WHY HIRE A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

Money well spent!

Most homeowners have never worked with a Landscape Architect before and have questions about the value of doing so. Here are some common questions that we hear…

Q. Why should I pay for a professional landscape plan?
A. Everything hinges on the quality of your plan. A great landscape design is one that perfectly complements the style of your house and your style of living.

You should not spend thousands of dollars on landscape construction without a comprehensive overall plan that you absolutely love. You would not build a house without a plan. And if you are planning do the work yourself, a professional landscape plan will make your job easier and help prevent costly mistakes.

Q.) Why not just get a plan from a landscaper or nursery, it's free?
A.) First, nothing is free. You will pay for the plan somewhere in the cost of the project. We strongly recommend starting with a professionally designed landscape plan. You can then use this plan to get quotes from more than one contractor or nursery for an apples-to-apples comparison. Most clients are pleasantly surprised by the low cost of a plan. On smaller projects, a one hour consultation with sketch is often all that is needed.

Second, we get requests every year to re-do poorly designed or amateur-looking landscaping designed by a landscaper or nursery. There is no reason not to use the most talented people in the industry for your project.

Q.) Why use a landscape architect instead of a landscape designer?
A.) Landscape architects are highly trained professionals with at least a 4 year college degree in the discipline. They have deep technical skills as well as artistic talents. These skills include grading, storm water management and drainage and structural engineering of hardscape elements. In Michigan, Landscape Architects must pass a rigorous test in order to be licensed by the state. They also participate in ongoing learning to stay up to date on the latest trends.

There is often little difference in the fee that you will pay for a superb landscape plan developed by a licensed landscape architect rather than a landscape designer.

Contact us today and learn how you can get started!