Having work done to the garden - advice please

[barrelohflaughs]

Do I need to ask for any kind of documentation from a landscape gardener who will be digging out a section of our garden and building a retaining wall? Any sort of insurance documents etc?

This is our first house and we've never had any work like this done before so I'm a little nervous about just accepting their quote (we've had 4) and asking them to crack on; especially since it's a retaining wall and I don't want anything to happen down the line.

Thank you!

Maybe agree when you are liable to pay, is there a deposit upfront? I had a landscape builder make a large patio with retaining wall and create a lawn 30 yards by 20 yards. This was 20 years ago and cost £4000.
He nagged regularly for payments to cover materials which I gave him as even though not agreed in contract thought it reasonable.

One Friday about a week before work would be completed he said he couldn’t afford to pay his guys as the revenue had overtaxed him and like an idiot I bought his story.

Never saw him again, and had to finish jobs off by myself, though I did keep or sell any gear he never picked up

Mumblesoldbloke great idea! Thank you