These terms apply to gardening and grounds maintenance work carried out by Richard Chapple, a sole trader trading as Rich Grounds and Gardens Darlington, of 61 Bridge Street, Kington, Herefordshire, HR5 3DJ. They apply from the moment you accept a price from us.
We give prices from photographs you send us, or from a visit if the job needs seeing in person. A price is valid for 30 days.
A quote covers only the work described in it. If we arrive and the job is materially different from what we were shown, for example the area is much larger or there is buried waste, we will stop and agree a revised price with you before carrying on. You are free to say no at that point.
A booking is made when you accept our price by phone, WhatsApp, email or in writing, and we confirm a date. We do not take a deposit for ordinary domestic work.
Because we agree most work by message, phone or at your home rather than at business premises, you have a legal right to cancel within 14 days of booking, without giving a reason. To cancel, tell us by any clear means, for example a WhatsApp message or an email to info@richgroundsandgardens.com.
If you cancel within that period we will refund anything you have paid within 14 days.
If you want work to start within the 14 days. Tell us you want us to start sooner. You can still cancel, but you will have to pay for the work already done up to that point. If the job is finished within the 14 days at your request, the right to cancel ends.
After the 14 days, our normal notice terms below apply.
Please give us at least 24 hours notice if you need to move or cancel a visit. If we arrive and cannot get access, or nobody is there and no access has been arranged, we will contact you to rearrange. We may charge for a wasted visit. If we intend to, we will tell you what the charge is before you book again, and you can decide at that point.
If we need to move a date because of weather, illness or a breakdown, we will tell you as early as we can and offer the next available slot. We do not charge for a visit we have moved.
Regular lawn and hedge rounds run until either of us cancels. Either side can end a round with 14 days notice. There is no minimum term and no tie-in.
Frequency is a guide, not a fixed date. Growth, weather and ground conditions affect when a cut is needed.
You need to give us safe access to the garden on the agreed day, including gates, side access and any power or water the job needs. If you will not be in, arrange access in advance. Please keep pets indoors and move fragile items, garden furniture and vehicles out of the working area before we arrive.
All cuttings and green waste are taken away as standard unless we agree otherwise. We are a registered waste carrier with the Environment Agency, registration number CBDU657144, and waste is disposed of at a licensed facility.
We do not remove hazardous waste, asbestos, building rubble, chemicals or household rubbish. If we find any on site we will stop and tell you.
Payment is due on completion unless we have agreed otherwise in writing. We accept bank transfer, which we prefer, or cash.
For larger jobs we may ask for a staged payment, agreed before we start.
Invoices unpaid after 30 days may carry interest and reasonable recovery costs under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, where that Act applies. This does not apply to consumers.
We will carry out the work with reasonable care and skill, and within a reasonable time, as the Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires.
Some things are outside our control and we cannot guarantee them:
Please tell us before we start about anything buried, fragile or protected in the garden.
We carry out small to medium tree felling and cross cutting. We do not work on trees near buildings or overhead lines, and we will refer those to a qualified tree surgeon.
It is your responsibility to confirm whether a tree is protected by a Tree Preservation Order or sits in a conservation area. We will point out where we think permission may be needed, but the permission itself is yours to obtain. We will not fell a protected tree without written evidence that permission has been granted.
We hold public liability insurance of £1,000,000, underwritten by Hiscox.
If we damage your property through our negligence, tell us within 7 days of the visit so we can inspect it and put it right. We are not responsible for:
Nothing here limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else the law does not allow us to limit. Your statutory rights as a consumer are not affected.
We take before and after photographs of our work for our own records, our website and Checkatrade. Tell us at any time if you would rather we did not, and we will not take them or, if already published, we will remove them. See our Privacy Policy.
If you are not happy with the work, tell us within 7 days of the visit and we will come back and look at it. Most things are sorted out on the spot. You can also leave feedback through Checkatrade.
These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales.
