Landscape Design Process
The process is just as important as the final product. Each step is intended to be an educational experience, customized to you, your land, and your goals
1
PRELIMINARY CONVERSATION
Inquire: Contact us via email or inquiry form with a brief description of what you would like to change about your landscape, garden, or property. Not ready for design, and just need advice about your landscape, click here. If you know you are ready for design and potentially get moving on install, click here:
Discuss: We will call you to gather more information, discuss your timeline, budget (if you have one), and the process of working together. If you feel good about our approach during the call, we will schedule an on-site meeting to develop a work plan. However, if during the call it becomes clear that NLD is not best positioned to help you, we will do our best to direct you to someone right for your project.
2
CONSULTATION
Pay: Building the proposal consumes around $600 of professional time and effort, but our policy is to share that cost with you. NLD charges $295 to complete the WorkPlan, due by the time we meet on site.
Meet: The consultation is an on-site meeting to discuss your project in depth, including immediate goals, long-term vision, aesthetic, budget, timeline, etc., and to get a realistic grasp of the site’s opportunities and parameters.
Receive: our meeting will result in a customized Workplan consisting of:
Summary Statement of intent
Design “scope of work.”
Design fee
Observed ecological site notes
Structural site notes
Square footage of work and other key measurements
Annotated precedent photos.
When we begin work, the Workplan will provide a thorough outline of our work together. If youdecide not to proceed with NLD, the Workplan is yours to use on your own or with other professionals.
Deposit: You will review and approve the Workplan, and make ant necessary revisions. If you would like to proceed, a 60% deposit is required to begin design work.
3
DESIGN
Assess the Site: The site assessment is scheduled upon receipt of the design deposit. This is a site visit for the designer to take detailed notes, including solar readings, specific plant species, wind pressure, soil type, take detailed measurements, and photos are documented to guide your design. The result is your base plan--a measured, detailed map of existing conditions. This is the base of all subsequent design work.
Concept: This is a presentation of conceptual design ideas laid out on your base plan.
You will see photos of plants, materials, and hardscape options. We will discuss your feedback on the proposed design, installation phasing, and pricing options. This is an important checkpoint for feedback and anything new that may have come up.
Final: This is a presentation of your completed design that reflects feedback from the concept and any other conversations. This design reflects specific material types; plant species, varieties, and quantities; site preparation notes; and installation notes. You will receive an installation price estimate. The final 40% receipt for design is due once you are happy with your design!
IMPLEMENTATION + PROJECT MANAGEMENT
4
What + Why: This is an optional, but highly recommended phase of work. Project management is the oversight of installation to ensure quality control and that all of your expectations up to this point are met.
Cost: These services will be integrated into the installation costs, to be provided by the selected contractor/install team.
Work covered:
Identify contractor for your project
Obtain project pricing
Assist with material sourcing from trusted sources
Communicate regularly with the client around project schedule, updates, and questions that arise
Field calls to contractorand be on-site as necessary to ensure quality control
Hand select plants, and communicate if any substitutes are needed
Final walk-through with client and contractor to review all work is complete, and determine punchlist schedule, if necessary.