Meticulous attention to detail is the most important arrow in a landscape architect’s quiver. From designing the landscape of a multi-million dollar office park to making a suburban homeowner’s dream yard come true, a qualified and conscientious professional will approach all jobs with the same level of care.
Like anything worthwhile, hiring a landscape architect can be somewhat of a process, but an important one. An initial consultation should provide an opportunity for open communication between parties, allowing you to ask questions about the project’s timeline, materials, and more, while giving the designer a chance to better understand the project.
Because landscape architecture is a profession composed of many moving parts and services – from sustainable plantings to water features to tree maintenance, and beyond – it is imperative to maintain a continuous dialogue with your contractor. That relationship begins with the first conversation. Consider posing the following questions to your landscape architect.
- Are you licensed and/or certified? Certification is simply a hallmark of quality and efficiency. You can rest easy knowing that landscape architects with proper affiliations will adhere to industry standards and is committed to ongoing education in his or her field.
- How are projects designed? By an individual or a committee? Will you, as a property manager or homeowner, be dealing with one person, or several? Who is your primary point of contact, and what degree of input will the contractor expect from you?
- Do you sub out jobs to other contractors? Subcontractors brought onboard to lighten a workload can often add unnecessary confusion and delays. Make sure you know where the buck stops, and hold your contractor accountable.
- Will construction be disruptive, and if so, to what degree? If you are the manager of a commercial property, make sure you can effectively relay to tenants and their clientele what issues may arise, and establish a realistic timeline for the abatement of such minor irritations. Homeowners will want to know how the project will affect their daily grind, and devise temporary workarounds. The impact on one’s neighbors, too, cannot be overstated.
- Can you provide references? A landscape architect should gladly point you in the direction of prior jobs and clients, and provide a portfolio of earlier work that shares similar attributes to your project.
- What are the associated fees? Pricing will vary from company to company, and individual to individual. Most professional landscapers will be clear about how they charge; if they aren’t, look elsewhere.
- Do you provide ongoing maintenance? Upkeep is essential. Professional landscape architects are capable of amazing work. Make sure it is properly maintained to continue dazzling visitors for years to come.
GroundsCare Landscape’s design crew, safety managers, and construction managers are all in-house, and our clients never have to deal with the hassle of sub-contractors. Our billing is upfront, and our goal is to put our clients first.
Our landscape services team holds an array of professional affiliations and certifications from nationwide organizations such as the Landscape Contractors Association and the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI), and we pride ourselves on large company capabilities with a small company, one-on-one approach. Call us today at 888-588-8451 to get started!
