Times have changed. These days, you can get the good bread in the market, but hiring contractors to do landscaping has largely changed to the supermarket model. The contractor will send out an ever-changing crew, most Spanish-speaking, some legal, some not. And there's no reliable way to screen them, short of the sort of due diligence you would do if you were buying the contractor's business (which would include checking the I9s and requiring him to verify the SSNs with the Social Security Administration and resolve any no-matches).
“And there’s no reliable way to screen them, short of the sort of due diligence you would do if you were buying the contractor’s business (which would include checking the I9s and requiring him to verify the SSNs with the Social Security Administration and resolve any no-matches).”
The best way to screen is to ask for the same kind of ID that everyday people carry, drivers license, auto insurance if they are driving, and one or two other things, credit card or an ATM card, When you are doing that you are looking at and speaking to them, so you have a pretty good idea that they are either legal or at least very deep cover.
The easiest way is to let contractors know that the law will be brought in to play if they try to put an illegal alien on your property. Tell the contractor that if he wins the bid you are going to ID everyone of his men and put the fear of God in him. If you do that you probably won’t ever have to actually ID anyone because the shady guys will not continue the bid process, all this can be said over the phone during the first call.
Look at post 9, it can be done.
Here are some guidelines for the customers, from a contractors web site. Look at number 4.
What You Can Do
1. Ask for a copy of the insurance by email BEFORE you book service. Only schedule AFTER you receive it.
2. Get a set price in writing.
3. Tell the company that you will be home for the service (even if you won’t) and that you wish to speak to every member of the crew, to make sure each person understands exactly what you want in regards to service and what your concerns are in regards to your home. If there is any difficulty in this communication, or any member of the crew does not appear to be fully knowledgeable and trained, you will turn away service.
4. Ask for the names of every person who will be at your home, and verify the names when they arrive. It is your right to ask for identification of an person performing service on your property.
5. Most importantly, never pre-pay for service or provide a credit card number till after your service is completed. A company that cuts corners and saves cost by hiring illegal labor and defrauds their customers should not be trusted with the privacy and integrity of keeping your credit card on file.
6. Ask for a link to their Angie’s List reviews, or go the WWW.BBB.ORG and check out the company’s history.