Total Landscape Care Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/85697
hardscaping Get a profi tability boost To earn ICPI Concrete Paver Installer certifi cation, hardscapers must take a two-day course and pass an exam at the end of the second day. Then they must install a total of 10,000 square feet of pavers. Cours- es are offered throughout North America, primarily from November through March, and cost $350 for non-members and $250 for ICPI members, says David Smith, the group's technical director. Certifi cation is valid for two years. During that time, contractors must take eight hours of continu- ing education classes to maintain certifi cation. The ICPI charges a recertifi cation fee of $50 for mem- bers and $100 for non-members and maintains a list of certifi ed installers on its websites so consum- ers can verify landscapers' credentials, Smith says. "Getting certifi ed is like putting money in your pocket," he says. "You learn about effi ciencies in the fi eld — such as best placement of materials and equipment on a job site — and in the offi ce, with things like how to do estimating and job costing. "You also learn best practices for everything from compacting to cutting and installing pavers," he adds. "And after that, you can use certifi cation to market your company." Smith also points out there's a difference be- tween training and certifi cation, although both are necessary. The former teaches contractors about best practices in their particular trade, while the latter is a more marketable commodity because it provides industry recognition of that knowledge, based on an exam and/or installation experience. Separate from the pack Certifi cation helps hardscapers differentiate themselves from competitors, which is especially important in the present economy, says Ken O'Neill, the senior vice president of marketing for Belgard Hardscapes. "Anyone can say they can install pavers, but not everyone understands the whole process," O'Neill says, citing the importance of certifi cation. "There's no reason to have someone (improperly) install a product with a 50-year life cycle so it lasts only two years. That's the whole purpose of certifi cation — to make sure an installer's skill set is equal to a 16 TOTAL LANDSCAPE CARE / March 2012 Bobby Franz, owner of Franz Nursery, says hardscape certifi cation has provided a valuable sales tool and brought consis- tency to his crews' installation process, such as this residential lakeside project.