Design Phase

During the consultation meeting, Ted ascertains the scope of your project and quotes a design fee amount. We then prepare and send you a Design Contract for your review. If the design contract terms are agreeable, you then sign the design contract and return it to us along with the deposit amount indicated.

Measuring the Project Site

Once you return the signed Design Contract and design deposit, we mobilize our crew to your site who will then:

• Measure the footprint of your home and other structures;

• Create a two-dimensional representation of your property in its current state;

• Record significant elements, such as the driveway or parking areas;

• Determine existing grades and elevations;

• Identify the north/south axis;

• Digitally document the site (photographs, video, etc.).

Reviewing Zoning and Site Restrictions

In preparation for the concept design work, we review the zoning laws that impact the property. This includes reviewing applicable Federal, State, and local zoning regulations.

Design Drawings and Review

After the field data has been collected by our measurement team and the site review is complete, we create the Initial Design Concept. A meeting date is then scheduled to review the proposed design and get your suggestions and feedback.

After the design review meeting, the plan is revised, as needed. After the plan has been updated, Ted will meet with you once more to present the final design.

Installation Phase

Some projects are design-only. For those projects, our work generally is complete at the point of handing off the final design. Some design-only clients request our assistance with project management during the construction phase of the work. On those projects, we sometimes assist with interviewing and selecting the contractors who will be performing the landscape installation, in addition to helping to interpret the design and ensure the landscape plan’s integrity during construction.

For this phase of a project, there are three terms that can be used interchangeably. They are installation, construction, and production. For the purposes of this overview, they all refer to the same phase of the project work.

Construction Estimates

For projects that we are installing, once the design is final, we develop estimates for the work proposed in the design. This can include

• Site work – excavating, grading, water management on the site, etc.

• Hardscapes – stone steps, landings, walkways, walls, water features, fire pits, lighting, etc.

• Softscapes – trees, shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses, ground covers, and garden bed creation

• Specialty subcontractors – structural engineers, fencing, irrigation, pool installers, paving/asphalt, etc.

Depending on the scope of the project, some landscape construction estimates that we create will also include project management fees. This is particularly true when we are coordinating with several contractors and there are project dependencies between the contractors.

Installing in Stages

There are projects where the overall landscape design is larger in concept than what may be feasible to accomplish in a single season. This can be due to constraints at the project site based on other construction initiatives, or simply a matter of wanting to spread the cost of the landscape installation over several seasons. If installing your landscape in phases is something you would like to consider, we can review the design and suggest an approach that would best fit a multi-stage installation plan.

Permit Work

During the design phase, we’ll determine zoning affecting your property and evaluate local, state, and federal law which may impact land use for the project. However, permit application work done on behalf of the client for landscaping projects takes place during the installation phase and would be captured on estimates for construction. There are additional fees associated with permit application work, which are to be agreed upon in advance.

Production Scheduling for a Project

As mentioned above, construction estimates will be created and presented to you based on your finalized landscape design. Estimates will group costs for each part of the project together, such as a firepit, front entrance, or drip edge. You can elect to move forward with any or all of the estimates we present by signing off and paying the designated deposits. Paid deposits generally dictate the order in which your project is placed into the production queue.