Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
dah328

How should I go about hiring a landscape architect?

dah328
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

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.

  • 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