BrightView (was Brickman Group)

 BrightViewLogo

 

Formerly called Brickman Group

BrightView

18227D Flower Hill Way
Gaithersburg, MD 20879

Website: www.brickman.com/

 
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AI-Generated Detailed Profile March 2025: BrightView Landscapes, LLC

BrightView Landscapes, LLC, headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, is the largest provider of commercial landscaping services in the United States. Formed through the merger of Brickman Group and ValleyCrest Companies in 2014, BrightView offers a wide range of services, including landscape maintenance, snow removal, tree care, irrigation management, and construction. Below is an analysis of BrightView based on business practices, payment reliability, reputation, contract fairness, and overall rating.

Business Practices

Pros:

  • Comprehensive Service Offerings: BrightView provides services tailored to commercial properties, including landscape maintenance, enhancements, snow removal, pest management, storm preparedness, and tree care. This diversity offers subcontractors opportunities across various industries.

  • Technology Integration: BrightView uses advanced technology platforms like BV Connect for property maintenance management. This portal allows clients to track service requests, schedules, and updates in real-time.

  • National Reach: With over 250 offices and 20,000 employees nationwide, BrightView has the capacity to handle large-scale projects for corporate clients and public institutions.

  • High-Profile Projects: BrightView has successfully completed prestigious projects such as the Obama Presidential Center landscaping and Major League Baseball’s Field of Dreams ballpark.

Cons:

  • Operational Challenges: Subcontractors report inefficiencies in communication during peak seasons or large-scale projects. Additionally, some clients have experienced service quality issues.

  • Cost-Cutting Focus: Subcontractors have noted that BrightView prioritizes cost reduction over maintaining consistent service quality.

Payment Reliability

Payment reliability is a mixed area for BrightView:

  • Positive Feedback: Some subcontractors report timely payments when adhering to documentation requirements.

  • Negative Feedback: Numerous complaints highlight delayed payments or disputes over invoices. For example:

    • Subcontractors have reported being charged for unnecessary irrigation repairs or liquidated damages without proper documentation.

    • Vendors have described difficulty obtaining payment for completed work due to poor communication with account managers.

Subcontractors should maintain meticulous records of completed work and proactively follow up on payment timelines to mitigate risks.

Reputation

BBB Rating: BrightView Landscapes holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau but has unresolved complaints related to billing disputes and service issues.
Client Testimonials: Feedback from clients is polarized:

  • Positive testimonials praise BrightView’s professionalism and ability to deliver high-quality results on complex projects like theme parks and healthcare facilities.

  • Negative reviews describe poor customer service, failure to meet contractual obligations, and damage caused by landscaping crews.
    Legal Issues: In Hinman v. BrightView Landscape Development, the company faced breach-of-contract claims related to deviations from agreed-upon designs for a $1 million pool project. The case highlights potential risks tied to contract enforcement.

Contract Fairness

Strengths:

  • Transparent Agreements: Contracts emphasize clarity through structured workflows tailored to client needs.

  • Client-Focused Terms: BrightView’s reputation as a national leader ensures high standards for contract compliance and service delivery.

Potential Issues:

  • Subcontractors report challenges enforcing contract terms due to disputes over service quality or compliance standards.

  • Vendors have expressed frustration with price reductions imposed after contracts are signed.

Overall Rating

Criteria Rating (1-5)
Business Practices 3.5
Payment Reliability 2.5
Reputation 3
Contract Fairness 2.5
Overall Rating 3
 

Case Studies/Examples

  1. Prestigious Projects: BrightView was praised for its work on the Obama Presidential Center landscaping project and Major League Baseball’s Field of Dreams ballpark. These projects demonstrate the company’s ability to handle large-scale operations effectively.

  2. Customer Complaints: A property owner reported extensive damage caused by BrightView crews during routine maintenance. Despite multiple attempts to resolve the issue with management, no satisfactory resolution was reached.

  3. Legal Dispute: In Hinman v. BrightView, the company faced allegations of deviating from agreed-upon designs for a pool project without notifying the client. This case underscores potential risks related to contract enforcement.

Recommendations for Contractors

To minimize risks when working with BrightView Landscapes:

  1. Review Contracts Thoroughly: Pay close attention to clauses related to payment terms, compliance requirements, pricing adjustments, and liquidated damages before signing agreements.

  2. Document Work Clearly: Maintain detailed records of completed tasks (including before-and-after photos) to support payment claims or address disputes.

  3. Monitor Communication Channels: Ensure clear communication regarding project expectations and timelines with BrightView’s account managers.

  4. Evaluate Reputation Locally: Research feedback from other contractors or vendors who have worked with BrightView in your area.

This analysis highlights both the opportunities—such as access to large-scale projects—and risks—such as delayed payments and legal disputes—of partnering with BrightView Landscapes as a subcontractor. Subcontractors should carefully evaluate these factors before committing resources to such partnerships.

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Comments Previously Provided:

  • reporting requirement is a problem
  • When you discuss the contracts with them and the amount they are willing to pay to sweep a Lowes parking lot it’s like they are talking out of both sides of their mouths. I tell them what I can do for that amount and they agree to it and the contract gets signed. Then a few weeks later they send out a power point pressentation of what they expect done on Lowes parking lot. Every inch and corner cleaned. I think they send the power point pressentation out not for the contractor but to make them feel better about themselves because they know they just screwed over Lowes. They don’t care as long as they get paid. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out you can’t sweep and blow out every inch of a Lowes store for $35. They know that!! They just don’t care! It’s all about the money and it doesn’t add up.
  • low price, payment prompt
  • I refused to sign contract as written, and crossed out the clauses I did not agree with such as the non compete for 2 years clause. They accepted my version.
  • They act more like a property manager
  • look to screw you on paper work want you to work for nothing
  • They have been great to work with, they pay within their contract terms.
  • We get approached every year to update our insurance yet they will never give us the opportunity to bid on work. They don’t respond to emails either.
  • I haven’t had any real issues. They don’t share any information about the customer. I’ve been working for them for about one year and they’ve updated the agreement 3 times.
  • sometimes it depends on which part we work for.
  • Brickman is quick paying with no invoicing, however you must call in or log it online for each service. All personel have been helpful and good to deal with. Submitting contracts can be a challenge – they use someone to find a contractor and what arrangements are made with them are not always consistant with the official contract.
  • Some invoices are paid timely, others are split up and not paid completely. They beat you up on the price!
  • Snow Removal for them in an area they could NOT cover. Accepted the job. It was Very out of the way. Paid Mobilization on LARGE equipment and ran multiple pieces for the whole day. Refused to pay due to a ding to a storm drain cover. We replaced the cover, still not paid. Slime!!!
  • They will drop you like a hot potato.
  • Once your insurance certificates are close to being expired they put your payments on hold and it takes 2-3 weeks for them to enter your new certificate into their system before your account comes off hold. Then you can wait another 10 days before they release your check. NOT GOOD!
  • No problems after initial start up process
  • We do four Lowes’ locations. One month they pay us for three stores, next month four , six weeks later pay us for two. Web portal says approved so why the hit/miss payments ? Working on my money is my opinion. Poor response with emergency work like the tornado last year that blew mulch everywhere and broke trees. Tried to get approval for extra cleaning but they never returned multiple emails. Eventually we did it ourselves to protect our name (not from Brickman) from the customers that would see us on the lot but then see the mess we would leave. It made us look bad. I still feel it was a calculated move by Brickman.

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