How to choose a landscaping company in Dubai: a checklist

Check that the company holds a valid trade licence covering landscaping, get a written quote after a site visit, and ask who will actually do the work. Then read the contract for minimum terms, inclusions, plant replacement and NOC duties before you pay anything.

Key takeaways

• Ask for a copy of the trade licence and check the expiry date, the company name and the listed activity.
• A quote given without anyone seeing your garden is a guess. Ask for the quote after a site visit.
• Ask whether the company's own team does the work or whether it is passed to subcontractors.
• Plant replacement only counts if it is written in the agreement. A verbal promise isn't a term.
• Find out who applies for the developer NOC before work is booked, not after.

How do you check a landscaping company's trade licence in Dubai?

Ask for a copy before you sign anything. Then check three things: the licence hasn't expired, the company name matches the name on the quote and contract, and the licensed activity covers the work you want done. If anything doesn't match, ask why. You can also confirm the licence with the authority that issued it.

Green Beetle (FZE) holds a valid trade licence until 20 May 2027. You can see the details on our licensing page.

Why should the quote come after a site visit?

Gardens differ in size, access, soil, existing irrigation and condition. A price over the phone for a pergola, a lawn or an irrigation system can only be a rough number. A written quote after someone has seen the space is easier to compare, and it is harder for the scope to quietly change later.

Many companies offer a free visit, so there is little reason to skip one. Ours is free, and we explain what happens in what happens at a free site visit. If a company charges for the visit, ask what the fee covers and whether it comes off the job price. At Green Beetle the detailed site inspection is AED 500, a separate fee that is not deducted from the job.

Who will do the work: their own team or subcontractors?

Ask this directly. Subcontracting isn't wrong, but you should know who will be in your garden, who is responsible if something goes wrong, and who you call. Ask who supervises the job and who you speak to during it.

Green Beetle does its listed services with its own team, including aluminium, pool and waterfall work. For a quick look at what that covers, see our landscaping services.

What contract terms should you look for?

Read the contract for the following before you pay a deposit:

• The start date, the expected duration and what happens if the schedule slips.
• The payment schedule, and what is paid before work starts.
• The minimum term and how to cancel, especially for maintenance. Our maintenance plans have a 6-month minimum contract, and we say so up front.
• What counts as a change to the scope and how a change is priced.
• Who removes green waste and leftover materials.

What should the quote say is included?

A quote should list what you get in plain words. For a planting job, that means the plants or trees, their sizes, the soil and mulch, and whether delivery is included. For maintenance, it means how many visits a month, how long each visit is, and which tasks happen on a visit. If a task isn't listed, assume it isn't included and ask.

Materials are the common gap. Ask whether fertiliser, replacement parts for irrigation and new plants are in the price or charged separately.

What happens if a plant dies?

Be wary of any company that promises plants will survive. Heat, watering, drainage and wind all affect a plant after the crew leaves. Plant replacement for maintenance clients should be in the written agreement or it doesn't apply. At Green Beetle, replacement for maintenance clients applies only if the written agreement includes it.

Who handles the NOC?

Many villa communities need developer approval for changes like pergolas, pools, hardscape changes, and work on trees, front gardens or grass. In our experience the client applies for the NOC, and the landscaping company supplies what the application needs, such as drawings and details of the work. Approval usually takes under a week and fees vary by developer. Ask any company you are considering who applies, who pays the fee and what happens to your schedule if approval takes longer. Our permissions guides go into the detail.

How much should reviews and references count?

Read recent reviews on the company's Google listing, and don't rely on the ones on its own website alone. Look for details about the work, the schedule and how problems were handled. Ask for a past client you can speak to for a job like yours. A handful of detailed reviews tells you more than a high average. Our Google reviews are summarised on our reviews page.

What does Green Beetle offer against this checklist?

• A free site visit, with the quote after the visit.
• A valid trade licence until 20 May 2027.
• All 31 listed services done by our own team.
• Service across Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM. We are closed on Sunday.

To book a visit, use the contact page.

Reviewed by Hamza, site supervisor at Green Beetle.