Park West Landscape, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Park West 401(k) Employee Retirement Plan
Rancho Santa Margari, CAConstruction1,400 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$57Employer $ per active participant
$776Employee $ saved per active participant
0.40%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$13.3MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity2.1 / 504th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost7.7 / 2531th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.0 / 157th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score1 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Construction plans with 500–2,499 active participants (498 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 4th |
| Lower admin cost | 31th |
| Employee saving | 7th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 44% |
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Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($50,494 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $171,466 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Park West Landscape put in about $57 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,672). Any match is still an instant return, so contribute enough to get all of it.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Direct plan expenses (0.40% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.23%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $80,338 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,086,594 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $226,115 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $49,021 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $49,021 |
| Benefits paid out | $824,308 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $11.3M / $13.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,556 / 1,245 |
| Participants with account balances | 247 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Cliftonlarsonallen |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| NFP Retirement Inc | $49,021 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014111102NAL0003749232001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 95-3814677, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.