A property manager may use “landscaping” to describe two different kinds of work. One is recurring care for an existing site. The other changes the site: a new planting area, a revised layout, or an installation project. Combining both in one short request can make proposals hard to compare. A contractor may interpret an improvement idea as part of routine care, while the manager expects a separate design or installation price.
Atlas lists commercial landscaping, landscape maintenance, and landscape design and installation among its services. This guide is a way for a Surrey manager to describe a property before asking Atlas or another provider what scope it can offer. It is a planning template, not a description of a standard Atlas package.
First, identify whether the site is changing
Start with a dated property plan or current photos that clearly show each area under discussion. Label entrances, shared paths, planted beds, lawn areas, parking edges and any access restriction. Then ask: Is the request to care for the existing area, or to change what is there?
If the desired result is continued care of an existing area, put the question in the recurring-maintenance column. If the desired result requires a new layout, new materials, construction or planting, put it in the improvement column. A single area can appear in both columns when it needs ongoing care now and a possible redesign later. Keep those decisions separate so one does not silently alter the other.
| Property area | Recurring-care question | Design or installation question |
|---|---|---|
| [Entrance bed] | What existing area needs regular attention, and how will its condition be reviewed? | Is a new layout or planting change being considered? Who approves it? |
| [Lawn beside parking] | What existing area is included in the proposed maintenance scope? | Is the boundary, grade or planting area proposed to change? |
| [Shared path edge] | What access constraints affect routine work? | Is a physical change to the edge or planting being requested? |
These are placeholders, not an Atlas customer property. Replace the labels with your site's actual locations. A map with stable names makes later scope changes easier to discuss.
Put timing and inclusions in the written proposal
For recurring work, ask the provider to state the areas included, the proposed tasks, how often those tasks would be considered, and what is excluded. If seasonal cleanup is part of the discussion, ask whether it is included in the recurring scope or quoted separately. The Atlas website lists seasonal cleanups as a service, but it does not publish a fixed maintenance calendar for every property.
For an improvement, ask for the proposed design or installation deliverable, materials, site preparation assumptions, approval stages and any ongoing-care handoff. Do not treat a drawing, suggested material or verbal discussion as an approved change order. Have the provider explain what is included and which decisions still need the owner or council's approval.
The two columns may have different timing. A manager can request routine care while an improvement is being evaluated, but should confirm how existing areas will be treated during any later project. If work affects access, note the affected entrance, walkway or parking edge and ask how the proposed plan addresses it. The answer belongs in the property-specific agreement; do not assume a general service page sets it.
Use a two-column request brief
Copy the following into an email or quote request and replace the bracketed items:
Property: [Surrey address and property type]. Contact: [name and role]. Site plan: [dated attachment with labelled areas].
Recurring care requested: [area IDs, current conditions, questions about tasks and timing].
Changes under consideration: [area IDs, desired change, known constraints and approval status].
Access and approvals: [gates, busy periods, who may approve a scope or cost change].
Please clarify: which areas and tasks are included, what is excluded or optional, the proposed timing, and whether design or installation is a separate proposal.
Send the same brief to each bidder if you are comparing proposals. Record the version date when the map or requested scope changes. A proposal based on an old layout may no longer answer the current request.
Review the handoff between the two scopes
Before approving an improvement, ask who will update the recurring-care scope after installation. A new planted area may need a different care discussion from the former area. The manager should know when the new area enters any ongoing service agreement and whether the current contractor or another party is responsible. Put that handoff in writing rather than assuming the original maintenance contract automatically expands.
On a multi-tenant or strata site, also identify who has authority to request work and who can approve a change. A tenant's suggestion, a manager's request and a council-approved project may be different stages of the same idea. Record the decision date and the agreed plan so future proposals use the same version.
Next step for a Surrey property
Atlas's Surrey service-area page confirms the city is served. Send the property address, labelled plan and two-column brief through the Atlas quote form. Ask Atlas to separate the recurring-care proposal from any design or installation proposal and confirm the property-specific inclusions, exclusions and timing in writing.