So you have surveyed your yard and decided it is time for a change, or maybe you are ready for a yard in your new build. What is the next step? Before you call a landscaper or a designer, think about your usage zones.

• What do you want your yard to be and how do you want to use it?
• How much time to you want to spend working in your landscape, do you want to include outdoor cooking, do you entertain, or want to start entertaining in your outdoor space?

The more you have thought about how you want to use your space, the easier it will be for a designer to provide you with a space that fits your needs.

A well-planned landscape is a perfect melding of aesthetics and function. Use our LANDSCAPE QUESTIONARE to help you answer some of these questions and start thinking about some of the specifics of your project.

The second thing you should think about is your budget.

• How much do you want to spend?
• Is it a phased project, where you focus on one area the first year and another the second?

Most clients are hesitant to give a concrete budget number, they just want to know how much what they want will cost and then they decide whether they can afford it or not. But the truth of the matter is you can transform a space at several different cost points. If you cannot provide a designer with a price range of what you are thinking of spending, you have used both your valuable time and money to get a design that does not fit your needs. If you are just exploring landscaping and do not have a good handle on what it costs, think about it like a bathroom remodel. You can spend a little money redoing fixtures and a fresh coat of paint, or you can gut it and start over.

It is difficult to give broad estimates of cost because every project is different, but you can think about transforming a space at levels, a low-end cost, mid range and a high-end transformation. As you upgrade the price, you are upgrading materials, plant sizes and scope of the project. Just as there is a difference from laminate flooring to granite tile, there are levels of patio material from flagstone to New York Bluestone.

Most designers will be happy to show you a range of options and provide designs that show you where you can upgrade, and where is makes sense to spend less money.

Now you have decided what you want to transform, how you want to use it, and what you can spend to make that happen.

• So who is going to do it?
• Do you want a design to work from and do the work yourself or are you going to hire the work out?
• How do you hire a designer, or find a landscaping company?

The industry provides several business type options. First you have Landscape Architects, either free lance or associated with a firm. Architects work on both residential and commercial design, though they tend to fall more in the commercial side of the industry.

Then there are design/build firms. This is a company that provides both the capability to design your project and provide the labor to install it both in house. Some companies will design in house and hire out labor, Commonly referred to as Design Firms, where other companies specialize in providing labor, usually referred to as Contractors.

There are also going to be companies that specialize in just hardscapes, or just waterscapes or a myriad of other specializations. Another category of landscape business is a landscaper attached to a greenhouse.

Find a firm that provides the services that you desire and check references. Most companies will provide testimonials and galleries showcasing their work. This will give you a good idea of the level at which they perform. Often if companies have projects in your area that are similar to what you are looking to do they will provide you with the opportunity to view a finished project, or speak with previous customers.

Also look at the company’s credentials. Are they members of associations or do they have awards or titles that require them to operate at a certain level of professionalism? Investigating all this should give you the confidence that you have hired a company that works for what you desire.

There are many benefits of hiring labor instead of doing it yourself, besides saving your back. Yes it will cost more, and yes you can save money by doing the work your self. However if you hire it out, it will get done quicker, without aches and pains, with a level of professionalism and a workmanship guarantee. To put it into perspective in terms of time completion, a typical front entryway installation of just landscape (no hardscapes or waterscapes) that means just bed prep, plants, mulch/rock, edging, soil amending and fertilization would take and average company one day or less, and the average homeowner 3-4 weeks.

Another thing to consider is that a project is always more work than you think it is going to be. Landscaping tends to be a type of household project that sounds really simple on paper, but when you get down into it, it is more work than you expected. Another benefit of hiring out is simply the fact that you are hiring professionals. They know the simple tricks for laying a brick pattern, the perfect planting depth, the best way to position a waterfall. You are hiring labor, but you are also hiring experience.