Finding a Good Landscape DesignerLooking to hire a Landscape designer but want to know what’s involved? How to find a good Landscape designer? How much is a Landscape design? Or What a Landscape designer does?
There often comes a moment when a gardener looks around the garden and thinks: ‘That bit works well and I’m pleased with that planting, but none of it quite goes together’. At that point, you might consider calling in a Landscape designer for help. But where to start and how to go about finding one? What will you have to pay them and what will you get for your money?
Finding a Landscape Designer
Start by asking friends and neighbours. It may seem obvious, but, like electrician, builders and plumbers, a personal recommendation is often the best way to ensure you get a good job. If someone recommends a Landscape designer, visit the garden to see if you like what they have done. Ask the client if they were entirely happy with the Landscape designer, the design process and the finished garden. You want to find the best garden designer for your needs.
Look on the internet and try and find Landscape designers that have a solid online presence and some good reviews, also look out for peoples online Landscape designer recommendations.
What does a Landscape Designer do?
Most Landscape designers offer a range of services from simple garden advice through basic design to a full garden design. Some also offer garden building services and in some cases, ongoing garden maintenance. Generally the process starts with a consultation of some sort, either onsite, or via the internet – exchanging photos, ideas and talking about your garden wants and needs. Some designers charge for this initial visit, others don’t, so check this before committing.
A good Landscape designer should present to you a checklist to go through asking for a thorough outline of what you want, need and would like in your garden, along with your budget and if you want to hire a contractor to build your garden, or do a DIY garden build.
You can, if you want, take the design and find contractors to build it for you, or you can ask the designer to take on all the work necessary for getting the garden built, from sending out detailed drawings in order to get comparable quotes, to overseeing the construction. He or she can also draw up planting plans and arrange to have your garden planted once the hard landscaping is in place. Talk to your designer about all these various stages and decide which of them you want them to do for you.
How much is a Landscape Designer?
What you pay depends on how much your designer does for you. You can agree a one-off fee for the landscape design, and then pay in stages for any other work he or she does. Alternatively, if you ask the designer to take on the whole project from start to finish, he may charge a percentage of the total project cost, similar to an architect. A simple landscape design only service, could cost well under $2,000, while a full garden design and build project for a large garden could cost up to $200,000. The major variables that will determine how much your landscaping costs depends on the scope of work needed, wanted, access, the materials used and the size of plants.
As with any other project, you and the designer should agree all these details at the beginning, so that you both know where you stand. Good designers are professionals who want to offer a great service for a fair fee.
Dave Limburg is a Landscape Designer at Online Garden Design – 0405 418141 or info@onlinegardendesign.com.au
Online Garden Design offering unique landscape designs. Professional landscape designers – Landscape design packages and do it yourself landscape guides. Landscape designs/garden plans for garden makeovers, renovations or landscaping plans for new house builds. Online Garden Designs Australia wide including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart