You’ve decided on your next landscaping project, and you’re ready to hire a landscaper. Maybe you want to add a patio, create curb appeal, get a seasonal clean-up or bring a bit of nature into your yard with a custom water feature. So, now what? While every landscaping company will have a slightly different approach, it is helpful to know what the typical process is and what you as the homeowner can expect.

What to Expect When You Hire a Landscape Professional

We’ve broken it down into four main steps: 1) Initial On-Site Meeting 2) Design & Proposal 3) Installation and 4) Final Walk-Through:  Initial On-Site Meeting This meeting serves a few purposes. It allows the landscaper to see the property in person, to analyze the current site conditions, take pictures and get measurements. But, the most important part of this in-person meeting is for the landscaper to learn more about the homeowner, the intended project and long-term goals for the property.  Your landscaper should spend time talking with you in depth, taking the time to listen and ask questions, propose ideas and offer suggestions on how to achieve your dreams while keeping your budget in mind. This meeting is key to determining if you and the landscaper are a good fit and will work well together throughout the process. Some landscapers will charge for this initial meeting, and others, like us, offer this service for free. Design & Proposal After the initial on-site meeting, your landscaper will create a design (if needed, some jobs such as a seasonal clean-up don’t require a design) and a detailed proposal based on your input, site conditions and budget. At Lifestyle Pond & Patio, we can provide both CAD and 3-D, full color, computer generated designs. Other companies may use hand drawn designs or a combination of both. The proposal should lay out all the details and materials needed to bring the design to life, including total cost and payment structure. Some companies, like ours, will also offer a landscape design for a fee without installation if you’re looking for a professional landscape design that you install yourself. Installation After the design is approved and the proposal has been accepted, your landscaper will schedule the installation and let you know how long the project should take from beginning to end. Typically, the landscaping crew will consist of a foreman who accompanies the installation crew as they implement your design. The foreman will either be on-site or available at anytime during the process to answer any homeowner questions and solve any issues that may arise. Final Walk-Through Once the job is completed, the foreman will walk through the project with the homeowner to ensure that everything was completed to the homeowner’s satisfaction. Additional care instructions will be shared with the homeowner as needed.