Our design process begins with a complimentary visit to your home within a 60 mile radius of our Gainesville office. Outside the 60-mile radius, we charge $250 which we apply to your design fee if you move forward with a design agreement. At the initial meeting, we will discuss the design style and components you have in mind and your overall budget. This will help define your needs, the scope of services, and generate some preliminary ideas. We will share design ideas for your home and perhaps draw up a quick sketch that works within your vision, budget, and site. The initial meeting also will provide you an opportunity to see some examples of our work and also answer any questions you may have.

We will quote a design fee at the time of the appointment and then shortly afterwards send you a design proposal with the scope of services from our discussion. To schedule an initial design consultation, you may complete the online contact form or contact us by phone.

Preparing for the Initial Meeting

To prepare for the meeting, complete and submit through our website the Design Questionnaire. Choose all the outdoor features you would like to accomplish your goal. For example, you may want an outdoor kitchen to cook and entertain; or perhaps, you may want a fireplace or a swimming pool for the family to enjoy. We suggest that you collect examples from magazines that show pictures of landscapes and garden architecture that you like.

Budgeting

You may not have a specific budget in mind, and this is understandable until you become more familiar with the landscape construction costs. Be flexible about your budget, and plan more in terms of a price range instead of a fixed amount. To help you budget your project, estimate that our services—from design to build—will be approximately 6 to 12 percent of your overall project cost depending on the landscape architects involvement and the complexity of your project. Fees on larger projects, $1 million and higher, would be at the lower percentage. With our many years of experience in design and project management and our builder contacts, our fees are easily recouped in your realized savings from the competitive bids.

Getting Started

Once you are ready to move forward with the design, we will need the following from you: a signed design agreement with your initial deposit, a copy of your house location survey, and an over-lot grading plan if available.

Preliminary Design Phase

After the initial design meeting, we will do an on-site analysis to gather measurements and elevations of the site and existing elements and also take some photographs. We will produce one or two concepts for your review. This is the time to make revisions while we are still in the designing process. We can provide probable construction costs based on the design features in your drawings. If your wish list exceeds your budget, we can help you prioritize design features to be done in phases. The final plan can be the result of one concept or the choosing of certain features from one plan combined with elements from another. The final or master plan will be a chosen design that is drawn in AutoCAD (Computer Aided Drafting) with greater detail. The design process can take four to eight weeks varying on factors such as the project size and the time to review the designs. We also offer three-dimensional computer generated perspectives of your project that give you visual support with 360 degree viewing capability.

Construction Documents and Bidding Phase

Once you have approved the master plan and construction budget, we can provide you a proposal to prepare your construction drawings and specifications. The construction drawings are the plans used to build your project and are considered the final phase of the design process. This last set of plans shows all the hardscape elements of the design and material choices. We can assist you by making suggestions in material choice. When the construction details are completed, we can act as your liaison and help you bid the construction installation among several qualified contractors, or we can provide you with names of builders with outstanding skills from whom you can solicit competitive bids. The construction drawings can take one to two weeks, and the bidding can take up to three weeks.

Project Overview Phase

We have experience with both design and construction of hardscapes and can be involved in the process from design to installation. We can make site visits during construction to make sure the plans are carried out and make any necessary adjustment to the design. We are interested in achieving a successful project for you. Knowing that you have a professional to guide and help you to create and execute your vision can make the difference between a not-well-thought-out design and a beautiful-inviting landscape.

Time Frame

The entire process, from the initial phone call to installation, takes six-months to a year. The time frame of completion depends on the complexity, size, and scope of your project. Winter months usually take longer due to inclement weather, but an advantage is contractor availability. Also keep in mind some county governmental agencies can take weeks to months to approve your project for building. We can give you a timetable and work with your target date for completion.

Design Fees

Our design fees for a hardscape master plan (swimming pools, patios, walkways, decks, etc.) start at $4,250 and a landscape plan starts at $2,450 for a small to average size project of around $100 to $250-thousand. For larger size projects, the design fees can range from $6,900- $15,000 for a hardscape plan and $3,500-$4,800 for a landscape plan. Many variables will determine the design fee such as the difficulty of the site, size of the area, and the project's budget.

The landscape design process can create a beautiful landscape and an inviting outdoor living space. Aside from providing great personal satisfaction and a rewarding experience, landscape improvements are a very worthwhile investment.

We provide several drawings during the different stages of the design process.

The Conceptual Plan

The process starts with a base plan created by measuring your site, including the house, existing hardscape, trees, and recording the elevation changes of your property. We combine this information with your certified house location survey, to produce the base plan. The conceptual plan, also called the "preliminary plan", is a sketch overlay of the existing base plan showing the proposed design.

The Master Plan

Once the conceptual plan is approved, the master plan is prepared in a 2D-computer aided design (CAD) program. The drawing will be in a plan view drawn to scale and will show all of the approved design elements in the overall concept in greater detail.

The Grading Plan

On difficult sites with extensive grade changes, we will produce a grading plan showing the existing elevations and drainage conditions. The grading plan will provide drainage solutions and locations of proposed drain systems to keep patios, walkways, and foundations free of standing water. In some cases, when building a pool, a professional civil engineer will be required to prepare a topography study, grading plan, and soil analysis to meet county building permit requirements.

The Construction Drawings

The construction drawings are the final plans and specifications required for county approval. Construction drawings generally include: construction details, dimension layout, sections, elevations, framing, footing, lighting, mechanical and electrical plans.

The 3D Perspective

As an additional service we can create a 3D perspective of the approved master plan. This 3D design allows you to do a virtual tour of your future backyard oasis. The conceptual imaging or perspectives are very useful and can help you visualize the final design.

The Landscape Planting Plan

The landscape planting plan is optional and shows your master plan with all existing and proposed plant material with size, quantity and recommended species.