landscape design costs

[Dave Modisette]

I was wondering if there is any way I could get an idea of what landscape design
costs for a residential backyard type of setting. Just a basic ballpark cost
per sq.ft. to go by as I basically kick a few tires. I enjoy lovely landscaping
when I see it but I don't have a clue how to go about planning my back yard
project. I'm a basic engineering type and I can build most anything I set my
mind to but when it comes to beauty or aesthetics I fall flat on my face.

I'm looking for a plan that I can implement over a period of years instead of a
hodge podge of ideas that I will end up tearing out in the end. The value of my
site is about $30,000.00 and the total appraisal of the entire property is only
$155,000.00 so you can see I'm not a millionaire. ;)

I'm interested in saving money like most people so I thought about even trying
to find a talented college student in the field to help me. Or maybe since my
field is plastics fabrication, thermo forming and thermo welding, I could trade
services in a barter type of arrangement. If this idea appeals to anyone and
you'd like to check out my company to see exactly what we do go to
www.plasticsamerica.com.

I also have a recording studio in my house if anyone out there fancies
themselves as a budding (pun intended) musician and would like to do some
recording.

This was a shot in the dark but who knows.

Dave

Brandon Florida

[Emphy]

That's a difficult question to answer without knowing what you want to
achieve with your backyard. Before you consult directly with a landscape
designer (which is typically free) you should have a fairly good idea of the
various elements you want to include in your landscape. You can start by
creating a bubble diagram. This diagram will help both you and the designer
know what each area of your backyard will be used for. examples: garden
area, street buffer, play area, privacy, ect. Include the outline of your
house in the diagram so you can see how they relate to the house. Views from
within the house are as important as views from the street. Keep in mind
that it could take up to 5 years for the trees, shrubs, ground cover, ect to
develop to maturity. But you want a price right? OK. How about $2,000? That
will get you one or two nice ornimental trees, several flowering shrubs, and
some landscaping materials like mulch, stone, edging.

[Pam]

Do you want an estimate of costs associated with the design work only or the cost of
having the entire landscape designed and installed? Two totally different approaches
with the first relatively easy to pin down and the second not nearly so.

Speaking as a designer rather than an LA, design fees for a master plan from which
you can work over a period of months or years to implement yourself are relatively
inexpensive. You should be able to get a skilled and qualified designer to work with
you to formulate a plan for your backyard in the range of $500-1000 and the entire
garden for approximately double that. It would tend towards the lower end if the
plan was quite simple (ie., just a planting plan) and towards the higher end if more
complicated by grading, drainage, spatial reconfiguration, hardscaping, etc.

Costs to implement the plan will have a much wider range, depending on the extent of
hardscaping involved, grading work required, irrigation installation, plant
selection and could be considerable - labor and materials are the factors here and
they are difficult to predict at this stage. It typically never fails to surprise my
clients at the total costs involved in having a landscape implemented by
professionals - even a very simple design for a small area can run upto $5000 or
more without much effort.

On the other hand, there is not too much involved in a landscaping project that
absolutely cannot be done by the homeowner and at a considerable savings. A good 75%
of my clients are do-it-yourselfers. What they save in doing the work themselves
they can apply to selecting quality materials and plants. A good designer will work
with you to help you implement the plan, prioritizing the work, referring and
recommending professionals where necessary and even overseeing plant selection and
planting. For someone with limited resources but an interest in developing an
attractive and functional landscape, this is definitely the way to go.

pam
gardengal designs

[Dave Modisette]

On 25-Apr-2002, Pam <grdn...@attbi.com> wrote:

> Do you want an estimate of costs associated with the design work only or
> the cost of
> having the entire landscape designed and installed? Two totally different
> approaches
> with the first relatively easy to pin down and the second not nearly so.

I have a DXF file of my property and the existing fence. It looks to me
like there was some landscaping done at the initial construction. There are
mature palm trees that must have been planted probably 20 years ago. They
will stay as is. I will not need any grading done.

Basically I'd like someone to tell me what plants to buy and where to put
them. I like to entertain in my covered pool/porch area so I'd like a
lovely view for my guests. I have a definite idea where I'd like my work
area to be. I have a new space that was previously occupied by a very large
wooden jungle gym/swing that I just removed. (I don't have kids that age
group). I have 90 feet of aged shadowbox privacy fencing across the
backside at 6 ft height. All the privacy fence is in bad condition and I'd
like to hide it as much as possible. I have planted Hibiscus along 40 ft of
it for this purpose. There is a terraced flower garden along about 60 ft
across this back fence. It was grown over and we have/are cleaning it out
and preparing to replant. I need to replace the landscaping timbers. I
plan on using landscaping timbers for a short term fix for the terraces but
my goal is eventually a stacked stone wall. I also have a goal for a stone
walkway to link up with the existing flagstone walkway coming from the front
yard to the side gate.

Excuse me for getting carried away. In a nutshell, yes I need a planting
diagram. ;)

I can provide digital photos of the yard and CAD drawings to whoever is
interested.

--
Dave Modisette
Trakmaster of Brandon
www.Soundclick.com/Dave Modisette sumthin'

[Pam]

Dave Modisette wrote:

Sounds like you have a pretty good idea of how you want to use the property but
just need some help in the details and the plantings. Make the investment in a
designer - it will be worth it. You may not necessarily need a full blown
planting plan - perhaps just a consultation and plant recommendations is all
that is required. Actually, I think Florida law requires landscaping design to
be performed by a licensed Landscape Architect so a designer may not be an
option.. Others may have a different opinion, but I would not presume to give
design advise via the Internet. I don't believe it is possible to provide a
quality design without actually visiting the site, so look for someone qualified
in your area.

pam