Garden Designers, Landscape Architects, and Landscapers. What’s the difference?

Week 2: Landscape Architects

Last week we kicked off our blog series with Garden Designers. If you didn’t get a chance to read that blog post you can read it here. We started by asking the big question: Who should I hire for my landscaping?

This week we’ll talk about Landscape Architects.

Make a Plan. Plan the work. Work the Plan.

Landscape architects have a degree in landscape architecture and are licensed by the state in which they practice in. Licensed landscape architects plan and design public outdoor spaces, including city gardens, parks cemeteries, commercial centers, resorts, transportation facilities, and waterfront developments. They may also design and plan the restoration of natural places like wetlands, streams, and forested land. Architects work with slopes, engineered retaining walls, CAD technical specifications of outdoor structures and many assist homeowners with the permitting process at the local county and city levels. They can send out the design for bid and project manage the implementation with the client-selected sub-contractors. Architects may refer out to a survey service for properties over 5 acres.

Costs: Varies by state but expect to spend $200.00 - $350.00 per hour for an architect’s time depending on their experience, expertise, and specialty area. This does not include the cost of additional land studies that may be required if serious excavation is happening on slopes. Fees can stack up if you need to apply for permits. Architects typically charge similar to attorneys in 15-minute increments for time spent on projects, responding to client requests via email/phone or in-person meetings, and travel time.