all, they are in the business of managing landscapes. A huge part of that duty is staying between the lines of local laws and regulations. At Yellowstone Landscape, we take this responsibility seriously. And we take pride in lifting the burden of compliance off the shoulders of property owners and managers we serve.
If you have property concerns that you’re worried could derail your landscape compliance, please contact Yellowstone Landscape for a consultation.