Garden Designers, Landscape Architects, and Landscapers. What’s the difference?
Week 3: Landscapers
Before we jump into the final blog post of our 3-week blog series on Garden Designers, Landscape Architects, and Landscapers, go back and read our posts about Garden Designers and Landscape Architects.
Landscapers: If you asked 10 different people what a landscaper does you would get 10 different answers. For the sake of this guide, we are going to break it out into the design/build landscapers and landscapers who only do the installation based on the garden design or the homeowner’s directions.
Landscaper/Build: Many companies will sketch out a general design on graph paper and a few may offer CAD services. Since this type of company is both the designer of the space and the installer, they are easily able to give a price quote. Some of the landscape/build companies focus primarily on installing nursery stock, patios, fire pits, retaining walls, some operate heavy equipment, and can source local materials for the homeowner. These companies also work with local garden designers and architects who supply them with a steady stream of clients with implementations ready to go.
It’s a triple win for the client, installer, and designer/architect as this combination becomes a synergistic affair. Cue the Fireworks, Music, Grand Reveal!
Many landscape/builds companies are considered “general contractors”. If you’ve not worked with a general contractor (GC) you will find that they will likely do some of the work themselves and hire out sub-contractors such as pouring concrete pads, carpenters, electricians, arborists, etc.
They are a business and charge a markup for bringing these services to you. For instance: GC receives the bid from the sub-contractor (electrician) for $4,000.00. Then you will receive a bill for $5,200.00 from the GC (who will then pay the electrician directly) for that same electrician to do the work. Why? Because 30% is the average GC markup in many regions across the U.S. They profit from the $1,200.00 because they did the work to get the right guy to do the job as required. Like mom always says “nothing in this life is free”.
Costs: Costs are all over the map. You might find a landscape/build crew in WA state at a bargain rate of $75.00 per man-hour. This means if you have three men on-site for one hour you just spent $225.00 transplanting that tree.
Here is where you put on your thinking cap. How do I know if the price quoted for 20 yards of gravel is 3x the amount of another local installer? Gravel cost is pennies compared to doing a 400 square foot mortared flagstone courtyard. Is a price quote of $14,000.00 for materials and installation sky high or the going rate in my region? Hint: if you are in King/Snohomish county in WA state this is the average rate.
Does this contractor have other projects they can show you of similar installations? Installations usually look AMAZING when they are first completed. How do they look after four years of frost heave, snow loads, and vole activity? This is where the homeowner needs to do the research and make sure the contractor is licensed, bonded, and insured. Always look on your states website to see that their paperwork is in good standing. A contractor who was licensed, bonded and insured 3 years ago and then let it lapse will do you no good. Always get the warranty in writing for their craftsmanship, if applicable. Is the warranty specific and what is the timeframe and requirements you as the homeowner need if there is an issue a year after the installation?
Landscapers:
Many landscapers have a weekly maintenance route for their client base and offer installation services. Their services vary widely from installing hardscapes, irrigation, lighting with various outcomes depending on the experience and attention/care given by the installers.
Many landscapers have spent years installing gardens and can offer suggestions to a homeowner. Most do not have a formal education in horticulture or a degree in design. Landscapers often bid on architects and garden designers' plans to perform the installation work. They are used to working to the exacting requirements of the plans and for those that have developed long-term working relationships with designers they treat those clients like gold as they know it ensures future work. Some unreputable contractors have been known to “ghost” a client after receiving a deposit. You never want to worry about this so please at the very least get a referral. The guy whose price is too good to be true on Craigslist, in GardenGirls experience, either owes a lot of back child support and is attempting to work under the table to avoid paying or likes to go from town to town doing a “good enough” job and you won’t realize he didn’t add rebar to your driveway until a heavy delivery truck drives on it and cracks it. You get what you pay for.
Costs: Again, this is all over the map. If you have a strictly Mow, Blow, Go landscape person you may get lucky and pay $35.00 per man hour in your region. In the Pacific NW, the average rate is $65.00 per man-hour for just this service.
For the mow, blow, go landscaper that also may have a skill set of installing hardscapes, irrigation, lighting, nursery stock you’ll be spending an average of $70.00 - 90.00 per man-hour in the pacific NW. That’s right – 4 people working on your installation for 8 hours at this rate will run you between $ $2,240.00 - $2,800.0 before sales tax. Obviously the pacific NW is home to corporate headquarters of Microsoft, Boeing, Amazon, Starbucks which drives up cost of living and services. GardenGirl advocates that all people deserve to earn a living wage.
