Landscaping for property managers and HOAs
Galapagos maintains common areas, entrances and rental portfolios for HOAs, community development districts and property managers in Celebration, Davenport, Four Corners, ChampionsGate and Clermont: turf, beds, trees and palms on a written scope and a fixed schedule, with photo reports and crews who work in English and Spanish.
What managers usually need
A fixed schedule the board can see, someone who answers the phone, and work that matches the community’s standards every visit — not just before an inspection.
We work in English and Spanish, which helps when residents, vendors and crews don’t share a first language.
A written scope, not a handshake
Every community contract starts with a walk-through and a scope the board can read and compare with other bids:
- each area by name: entrances, medians, amenity center, pond banks you maintain, playgrounds, dog parks
- what happens in each area and how often: mowing, edging, bed weeding, shrub trimming, mulch, palm cleanup
- what is excluded, so nothing is assumed: pond treatment, irrigation repairs over a set amount, tree removals
- who to call, and how problems are reported
Rules your community has to follow anyway
Common areas fall under the same county and water-district rules as homes, and sometimes different ones. Under the St. Johns River district’s current Phase III order, nonresidential properties water on Tuesday, not on the residents’ weekend days. Unincorporated Lake County and Orange County ban nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer from June 1 to September 30; Osceola bans fertilizer during tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings; Polk keeps it 10 feet from water. We set controllers and fertilizer programs to the rule for each property, and each service area page lists them with the official sources.
Florida law (s. 373.185, Florida Statutes) also says a deed restriction may not prohibit an owner from putting in Florida-friendly landscaping. Keep that in mind when the board reviews a resident’s drought-tolerant front yard.
Reports the board can use
When we find a broken irrigation line, a dead shrub, a leaning tree or storm damage, the manager gets a short note with photos. Work outside the scope is quoted before it is done. Before hurricane season (June 1 to November 30), we propose a palm and tree cleanup for entrances and amenity areas, and after a storm we clear entrances and walkways first.
For the details of each service, see lawn maintenance, tree trimming and our property services such as pressure washing for walks and monument signs.
Services for communities and portfolios
- Lawn maintenanceThe full routine: mowing plus the checks that keep a lawn healthy — weeds, irrigation coverage, problem spots.
- Bush & shrub trimmingHedges and shrubs shaped and kept off windows, walls and walkways, with clippings hauled away.
- Mulch installationFresh mulch spread at the right depth, kept off trunks and stems, with beds edged first.
- Tree trimmingClearance pruning over roofs, drives and walks, dead-wood removal and crown cleanup.
- Palm tree trimmingDead fronds, seed pods and flower stalks removed; healthy green fronds left on, as UF/IFAS recommends.
- Pressure washingDriveways, walks, pool decks, pavers and exterior walls cleaned of mildew and dirt.
How we start
Walk the property
We review the areas, current condition and your community’s standards.
Scope and schedule
A written scope with visit frequency for each area, ready for board review.
Start-up visit
A first cleanup brings every area to the standard, so regular visits keep it there.
Report as we go
You hear about problems we find, with photos when you’re not on site.
Common questions
Do you prepare written proposals for HOA and CDD boards?
Yes. After a walk-through we send a written scope with each area, the visit frequency, what is included and what is not, so the board can compare bids line by line.
How do you report problems you find on the property?
With a short note and photos to the manager: broken irrigation, dead plants, tree hazards, storm damage. Anything outside the scope gets a separate quote before we do it.
Do watering restrictions apply to common areas?
Yes, and the day can differ from residents’ days. Under the St. Johns River district’s current Phase III order, for example, nonresidential properties water on Tuesday. We set common-area controllers to the rule for your district.
Can residents hire you for their own yards too?
Yes. Individual homes are quoted and billed separately from the association’s contract, so common-area work and private work never mix on one invoice.
Can one company handle the whole property?
That’s the idea. Lawn care, landscaping, tree and palm work, and property services like pressure washing, gutters and cleaning can all go on one schedule with one point of contact.
Do you speak Spanish?
Yes. We work in English and Spanish — on the phone, in quotes and on site.
Talk to a real person today
Call (407) 577-6400 or send a quote request — in English or Spanish.