Landscape Design and Build

2. The design process is simplified.

Pro: A design-build firm rolls the design services and installation into the full project cost. The design fee is usually listed as a lump sum in a line-item estimate for the work.

Con: A design-build firm may provide a design plan that is not properly detailed. This is a problem if you wish to get several contractors to provide a price estimate on a design plan from a design-build firm. When you pay for a design plan, you own the drawings you will use to get the project built. Watch out for companies that have you pay for a design but do not transfer ownership of the drawings to you, or for design drawings that are not accurately detailed.

A properly detailed landscape design plan is to scale with dimensions and materials noted. It also includes a list of specific plant species, quantities, spacing dimensions and container sizes. This ensures that you can take the same plan to another contractor for an estimate or bid and be comparing the same scope of work.