What is "design-build " landscaping?

A design/build landscape firm, like Ross NW Watergardens, is a one stop shop. We will do the design for your landscape and then you can have us install it as well.

There are landscape designers and there are landscape contractors. A design/build landscaper is really both.

What are the advantages of hiring a landscape design-build firm?

• Trust. I know it's a leap of faith to email or call a contractor based on his portfolio and a couple of reviews. With design/build, you get to start slow and build a relationship. The first step is the landscape design process. Of course the design costs something, but nowhere near what the actual landscape will! And by the end of the design process you should have no doubt about hiring (or not hiring) for the installation.
• Communication. When it is time to start the landscape installation, there are well established lines of communication in place. You have been talking to the designer for months. The designer has been working with the project manager for years. But the communication advantage really goes deeper than that. The design itself "speaks" to the people who install it. When the designer knows the foreman, craftsmen, and crew members who will be doing the installation he ensures that the design speaks their language.
• Quality. The design will probably not include methods or materials that the landscape crews have little or no experience with. The landscape plan will be tailored first and foremost to your needs, but the crew's strengths can also be kept in mind. And when an issue with the design arises (which they will!) the incentive is to find a great solution- not just blame the designer (yes, that happens).

Landscape design/build has a lot to offer, and some distinct advantages. Is it the model for your garden project? If so, please contact us for a free consultation. 

Does design/build have drawbacks? Yes, and those will be the subject of our next post!

Do you have to hire us to install the landscape?

No. When you have us do the design, the final version is yours. Most of our clients then have us install it (thank you!), others get multiple quotes, and a few just do it themselves.

Have questions about the design-build process? Contact us today and ask!