Serving Nanaimo & Area
250.210.0895
Determining if your contractor is certified is a smart first step before hiring a company or individual for your irrigation project.
In an industry where anyone with a pickup truck and a shovel can be a landscaper, certification is an immensely valuable tool in the hiring process.
Verifying proof of training and active industry certification is a great way to determine that a contractor can deliver a high-quality product or service. It also helps you weed through contractors who take their profession less seriously than others.
CERTIFIED IN BC: In British Columbia, the IIABC governs the irrigation industry, and there are similar organizations who have jurisdiction of other areas.
For us, it’s not all about landing the job. Whether you choose to hire North Arrow Landscapes or not, it's important to choose a company that will ensure you feel supported and cared for. We believe that certification plays a part in building that relationship.
So if you’re looking for an irrigation contractor to work on your landscape, we encourage you to do your homework. We are always happy to answer your questions, or direct you to valuable resources and lines of inquiry to help in your decision making.
North Arrow Landscapes is proud to be a certified member of the Irrigation Industry Association of BC (IIABC).
Founded in 1979, the IIABC is the certifying body for the irrigation industry in British Columbia, and provides professional training and a wealth of resources for irrigation contractors.
The Irrigation Industry Association of BC was a big part of the push to boost the professionalism of what has historically been a largely unprofessional and unregulated industry.
In recent years we’ve seen many municipalities, institutions, and companies make IIABC certification a requirement of employment in order to improve the level of care and understanding from their irrigation technicians.
ONLINE MEMBER SEARCH: The IIABC allows anyone to search for professionally-certified irrigation contractors through the member search tool on their website.
The IIABC and their certification process help us to achieve our goal of providing the very best for our irrigation clients.
Becoming a certified irrigation professional takes time, requires effort, and costs money. So why does North Arrow Landscapes demand that our irrigation staff are IIABC-certified?
It can be difficult to bring any contractor into your landscape or home and trust them with your hard-earned savings. There is a strong emotional element in making investments of this kind, and building trust with our clients means a lot to us.
Industry certification helps us feel confident in bringing a high level of expertise to our work. The fact that we are backed by proof of training and all the resources, benefits, and industry connections that come with it helps our clients make an informed decision when choosing an irrigation contractor.
Certification with the IIABC also gives the consumer a recourse, and thus peace of mind, should a contractor not live up to their obligations. IIABC certification can even be revoked if a contractor is found to be in breach of the IIABC code of ethics.
We’ve seen firsthand the results of sub-standard work. We’ve been hired to correct issues caused by other irrigation contractors for multiple reasons, but a poorly built irrigation system is one of the most common.
These clean-up jobs are bittersweet. Yes, it feels great knowing we’re delivering an above-standard product to replace an inferior one. But our clients should never have received such a low level of service the first time around.
On the technical side, having multiple active IIABC certifications on board with North Arrow Landscapes means we can offer superior service. This leads to a better experience for our clients before, during, and after the irrigation work is completed.
Thanks to industry connections, our finger is on the pulse of the latest in irrigation technology. This has an important effect on how we deliver water to a landscape in the most efficient, effective, and safest way possible. We also have the field experience to plan for the unexpected, ease maintenance, and generally make life easier for our clients.