If you’re looking to grow your community’s property value, look outside. An attractive landscape can boost values by 7% or more. To bring that ROI home to your community, download our toolkit today and use these clever tips to maximize your landscape budget:

How to See More Green in Your Budget

Every community wants to see more green in their annual budget, but no one wants to see less green outside their window as a result. Thankfully, with the right expertise, you can have a budget that goes farther and landscape that looks better than ever. Our toolkit, 5 Clever Tips to Maximize Your HOA’s Landscape Budget is the perfect place to start. 

1. Choose the Right Plantings
2. Have Good Oversight in Place
3. Invest in an Ounce of Prevention
4. Reduce Water Consumption
5. Reduce Administrative Costs by Consolidating Services

Ready to maximize your HOA landscaping budget? Download our Toolkit & learn how today!

Have you ever wished you could see into the future? Now you can. At BrightView, we’re making cutting-edge technology and the latest sustainability best practices available to the properties we serve. 

Are you wishing you could bring these same futuristic benefits to your property? Don’t be green with envy! We’ll bring them to you, too. Get in touch to discuss your sustainability goals. 

Nestled in the mountainous region outside Oakland, Calif., the North Hills neighborhood is a quiet community that features a community garden and a memorial garden that both, in their separate ways, remember a deadly wildfire from more than 30 years ago.

The Firestorm Memorial Garden, created in 1993, honors the memories of the lives lost in the 1991 Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm with a bronze sculpture surrounding by the names of the victims on low walls. It also includes a drinking fountain, which honors Oakland Fire Department Battalion Chief James Riley, who lost his life trying to save residents from the fire.

Nearby, the Gateway Emergency Preparedness Exhibit Center has a Fire Resistant Demonstration Garden, displaying a model landscape of the city’s requirements for a defensible space that has the plant material and mulches appropriate for the region’s climate and topography.

Following recent historic rainfall which overwhelmed it, the two gardens were in need of some TLC. BrightView eagerly stepped up to assist with the restoration of the community and memorial gardens, which included removing overgrowth, eradicating non-native vegetation, and general beautification and enhancement of the garden beds.

“We were honored to provide our landscaping expertise to help revitalize and rejuvenate these important community memorials,” said Loren Olson, BrightView Account Manager. “The garden is designed to be a place for reflection and remembrance, and we focused our work on creating a safe and attractive site for many years to come.”

The North Hills Community Association (NHCA) is passionate about the gardens and its importance in giving residents an example of how to maintain their landscapes to prevent another disaster, such as the firestorm it memorializes, and BrightView was honored to be called in to help.

“[BrightView’s] dedicated efforts and professional knowledge to cull gardens of inappropriate vegetation and create healthy growth areas has made a marked improvement,” said Daniel Conolly, Chairman of the NHCA. “We particularly want to acknowledge the planning that BrightView undertook to accomplish this task, and for developing a more sustainable long-term program that would work for both gardens.”

Springing up around Great Park in Irvine, Calif., is a unique and forward-thinking community designed around signature parks and open spaces, complimented by distinct residential architecture. Known as Great Park Neighborhoods, each planned collective has its own signature neighborhood park and each connected via a vast network of recreational trails stitching the community together.

Through the early successes of the first two neighborhoods, Beacon Park and Pavilion Park, there are now eight distinct communities. BrightView Design Group has played a leading role in guiding the creation of each, including the latest, Solis Park.

Inspired by the rising sun and canyon walls of Irvine’s Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve, Solis Park celebrates this geological formation by incorporating dramatic elevation changes and unique architecture within an inspiring sustainable landscape framework.

“Located adjacent to neighborhoods with open spaces that lacked connectivity with Irvine’s ecology, Solis Park was envisioned to promote movement within a functioning and healthy ecologically-sensitive environment,” said Trent Okumura, Associate Lead at BrightView Design Group.

For Solis Park, BrightView Design Group partnered with Great Park Neighborhoods’ developer and consultant team to create an inspiring landscape and complementary features which integrates native plant habitats and surrounding geological characteristics. Highlights of the design include spaces such as:

• The Canyon – A community space for residents to learn about and engage in the area’s geology with circuitous pathways while serving as a place for the community to showcase their art and creativity.


• The Cave – A unique community amenity unlike any other in the United States, it offers the opportunity to disappear under the neighboring homes to discover, explore, and engage in geological cavern-like spaces. It has active and passive shelter spaces, green roofs, and overlooks onto the community pool below. The surrounding landscape’s dramatic elevation change and landforms create a striking user experience.


• The Cove – An open area inspired by the structured spaces often formed naturally along the sides of mountains and cliffs, it has outdoor seating and is designed for outdoor markets and other large-scale community gathering events.


• The Garden – It has both a lawn area and a “forest nook” for passive activities and relaxing under often-needed shade.


• The Promenade – It is a multi-purpose amenity that is created by an intersection of several walking paths, resulting in spaces for shuffleboard, picnicking, playgrounds, and reading nooks.


• The Jewel Box – A unique and iconic architectural statement serving as the community meeting space, it has been designed for formal ceremonies and smaller community gatherings, such as farmers’ markets, birthday and wedding celebrations, and annual holiday and cultural events.

Surrounded by million-dollar homes and pricey apartments sits Bel Air Guest Home – a two-story assisted living apartment complex which houses more than 60 residents living with mental illness and substance abuse issues.

In an effort to bring life and color a barren plot land adjacent to the facility’s walkway, the board of Bel Air Guest Home had an idea of turning it into a community garden for residents. However, a major obstacle stood in their way – specifically several large tree stumps.

They had the plan, they had two master gardeners, and they had residents ready to assist, but they couldn’t get started until the numerous stumps were out of the way. In stepped BrightVIew to assist with the stump removal.

While doing work for the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame Association, the BrightView Tree Care team was approached by its client, who informed them of the Bel Air Guest Home project and the need for assistance. Always looking for ways to help the community, the Tree Care team, led by Brad Bishoff, quickly responded and came in to remove the stumps, both in the garden area and at the entrance to the home.

With the stumps removed, the residents got to work and built their garden haven.

“We could not have done this project without BrightView coming in and stump-grinding, and they ended up doing it twice for us,” said Kerry Morrison, founder and project director of Heart Forward LA, who also helped to find donors and volunteers to assist with the creation of the garden.

The hope is for the garden to become a place where residents can come to help deal with stress and depression.

Read more about the project here.

Your community’s commercial landscape creates more than just a pretty picture. It establishes the tone and backdrop for your community. When done well, landscaping can increase homeowners’ property values by up to 7-14%.

As an HOA board member or property manager, you are ultimately responsible for maintaining the look and feel of your community. You have the important task of managing your homeowners’ money while preserving the property’s overall integrity.

In this guide, we share how you can improve the aesthetics of your community while maximizing your commercial landscaping budget.

Homeowner association board members and property managers face multiple challenges when trying to oversee commercial landscaping projects and property maintenance. Ultimately you have the responsibility for retaining the value of the HOA’s property, sourcing for and managing vendors, keeping costs in line with the budget, and keeping your homeowners/clients happy.

Yours is not an easy job. BrightView has 10 recommendations that will make your life easier.

1.  One-Stop-Shop

Find a commercial landscaping partner that can streamline processes and contracts by bundling multiple services into one service provider. This will significantly reduce your time with less paperwork, fewer contracts to negotiate and manage, fewer invoices to process, and fewer vendors to manage.

Here are the most important commercial landscape services to consider bundling:

• Landscape Design
• Shrub and Plant Care Management
• Seasonal Color Management
• Water Management
• Tree Care
• Snow Removal
• Parking Lot Maintenance

2.  Local Knowledge

The better your team understands the nuances of your property the more beauty they can draw from it. Partner with an organization that employs local teams as they will have a better understanding of local weather conditions and the horticultural environment.

Your landscaping partner should advise on local trends/developments such as material shortages, diseases/insect issues, local ordinances as well as opportunities for operational savings and landscaping enhancements that drive property values.

3.  Consistent Management and Employee Development

Commercial landscaping relies on the quality of the supervision & crews dispatched to clients and properties. In an inherently transient industry, the quality of service is dependent on hiring and employee development practices.

Effective employee development processes minimize crew turnover and reduce the time to train new personnel, resulting in fewer resident complaints due to inconsistencies.

At BrightView Landscape Services our employees have the ability to build professional careers through the BrightPath Landscape Development Program. Participants receive training and coaching with recognition and rewards for new skills learned. This helps us retain quality employees.

4.  Use Qualified Experts to Reduce Risk

Partner with a commercial landscape team who has qualified experts with the appropriate training and experience for the services you need to be performed. The lack of experience or training could cost you significantly in the destruction of property or the loss of plantings and trees (one of your most expensive and valuable assets).

When choosing a partner check for credentials and experience in the following areas: 

• Horticulturist 
• Certified Arborists
• Pesticide specialists for plantings, trees, and ground cover
• Certified Irrigation Technicians
• Certified Snow Professionals

5.  Get the Job Done Right First Time

Stop the frustration! With the job done right first, you can focus on the other thousand tasks demanding your attention. When choosing a commercial landscaping partner consider the following: 

• Ensure employees are well trained and have necessary certifications
• Review safety procedures and standards
• Conduct a joint assessment of the property to develop quality and performance benchmarks

Use the following BrightView standards as a benchmark:

Training and Certifications

Formal training and certification through the BrightPath Landscape Development Program

Safety

Well-documented environment, health, and safety (EH&S) protocols. Our best-in-class Safety Management System is committed to continuous improvement and has resulted in injuries below the national average. 

Quality and Performance

BrightView performs a Quality Site Assessment to capture your objectives and measure our success against your standards.

BrightView is relentless in its pursuit of excellence. Our team members participate in quality standards and continuous improvement training to ensure the service you receive is impeccable and efficient.  Our service teams regularly check your property to ensure work is being done properly and proactively identify issues that may need to be resolved.  

BrightView’s proprietary 7 Standards of Excellence promote best practices and standards that enable us to develop cohesive and consistent strategies for your HOA: 

1. Site Cleanliness

2. Weed Free

3. Green Turf

4. Crisp-Edge Beds

5. Spectacular Flowers

6. Uniformly Mulched Beds

7. Neatly Pruned Trees & Shrubs

6.  New Client Onboarding – 30, 60, 90-Day Plans

Successful partnerships start with transparency and a seamless transition. Having a well-documented plan will ensure everyone involved understands the scope of work, the timeline for completion, and the cadence of meetings and progress checks.

The 30, 60, and 90-day plans, should include:

• A clear definition of the roles and responsibilities of the HOA team and the commercial landscape team
• Outline who is expected to participate in progress checks and meetings
• An assessment of the property. BrightView performs a Quality Site Assessment
• Establish trackable plans with clearly defined goals and measurements of success
• Schedule progress checks. We recommend once a month minimally

7.  Simplify Communications

The #1 reason HOA board members and property managers aren’t happy with their landscape maintenance team is the lack of communication. As far as your homeowners and residents are concerned, it is your responsibility to know what is going on with the property at all times.  And, if there is a problem, how and when will it be resolved.

Your landscape maintenance team should keep you abreast of the happenings of your property without you having to walk it yourself — this is precious time you can use to complete other tasks. While scheduled meetings should occur monthly, issues or changes to the property, or time-sensitive matters should be communicated immediately. 

A primary point of contact oversees your BrightView Landscape Services team, a dedicated Account Manager. They are responsible for ensuring your Customer Service Team is compliant in executing the services outlined in your contract to the high-quality levels we demand.

Your BrightView Customer Service Teams consist of: 

• Account Manager (client liaison)
• Production Manager (manages the crew - training, safety, necessary equipment/supplies),
• Crew Leader (on-site manager)
• Crew members

8.  Reduce Costs 

We understand the pressures to keep costs under control, especially in economically challenging times. And while the easy answer might look to be cutting services that could cost you in the long run.  Overgrown and unmaintained properties can cost upwards of 20-40% over regular maintenance costs to bring them back.

You can protect your HOAs investment by: 

• Choosing a partner with local and national resources
• Reduce risk and liability by hiring qualified experts
• Implement sustainable practices to reduce waste and increase water efficiency
• Utilize natural resources
• Choose plant selections specifically for your environment to prolong the beauty of your commercial landscape

9.  Storm Management

Storms are unpredictable but your response doesn’t need to be. Choose a landscaping partner that will monitor the progression of snow, hurricane, tornado, hail, and rain storms and update you on the plan for remedial action. A storm response should include a property assessment with recommendations for any property damage or required clean-up.

BrightView Landscape Services has a landscaping crew of over 20,000. We have the ability to reassign resources after major storms – including across state lines. Mother Nature brought a white Christmas to Washington state in 2021 and along with the snow came the logistical nightmares. Read the full story on how BrightView volunteers from CA and OH came to the rescue.

10. Understand Commercial Landscape Regulations

There are local and national regulations that impact the landscaping industry. Look for a landscaping partner who knows what they are and when they are changing. 

Some of the legislations BrightView Landscape Services monitors both nationally and locally are: 

• Water restrictions
• Chemical usages
• Fleet equipment
• H2B legislation (government visa programs)
• Grading  

Summary of BrightView’s Tips to Ease Commercial Landscaping Management

BrightView understands the complexities of Homeowner Associations and the intricacies it takes to manage them. We pride ourselves in partnering with you to make your life easier.  Our goal is to reduce your workload and your stress by providing you with:

• Comprehensive contracts for all of your services
• Best-in-class service teams with local knowledge and expertise
• Certified experts for your more complex services
• Clearly identified goals measured against our 7 Standards of Excellence
• Proactively communicating opportunities to reduce costs, issues when they arise (and how to fix them before they become a problem), pending storms, and regulations (both national and local) that affect your community

About BrightView Landscaping Services

Property management means balancing the visual appeal of your property against the cost of sustaining and protecting your investment. Our partnership ensures your landscape needs are covered from landscape maintenance, fertilization, water management, weed and pest management, tree care, snow removal, storm preparedness, and response.

BrightView partnerships have provided high-quality, cost-effective, and consistent commercial landscape services since 1939.

Let us help make your life easier, reduce costs, and keep your residents happy.

Schedule Consultation Today

Homeowner Association residents expect a hassle-free, beautiful, relaxing home environment. Maintaining high landscaping standards is a key part of the equation.

Here are 5 tips to help ensure your residents are happy by removing the “complaint department” from your list of responsibilities. 

1.  Maintained Commercial Landscaping Consistently Year Round

As the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you will plan to fail. The same is true for the aesthetics of your community. Keep your residents happy and give them a beautiful environment to come home to, any time of the year, with three well-documented plans: 

1. Proactive landscape plans with solutions for enhancements
2. Year-round maintenance plans
3. Storm response plan (e.g. snow, wind, rain, hail)

Landscape services planning starts with a site assessment. Document and take pictures of the current conditions of the property, define objectives, and measure success against your documented standards. 

2.  Protect Property Values

HOAs and property managers play a pivotal role in maintaining property values through commercial landscaping management. Eye-catching and vibrant landscapes create curb appeal attracting real estate agents, investors, and new homeowners.

Rental rates are 7% higher for multi-family dwellings that have high-quality landscapes, according to The National Association of Landscape Professionals. And the WSJ reports curb appeal raises house values by 7-14%.

Opportunities for high-impact landscaping include:

1. Custom features maximizing focal points and “wow factors”
2. Seasonal color design and mulching
3. Site Cleanliness
4. Weed Free
5. Green Turf
6. Xeriscaping designs utilizing elements that need little to no additional irrigation
7. Crisp-Edge Beds
8. Spectacular Flowers
9. Uniformly Mulched Beds
10. Neatly Pruned Trees & Shrubs

3.  Budget Transparency with Homeowners

HOA budgets are under constant scrutiny and Landscaping is typically one of the larger line items. Keep your commercial landscaping budget in control with preplanning and minimal unbudgeted expenses:

• Streamline processes by consolidating vendors. Combine services – design, landscape maintenance, water management, tree care, snow removal, and parking lot maintenance.
• Reduce risk by partnering with a reputable company with local and national resources.
• Keep expenses under control by utilizing natural resources, reducing waste, and managing water usage and runoff.
• Avoid unexpected bills due to negligence or inexperience by utilizing qualified experts:
  • Horticulturist 
  • Certified Arborists
  • Pesticide specialists for plantings, trees, and ground cover
  • Certified Irrigation Technicians
  • Certified Snow Professionals
• Share with your homeowners how the budget is being allocated.

4.  Choose the Right Vendor

The right vendor should become an extension of your HOA management team. Conversely, the wrong vendor will cause you to spend extra hours fielding calls from unhappy residents. 

Criteria for vendor selection: 

• Employees are easily identifiable (through their uniforms) on your property and are courteous to your residents
• Well-documented environment, health, and safety (EH&S) protocols
• They do what they say they are going to do - the first time
• Has local (weather, plant, and environmental) knowledge
• Can bring in the nation’s top agronomic, horticultural, and arboricultural talent
• Can leverage national team support at peak times or in an emergency
• Has established processes and programs to ensure quality
• Measures performance against agreed expectations
• Is highly reputable and financially stable

5.  Open Lines of Communication

Effective communication is the foundation of a successful partnership. It’s critical that you know how your homeowners are feeling, what is concerning them, and what their expectations are of you.

Communications with a commercial landscaping partner are most effective when there is a primary point of contact who has a detailed understanding of the property. The account manager should be readily available to property managers and HOAs to provide information, recommendations and answer questions.

Effective communications include: 

• Strategic planning meetings to establish priorities and timelines in line with the HOA’s vision and goals for the property
• Periodic review meetings evaluate performance and provide the opportunity to adjust

As a benchmark, BrightView’s Client Partnership Plan includes: 

• Pre-Season Collaboration Meeting
• Quality Site Assessment
• Business Reviews
• Post-Season Collaboration Meeting
• Customer Satisfaction Surveys

BrightView has taken communication to the next level with BrightView Connect. This tool gives you, and your residents, the ability to report concerns in real-time through any mobile device.

If last night’s storm brought down a tree limb, simply submit a ticket, along with a photo, from your mobile device. BrightView’s commercial landscape team will respond and send you progress reports along the way.

BrightView Connect gives you the ability to

• Submit and track service requests
• View planned maintenance schedules
• View and edit community news
• Receive notification emails
• Receive weather alerts

Summary of BrightView’s Keys to Outstanding Customer Service

Some of the most common HOA challenges are creating an aesthetically pleasing environment, maintaining property values, budget control, and managing ongoing communication.

BrightView wants to help keep your residents happy. Our goal is to keep landscaping complaints to a minimum and let you focus on other priorities.

Partnering with BrightView will maintain or increase your homeowner’s property values and entice more people to visit with a well-laid-out seasonal plan. You’ll be able to access those service schedules or make a request in real-time on your mobile device. You will be in constant control.

About BrightView Landscape Services

Property management means balancing the visual appeal of your property against the cost of sustaining and protecting your investment. Our partnership ensures your landscape needs are covered from landscape maintenance, fertilization, water management, weed and pest management, tree care, snow removal, storm preparedness, and response.

Since 1939, BrightView partnerships have provided high-quality, cost-effective, and consistent commercial landscape services.

Schedule a consultation to see how BrightView can help you keep your residents happy.

Schedule Consultation Today