Terms and Conditions for Gardeners Petts Wood

These Terms and Conditions set out the basis on which Gardeners Petts Wood provides domestic and light commercial gardening services. By making a booking, confirming a quotation, or allowing work to begin, the customer agrees to these terms. They are intended to create clear expectations around the booking process, payments, cancellations, liability, waste handling, and the legal framework that applies to the services. For the purposes of this document, the terms we, us, and our refer to the service provider, while you and your refer to the customer.

These terms apply to all garden maintenance, soft landscaping, clearance, pruning, lawn care, planting, hedge work, and related services provided by our gardeners in Petts Wood and surrounding areas. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, any additional work requested during a visit will be treated as a separate instruction and may affect the price, timing, and scope of the original booking. Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer under UK law.

We aim to keep the service straightforward and professional. However, gardening work can be affected by weather, plant condition, ground conditions, hidden hazards, and access limitations. For that reason, these terms should be read as part of the service agreement before any work commences.

1. Booking Process

Bookings may be made by requesting a quotation or by agreeing a fixed-price visit where the scope of work is sufficiently clear. When a booking is accepted, we will usually confirm the date, approximate arrival window, and agreed tasks. A booking is only secured once it has been acknowledged by us, either verbally, by message, or in writing. Gardeners Petts Wood reserves the right to refuse or reschedule a booking where access, safety, or workload considerations make it impractical to proceed as originally planned.

Before work begins, you must provide accurate information about the garden, including any known hazards, restricted access, pets, fragile surfaces, underground services, or areas that must not be touched. If the actual conditions differ from the details provided, we may need to revise the quotation or pause the work until the scope has been agreed. Where necessary, we may also ask for photographs, a site visit, or written clarification before confirming the appointment.

Arrival times are estimates unless a specific time has been guaranteed in writing. We will make reasonable efforts to attend on the agreed day, but weather, traffic, previous job overruns, equipment issues, or unforeseen site conditions may cause delays. If we are unable to attend, we will offer a new date as soon as reasonably possible.

2. Scope of Service and Customer Responsibilities

Our work is limited to the tasks agreed at the point of booking. Any request for extra work, including additional clearance, disposal, or plant removal, must be approved before it is carried out. Customers must ensure that the work area is reasonably accessible and that gates, paths, and working spaces are safe for our team to use. If machinery is required, suitable access and safe operating conditions must be available.

You are responsible for removing or securing valuable, fragile, or personal items from the work area before the appointment. Although our gardeners take care and work professionally, we cannot be responsible for damage to items that should reasonably have been moved, protected, or identified in advance. If there are hidden irrigation pipes, cables, weak structures, or other concealed risks, you must tell us before work starts.

Where plants, lawns, borders, or hard landscaping are particularly delicate, you should inform us so that we can consider the most suitable method. Some older or overcrowded gardens may require staged work over more than one visit. In such cases, we will explain the expected outcome and any limitations before proceeding.

We may refuse to carry out work that appears unsafe, unlawful, or beyond the agreed scope. This includes work involving dangerous access, unstable structures, or inappropriate use of equipment. If we stop work for safety reasons, you may still be charged for the time already spent and for any materials already ordered or delivered.

3. Payments

Unless otherwise agreed, payment is due on completion of the work on the same day the service is provided. For larger projects, repeat visits, or bookings that require special materials or disposal arrangements, we may request a deposit, staged payments, or payment in advance for parts of the service. Gardeners Petts Wood will confirm any such arrangement before the job begins.

Invoices may be issued after the job, and payment methods will be specified at the time of booking or on the invoice itself. If payment is not made by the due date, we reserve the right to charge reasonable late administration fees and suspend any future services until the account has been settled. Any collection costs incurred as a result of non-payment may be added to the outstanding balance where permitted by law.

All prices are quoted in pounds sterling and, where applicable, include or exclude VAT as stated at the time of quotation. Quotations are based on the information provided by the customer and may change if the work proves more extensive than expected. Where extra time, labour, materials, or waste handling is required because of inaccurate or incomplete information, an additional charge may apply.

4. Cancellations, Rescheduling, and Waiting Time

If you need to cancel or rearrange a booking, please give us as much notice as possible. For standard appointments, we ask for at least 24 hours’ notice. For larger or specially arranged jobs, we may require a longer notice period. If insufficient notice is given, we may charge a cancellation fee to recover reasonable lost time, scheduling costs, or materials already purchased.

If we arrive and are unable to access the property, cannot safely carry out the work, or are prevented from starting because the site is not ready, we may treat the visit as a late cancellation and charge accordingly. Examples include locked gates, missing access arrangements, aggressive animals, severe weather conditions that make the job unsafe, or undisclosed site restrictions.

If we are delayed or need to reschedule, we will contact you as soon as reasonably possible. We are not responsible for delays caused by events outside our control, including extreme weather, accidents, transport disruption, illness, or equipment failure. In such cases, any appointment will be rearranged without liability for indirect loss.

5. Liability and Limits of Responsibility

Our gardeners will carry out services with reasonable care and skill. However, gardening involves natural variation and inherent uncertainty, and results can be affected by plant health, season, climate, soil conditions, and prior maintenance. As a result, we cannot guarantee the survival, growth, flowering, or recovery of any plant, lawn, tree, or shrub unless a specific guarantee is given in writing.

We are not liable for losses that are indirect, incidental, or consequential, including loss of profits, loss of enjoyment, or damage arising from circumstances beyond our control. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded under UK law. Where we are found liable for direct loss or damage, our total liability will be limited to the amount paid or payable for the specific service giving rise to the claim, except where the law requires otherwise.

We will not accept responsibility for pre-existing defects, wear and tear, hidden structural issues, or damage caused by access routes that were already fragile or unsuitable. If you ask us to work near fences, paving, irrigation systems, sheds, ponds, or decorative features, you accept that some level of risk is inherent in the task. We will use reasonable skill to minimise that risk, but we cannot guarantee against accidental disturbance where the task itself involves close contact with such features.

Any complaint about the service should be raised as soon as reasonably possible after the work is completed so that we can inspect the issue and, where appropriate, consider a remedy. We may ask for photographs, access to the property, or further information to assess the concern. No liability will arise for issues not reported within a reasonable time unless the delay would not affect our ability to investigate.

6. Waste, Green Waste, and Disposal Regulations

Where waste removal is included, it will generally relate to green waste such as grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, leaves, branches, and plant material. Unless otherwise stated, the service may not include the removal of soil, rubble, large volumes of timber, construction waste, or hazardous materials. If such items are discovered, we may pause the work and provide a revised price or recommend separate handling.

All waste must be managed in accordance with applicable UK environmental and waste regulations. We will dispose of materials responsibly, using licensed facilities where required and separating recyclable waste where practicable. You must not ask us to transport or dispose of items that are illegal, unsafe, or improperly classified. If the site contains contaminated material, asbestos, chemicals, oils, or sharp hazardous objects, you are responsible for notifying us before work begins.

Where the customer chooses to retain waste on site, it becomes their responsibility once it has been placed in the agreed area. We are not responsible for later movement, storage, deterioration, or unauthorised removal of waste left at the property after completion of the job.

7. Materials, Plants, and Customer-Supplied Items

If we supply plants, compost, mulch, feed, timber, or other materials, we will use reasonable care in sourcing products of suitable quality. Natural products may vary in appearance, size, and performance. Any guidance about expected growth or condition is provided in good faith but cannot amount to a guarantee. Where the customer supplies items for use in the work, we are not responsible for faults, defects, or inadequate suitability of those items.

Measurements, quantities, and estimates are based on the information available at the time. If additional materials are needed to complete the agreed job properly, we may notify you and request approval before proceeding. Title to any supplied materials may remain with us until payment has been received in full.

8. Governing Law and General Terms

These Terms and Conditions, and any dispute or claim arising from them, are governed by the laws of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales will have exclusive jurisdiction, except where consumer law allows otherwise. If any part of these terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force.

We may update these Terms and Conditions from time to time to reflect changes in law, service structure, or operational practice. The version in force at the time of your booking will apply to that booking unless a later version is expressly agreed by both parties. By proceeding with a booking, you confirm that you have read, understood, and accepted the terms applicable to the service provided by Gardeners Petts Wood.