The Association of Professional Landscapers is a voluntary trade association for the landscaping industry. No law requires a landscaper to join a trade body to run their business. Membership serves as a vetting signal for homeowners looking to hire a professional, rather than a guarantee of a perfect result.
What the Association of Professional Landscapers is
The Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) is an association of accredited landscape companies. These businesses operate across the country to design, build and maintain gardens throughout the UK.
APL is associated with the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA). The HTA is a company limited by guarantee. It was established in 1899 and is registered in London under the company number 00169606.
The year 1899 is the HTA's date and not the date of the Association of Professional Landscapers. The British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) is another landscaping trade body, and our guide on what BALI accreditation means covers it.
How APL members are vetted and inspected
Before a landscaping firm can join the association, the applicants are vetted by an industry panel. Applicants must also provide client and trade references.
Applicants face an initial inspection. APL's why-choose page says members are "rigorously assessed by industry experts with years of horticultural experience" and that regular inspections check members keep meeting standards. The Code of Conduct, which APL publishes separately, sets out the industry panel vetting and the client and trade references that applicants must provide. The same page also sets out APL's complaints policy, covered later in this guide.
The Code of Conduct says members must maintain full Public Liability Insurance. It also says a landscaper may only offer services within their competence using appropriately trained staff.
Members are inspected annually to check they keep meeting standards. APL's Terms of Membership separately say it may assess a member's site "maximum every 18 months".
Inspections check for up-to-date insurance, health and safety compliance and quality of work. Members must also be environmentally responsible and financially viable. Any subcontracted labour must be insured and competent for the tasks.
What TrustMark means for APL members
APL describes TrustMark as a government-endorsed initiative that promotes professional trades to consumers. According to APL's own TrustMark page, it is "the only UK Government-Endorsed Quality Scheme for work carried out in or around the home" and has worked since 2005.
APL says it is "the TrustMark Scheme Provider" under a sub-licence agreement, and describes itself as the only landscaping scheme operator of TrustMark.
APL says its members are accredited by TrustMark, which it calls "the only government-endorsed quality scheme". It says TrustMark accreditation covers workmanship, transparency and customer care. APL's pages do not describe a TrustMark guarantee or a route to redress, so none should be assumed.
APL's TrustMark page says the standards give homeowners "assurance and confidence when they engage a TrustMark Registered Business". The page links a Customer Charter that sets out the rights and responsibilities of customers receiving work from a registered business. These are APL's descriptions of TrustMark, so read APL's TrustMark page and the Customer Charter for the full wording.
Standards APL members say they follow
When a landscaping business joins the association, they agree to follow the APL Terms of Membership. These cover business practices, health and safety, environmental responsibility, customer service and industry regulations.
APL says its members follow planning and building regulations, including BS7533-102 for domestic paving. It also says members comply with the Construction Design and Management Regulations (CDM 2015).
Under the Code of Conduct, members are responsible for health and safety, welfare and the actions of all staff and subcontractors. The terms of membership explicitly state that members must maintain an up-to-date health and safety policy and comply with all current Health and Safety Executive legislation.
Failure to follow the Code of Conduct can lead to disciplinary action and potential expulsion.
What APL membership proves and what it does not
APL membership is a vetting signal and not a guarantee. It shows the firm was vetted and inspected, and it does not show how a particular job will turn out.
The table below shows exactly what the credential proves and what it does not cover.
|
What membership proves |
What membership does not prove |
|---|---|
|
The firm was vetted by an industry panel |
A guarantee of a perfect result on a given job |
|
Client and trade references were provided |
Any money back if the project goes wrong |
|
The business is inspected annually |
A fixed price for your landscaping work |
|
The firm agreed to the terms of membership |
A free full independent inspection for disputes |
|
Public liability insurance is required |
Financial negotiation handled by the association |
Read the rows as follows. Vetting by an industry panel and the references describe how a firm joins. Annual inspection describes how it stays a member, and APL says the inspections check for up-to-date insurance, health and safety compliance and quality of work. Agreeing to the Terms of Membership means accepting APL's rules of conduct for the firm. Public liability insurance is a membership requirement under the Code of Conduct, and APL says its inspections check for up-to-date insurance. None of these rows says that your particular job will go well.
The association's pages describe no guarantee or money-back scheme if the work fails. For prices, read our garden landscaping cost guide.
How to find and check an APL member
APL's directory is called Find a Landscaping Professional.
Follow these simple steps to find a registered professional or to check a firm that has given you a quote:
- Go to the 'Find a Landscaping Professional' directory on the official website.
- Choose your specific county from the search options to view local firms.
- Select whether you need a Landscaper, a Designer or a Professional Gardener.
- Ask the firm to show you its APL membership.
Questions the Terms of Membership let you put to a member
The Terms of Membership and the Code of Conduct set out several things you can ask a member about. Each one below comes from APL's published wording.
- Whether the firm will provide an independent third party cease to trade warranty, which members must offer if a client requests it.
- Whether the firm keeps an up-to-date Health and Safety Policy, which the Terms say members must maintain.
- How any subcontracted labour is insured and competent for the tasks, because APL says it must be.
- Whether the firm will show you its APL membership, which you can then compare with the directory.
A firm's answers do not become a guarantee, because APL's pages describe none.
What APL can and cannot do if there is a complaint
In plain terms, the complaints route runs like this:
- The client or the member contacts APL, and that starts the Complaints Resolution Procedure.
- APL responds within 2 working days of receiving the complaint.
- APL reviews the complaint, either as a desktop review or with a site visit.
- APL issues an advisory report, within 7 days of a desktop review or within 10 days of a site visit.
- APL's involvement ends once the report is issued. Unresolved parties may be referred to Alternative Dispute Resolution.
- If either party takes legal action, APL withdraws.
Each step comes from APL's published complaints policy and procedure. APL's report has no legal jurisdiction or right to enforce, and neither party is bound by it. APL also says it will not facilitate or take part in financial negotiations, and that a full independent inspection with reports is not part of its free process.
Either the client or the member can contact APL, which starts the Complaints Resolution Procedure. The official code of conduct and complaints policy states that complaints are contractually between the parties involved. The association acts only as a facilitating third party.
Once a complaint is submitted, the association states that it is responded to within two working days of receipt. A report is then issued within 7 days of the desktop review, or within 10 days of a site visit.
The reports produced after a complaint is reviewed are advisory. APL's policy says: "These are just suggestions and have no legal jurisdiction or right to enforce." The report "doesn't assign blame" and neither party is bound by it.
A full independent inspection with reports is not part of the free APL process. APL will not facilitate or take part in financial negotiations.
APL's involvement ends once the report is issued, and unresolved parties may be referred to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). If either party takes legal action, APL withdraws.
Common questions
Does APL membership come with a guarantee or money back?
APL's pages describe no guarantee and no money-back scheme, so none should be claimed on its behalf. The association says complaints are contractually between the parties involved, and it will not facilitate or take part in financial negotiations.
Is joining APL a legal requirement for landscapers?
No. APL is a voluntary trade association, and no law requires a landscaper to join it or any other trade body.
What happens if you complain about a non-member?
If the landscaper who built your garden is not an active member, the association cannot assist you further with your dispute. In these instances, the association directs the complainant to take their issue to Trading Standards or Citizens Advice.
What happens if a member receives multiple complaints?
A member with more than one complaint in 12 months is investigated and may be suspended for up to 6 months.
Does APL offer a cease to trade warranty?
APL's Terms of Membership say members must "offer an independent third party cease to trade warranty" if clients request it. The pages do not describe any other guarantee.
How long do complaints stay on a member's file?
APL's complaints procedure says complaints stay on the member's file for 12 months, then are archived for a further two years.
Can a landscaper appeal the findings of a complaint?
The panel's findings cannot be appealed through the standard complaints procedure. Members who feel they were treated unfairly can use the separate HTA complaints process. A member who fails to engage may face the APL disciplinary procedure, which can lead to sanctions up to expulsion.
Is APL the same body as the HTA?
APL is associated with the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA). The HTA is a company limited by guarantee, established in 1899 and registered in London. The 1899 date is the HTA's, not APL's.
How do you find an APL member by county?
Use the Find a Landscaping Professional directory, choose a county, and select whether you need a Landscaper, Designer or Professional Gardener.
Points to take away
- APL is a voluntary body, and a landscaper is under no legal duty to belong to it.
- Joining involves panel vetting, references, an inspection and acceptance of the Terms of Membership.
- Nothing on APL's pages promises a guarantee or a refund.
- A complaint report from APL is advice only and cannot be enforced.
- For a landscaper who is not a member, APL sends complainants to Trading Standards or Citizens Advice.
- Complaints remain on a member's record for 12 months and then sit in the archive for two more years.
When you are ready, you can find a landscaper near you.
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