[MPoole]

If anyone is looking to change their lawn care service, or are just beginning to search for a provider, I am very pleased to be able to recommend Brooks Brothers Landscaping, Inc. Brooks Brothers are based in the Tampa area and are new to The Villages. We have an oversized villa yard at the end of a street, with grass in front and back. I have had service several times now and my yard has never looked better. The grass is being mowed at the proper height and edging and trimming is cleanly done. Overall excellent service! Brooks Brothers offers free estimates, are licensed, insured, and LBMP certified. Contact Chris Brooks at 352-462-2896 or Chris@LandscapingByBrooksBrothers.com

[BBlawns]

Originally Posted by Bryan

Licensed? I think not! The State of Florida does not issue any license for "landscapers" or "lawn services". Some counties (Lake does, Marion and Sumter do not) issue a business tax license which is usually called an "Occupational License" but it is only a tax registration. They should have a Pesticide Application License from the Department of Agriculture if they put any chemicals in yur yard (bug/weed killer, fertilizer, etc.). Insured? I certainly hope so. They should have both business liability and workers comp insurance. Ask to see their workers comp card.

Bryan, you are correct the Marion, Sumter and the state of Florida do nor require a license for this industry. The counties can require them individually. This is why we are licensed in other counties that we work in. We do not offer pesticide or fertilization but we do partner with spray companies this way customers are offered a one stop shop environment. We carry a 1MIL/2MIL General Liability and a $500k Workers Compensation policies to protect our clients. We do carry our certificate of insurance with each truck but the insurance carriers do not offer an insurance card. Great concerns and a good educational point for homeowners.

Chris Brooks

[LarryL]

Do you still use Brooks Brothers for your lawn and are you still happy?

[NYGUY]

Originally Posted by LarryL

Do you still use Brooks Brothers for your lawn and are you still happy?

Hugh??....that was just posted 3 days ago!!!....i guess we have a friend trying to help out his buddy

[Walt.]

Originally Posted by NYGUY

Hugh??....that was just posted 3 days ago!!!....i guess we have a friend trying to help out his buddy

That was my first thought. But then I saw that the OP had previously posted about his less than wonderful experience with Super Smart lawn "service." So it's not actually just a stand-alone plug... more along the lines of an update and recommending an alternative lawn service.
I do wonder, however, what "and LBMP certified" means... and why anybody would check.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Walt.

That was my first thought. But then I saw that the OP had previously posted about his less than wonderful experience with Super Smart lawn "service."

That was also my first thought -- someone joining just for the purpose of putting in a plug for a friend, which happens.
But MPoole has been a member since 2011, so I think we can assume that his praise and comments are valid.
Hopefully he will let us know in a couple of months if he is still highly satisfied.

[Bryan]

Licensed? I think not! The State of Florida does not issue any license for "landscapers" or "lawn services". Some counties (Lake does, Marion and Sumter do not) issue a business tax license which is usually called an "Occupational License" but it is only a tax registration. They should have a Pesticide Application License from the Department of Agriculture if they put any chemicals in yur yard (bug/weed killer, fertilizer, etc.). Insured? I certainly hope so. They should have both business liability and workers comp insurance. Ask to see their workers comp card.

[mulligan]

Most lawn care companies will say they have a workers comp exemption. This simply means that their people get paid by the job, and are NOT on the company payroll. Typical of Florida contractors to mis-classify their employees to dodge benefits and other insurance expenses.

[BBlawns]

Walt, LBMP certified is a certification that our company and each employee must obtain from other counties in the Tampa Bay Area. LBMP stands for Landscape Best Management Practices. This training is put into place so that each person and company knows the standards set by the county and recommendations for grass height, cutting of hedges, making sure not to blow debris in the street to affect the waterways, and more. This certification should be required in all counties in Florida. Thank you for your post and question.

Chris Brooks

[Bryan]

Thanks for the response. I agree - General Business Liability usually does not entail an "insurance card", only an agents name or an insurance company name. Florida issues a Workers Comp Insurance Card to those businesses that have it.

I was wondering how you could service TV lawns from 6th Avenue in Safety Harbor, Florida but then I noticed you have opened an office on SW 68th Terrace in Ocala.

Good luck with your business. In a community where probably 95% of the homes use a landscaper or lawn service, everyone is always on the lookout for a reliable one. Word of mouth, on a site such as this, is a great way to become well known but it is a two-sided coin. Subscribers will as quickly post the "bad" as the "good" (maybe even more quickly post the "bad").

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by BBlawns

We do not offer pesticide or fertilization but we do partner with spray companies this way customers are offered a one stop shop environment.

We are always interested in information on new "one-stop shopping" lawn care companies.
I assume you trim shrubs as well?
In The Villages, with which Pest Company do you partner?