How should I go about hiring a landscape architect?

11 years ago

I'm a believer in the idea that a skilled designer will come up with ideas that are far superior to those of an amateur, even one with good taste or an eye for good design. Given that, I'd like to enlist the services of a landscape architect or designer for my neglected backyard which is the focal point of my house's living space and is therefore having a negative effect on the feel of my living room.

Since I know essentially nothing about the discipline, I'm a little intimidated. Are landscape architects or designers typically paid for a design or as a perecentage of the cost of the whole job like a general contractor? I would like to pay for a design and do most of the landscaping work myself to keep labor costs down. My budget is fairly modest -- about $10k total (plants, materials, design, etc.) for a yard that is roughly 100'x30'. Is the scale of that project too small for such a designer? Are there any guides for evaluating the suitability of a designer for a particular project?

Dan

Featured Answer

marcinde

11 years ago

Generally (especially in a case like yours where execution will be DIY) I think most designers charge a fee based on the hours they spend on your design. That's what I do. After the initial consultation, where I walk the site with the client and discuss the scope of work, I figure out how long the project will take me and provide a detailed, flat-fee design proposal that outlines what's included, what isn't, and how long it will take.

I think the size of your lot is perfectly reasonable for a designer or LA to design, assuming you want to do something interesting (which is a safe assumption, I think).

Thanks to the web you can look at work folks have done on their websites and via what they post to Houzz and similar sites. When it comes to evaluating their suitability for your project, the best way is to talk to them. If you like their overall vibe but all the projects in their portfolio are bigger than yours, remember that a portfolio is naturally going to feature the more elaborate projects. Don't be afraid to ask them to see examples of smaller projects, as they may well have an entire archive of such images.

Good luck! It sounds like you value the process and the professionals, which will make people excited to work with you.

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Comments (6)

laag
11 years ago
Also, don't be discouraged if the first ones that you talk to are not a good fit. There are lots of people out there and many methods of doing business both in terms of product that they deliver and how you pay for it. You can find a good fit.
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I hired a landscape designer last spring and it was worth *every penny*. I live in the Chicago area. Our designer charged us $500 for a full lot design (1/3 acre). That amount was then applied to the cost of the install. We, too, had new construction. We started with dirt--no trees, no grass, nothing. Our designer asked us to come to the first meeting with pictures from magazines, pictures of yards and gardens that we liked. She was able to tell what our "style" was based on those pictures. She then walked our lot, tooks lots of measurements and notes, and designed based on our house and lot. We talked to three companies, but this one designer we just got a good vibe from. She listened to us, and we had a very pleasant conversation at our first meeting. You'll know when you find the right designer--you'll just click. I am now tinkering with the perennial garden space. We had them install only the "bones" of the lot--hardscaping, trees, a few shrubs and roses. But I have a copy of the plan, and refer to it often. IT HAS BEEN INVALUABLE. I never have to wonder what to do with a corner of the yard. I have the plan, and now that the structure is in place I can take as long as I want to get the garden and flowers in place. Tip: If you go this route and get a design (probably on a large, poster-size copy of your plat of survey), go to a printer (Kinko's?) and splurge on a half-dozen large copies. I have mud all over my working copy and colored pencil all over another. :-)
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PRO
Yardvaark
11 years ago
Dan, don't overlook finding out who did existing work that you admire. Drive by a landscape you think is nice looking? Inquire as to who did it. Property owners instead of being annoyed by your inquiry are likely to take the appreciation as a compliment. Many designers will prepare a design for homeowners who intend to build it themselves. $10K can can accomplish a lot when doing it yourself.
bahia
11 years ago
I'd be prepared to hear that your budget might not be high enough to do the whole yard at one time. I'd expect a design fee alone might use up to 20% of your total budget. If you are including irrigation and any hard scape materials you should probably budget another $1000 minimum for irrigation materials(labor to install would be more), and stone/lumber/etc could easily chew up another couple of thousands for materials. For that size of yard here in California, if the whole garden is to be designed, planted and irrigated, mulched, $10,000 isn't enough, even with the homeowner doing all the labor to install. If you also want landscape lighting designed and installed, that would be an additional expense. You do have an advantage living in Texas that most everything is lower cost there compared to California, but it still probably isn't enough unless the design is very simple and mostly just planting without irrigation or lighting or much hardscape. Good luck, it would be interesting to get your follow up on how your search and discussions with potential designers went, and what sort of budget numbers got discussed.
CherylKhan
10 years ago
Hi,

This is a great question that may have already been answered but there are others that may be seeking answers to this question. If this is the case, I recommend reading the attached article.

It will help you become familiar with the costs associated with hiring a landscape architect as well as detail what to expect from your contractor.

Here is a link that might be useful: 5 Things to Look for When Hiring a Landscape Architect
Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
10 years ago
I think it really depends where you live and the amount of competition in your area.

In Southern California, the market is large, and the competition is high there was a lot from which to choose. We got about 5 bids from contractors who all had different ideas, some in common, and some more creative.

We had good vibes with all except one. As soon as he saw the location of our house, he assumed we had endless money and even though we explained that we had already spent a fortune and were trying to keep prices low, he insisted that such a property deserved the work that only his company could do. SALES SPEAK big time! Our chosen landscape contractor starts tomorrow and the contractor doing the finish work will be here tomorrow also for a consultation so they are both on the same page.

Good luck to you. After a couple bids, you will get an idea of the costs.

I would add that it may cost more than you planned, but it will also probably take more time than you thought. Beware of "creeping elegance." It starts with, "What if we added this?" What if we did that..............

Prices climb easily!

Suzi

How should I go about hiring a landscape architect?

marcinde

Comments (6)

laag

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Yardvaark

bahia

CherylKhan

Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b

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