The only thing you need a designer is to design landscaping,

For the rest, you need a pool company to fix the pool.

Hardscape company to restore retaining wall and patio.

Carpenter to take care of your structural balcony, doing column wraps and cedar ceiling, etc.

Maybe the same carpenter and his crew can redo the dock, if not you have company's who specialize in dock repairs or restoration depending on how bad it is.

Painter to pain the house etc.

Landscaping is the last on the list and the last thing that will be done on the property when everything is done and restored and most likely many landscaping or hardscape companies can do a design for you, most I know around here do the designs themselves. If you have a few extra $$$ burning a hole in your pocket get a landscaping designer or a landscaping architect.

Good luck

What type of pro do I hire to create an overall cohesive design? If I try to do the design myself, I will spend more in the long run on mistakes, and that will burn more $$$ than if I pay for a cohesive design in the first place.

Like I said before talk to a landscaper or hardscape company you will be hiring and see if they do designs, most do themselves and some have landscaping designers in-house. Most landscaping companies that specialize in planting can do 3d designs. I mean I'm not a landscaper and done many 3D designs for my customers and they took the preliminary design to their landscaper and did the final touches as trees and bushes suitable for their region.... so more than likely local landscaping contractors can do it also, if not get a landscaping architect.

Good luck

I disagree. If you want a cohesive design that properly integrates all the disparate components involved, hire an experienced designer first. A qualified and experienced landscape designer/LA does a whole lot more than just pick out and place plants!! That just indicates a complete lack of knowledge of the profession. They are also able to assess grading and drainage, design hardscaping, lighting, irrigation and properly coordinate all the other improvements you have in mind to fit with the existing structure(s) and the aesthetic vision you have.

If you do not have a comprehensive overall design plan in hand, how can you possibly evaluate the validity of any estimates or bids for work you may entertain? What precisely are they bidding on except something they imagine you might want? And how well will what they propose coordinate or blend with all the other elements if they are bidding on only a small portion of the project in isolation?

Hiring a contractor who will do the work first is backwards! Hire the designer before you do anything. Most experienced designers come with a repertoire of contractors they work with or refer to for different stages or components of a project if they are not already associated with a full service landscape contractor. And even if you bring in your own contractors, at least you can be assured that the bids will be apples compared to other apples, not apples against oranges.

I agree with GardenGal48

Good, experienced designers and landscape architects, can address the entire property.

There are fees for renderings and usually additional fees for changes. Understand it takes time and money, to put project designs together. These designers are professionals.

I personally do our design work in both plan view and 3D. I have to consider all the grade changes on challenging properties to drive the design. Because I'm the contractor and I work in the field, I know what to expect.

I'm not a landscape architect or a true designer, but I've been around the block a few times. Landscapers I work with, will tweek a plan a bit and decide the best plants on the property. Sometimes hardscaping is changed a bit. Renderings are conceptual. I've done a few where my clients approve the design, and leave as is.

Certain aspects of a project must be done in a particular order so you don't paint yourself into a corner, so to speak, or make it difficult for one of the contractors doing their portion of the work. This really comes from experience.

Once you have a design decided upon, you can put it out to bid, as GardenGal said. Sometimes the designers work for a landscape firm, and can perform everything in house. Or, they can recommend a good contractor to execute the project.

As a landscape designer there's nothing more frustrating than being brought in for "just" the plants - after the pool guy jammed a pool in the most convenient place for him, when the wall guy sold a bajillion more sq ft of wall than needed to be there, before the carpenters put the deck in the only sunny spot when the client wanted a garden and the deck could've been moved 15 ft over and been perfect.... We design everything for the outside of the house. Heck, we design outbuildings and cottages and we do some interior design. You need a pro that has the vision to see the whole picture, understands what you need, and has the construction knowledge to design something that's buildable, gorgeous, and suits your budget. If each trade deals with just their portion, you're going to get a hodgepodge.

I recently did much of this (minus the dock!) and went with a landscape designer first. Most of the actual work was done by a landscape company--they did bring in a few subs. Some of it we dealt with later. Some....errr...yeah we need to finish that.

Get a plan first. One company probably won't do all of it, but you have to start somewhere. A landscaper will know the order to do things. Landscaping companies are often good resources for other contacts you'll need, too. They might recommend or even supervise other trades.

Thank you for all the comments! I will start with a landscape designer. There are several firms in my area that are more than just maintenance companies, who do big projects. It’s such a huge project. I didn’t even think of having a lighting plan, just one example of what I don’t know.

Revolutionary Gardens right on the mark.

Those pool guys are my competition. I sometimes deal with their messes after the fact. Sometimes I don't, as I don't want to put my name on it, or I just can't fix something from someone's screw up.

They don't care about the other guys-hit and run.

I always work with the client's landscaper/designer, for a smooth job. Then everyone is on the same page.

I don't want to hold them up and I don't want them to hold me up. This is the main reason I bring in my own subs for certain aspects, as we've worked together before and they know my ways, and I know theirs.

AJCN, when deciding on a designer, ask to see their work and even talk to the clients. After all, it's a big commitment.

How big is the project? Is it based on an hourly rate or a flat fee?

IMO, $4700 is a pretty hefty fee for just design services. There are of course some regional influences on costs and fee structures but in my area, unless it is a very large and complicated project, only well-known, big name designers can ask for and expect that sort of fee. And I work in a pretty affluent area :-)

It really depends on the scope of the work, and the size of the project area. If it's something I can measure myself and just shoot spot grades, that's less costly than if I have to bring out a surveyor. Without seeing the site the price is on the higher end, but it might be reasonable for the amount of work.

For the scope of the work you mentioned in your initial post, that fee sounds reasonable, depending on your location. I’m outside Boston and paid about the same for a lot less scope. If you like the work the landscape design company has done for other customers, check their references. They should provide a list of several to call.

Did they give you a rough estimate of what the project would cost to complete?

Yes, it seems to me that the most important thing for you now is to find a professional landscape designer. Landscape design is a real art and it is with the help of this tool that you can competently improve the territory, make it more comfortable and pleasant to the eye. It will be extremely difficult to independently compose a competent composition and create a functional system. To do this, you need to have some skills and professional knowledge. Christies Landscape specialists are able to design a plot in a specific style and create a harmonious tandem.