If you are thinking about a landscaping project, you might wonder exactly what to expect from the process. Whether you’ve never had a project like this done before or want to understand how Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape handles the landscaping process, you’re looking to be an educated consumer before getting it all underway.
We asked Amanda McNiff, our Landscape Designer, to walk us through the entire landscape installation process, starting after she meets with a client and they decide to move forward with their landscaping project.
We will cover:
After reading this article, we hope you will better understand the landscaping process and feel more comfortable starting your project.
At Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape, we have always valued transparency and communication. If any questions about what to expect before and during your landscape installation project are unanswered, please feel free to reach out.
An initial consultation is an important part of the landscaping process. During this meeting, you will meet with a landscape designer to discuss your ideas.
We’ve already written an article on how to prepare for this initial consult, which you can read for more information.
To sum it up, to be prepared, you should plan to:
The landscape consultation is an exciting meeting because it’s the start of getting your plans underway. The better prepared you are for this meeting, the better the outcome will be for everyone.
You’ll walk away feeling even more excited about the next steps.
Once you’ve had that initial consultation, a Landscape Designer will devise a plan they’ll share with you. Amanda explains what happens after meeting with a client who wants to get started on the landscaping project she’s designed.
“After I’ve had an initial consultation with a client and put together a plan that they’ve accepted, then our typical landscaping contracts require a 50 percent deposit,” she explains. “That will secure you a spot on our schedule.”
Amanda says the landscape installation process starts with a call to Miss Utility, who will send someone out to mark the property for underground lines and utilities. Anyone who plans to dig in Virginia must first make this call.
“We always notify the clients that we’ve put in a ticket with Miss Utility,” Amanda says. “They usually give us a two- to three-day window. On the day they come out, homeowners must ensure that gates are unlocked and that the locator can access the property to mark lines.”
Amanda says the project can get underway once that important step is done. The project manager (herself, in many cases) will meet with the crew and help them lay everything out. The typical lead time for getting everything underway is generally 3 to 6 weeks, but many factors can impact that. We will talk about this next.
When the project is underway, we do everything we can to keep it moving forward, says Amanda.
Sometimes, if more than one crew is involved (for instance, the crew that does decks is different from the crew that does patios), there can be a day or two of downtime, but generally, once your landscaping project begins, everything keeps moving rapidly forward.
As mentioned above, once a client signs our landscaping contract, we typically have a 3—to 6-week lead time before the project begins.
Factors like the weather and even the clients’ desires can change this, says Amanda.
“I have had some clients who want us to start the project while they are away on vacation so that it’s done when they get back and I’ve had others who want to be here for every day of it,” she says. “We work with what the client wants.”
Once the landscape installation process is underway, the timeline will depend on exactly what you have done. Obviously, smaller landscape installation projects (like adding a new plant bed, for instance) will be completed faster than hardscaping or carpentry work.
Weather is always an unknown variable that could pause work. In addition, as we mentioned, if a larger project has more than one crew involved (such as a carpentry crew for a deck and a hardscape crew for a patio), then there could be a day or two of downtime between their schedules,” says Amanda.
Overall, we work hard to keep landscaping projects moving forward efficiently.
Anyone who has had any interior renovation project done knows that construction can be somewhat disruptive. However, because landscaping projects are completed outside, they are significantly less disruptive to daily life.
Even so, Amanda says you can potentially anticipate a few things, especially if you are having hardscaping work done that requires heavy machinery.
Some dust from cutting: If you have a patio installed and we are cutting pavers, you can anticipate a little bit of dust from this type of project. Since this is outside, it’s significantly less problematic than an interior project that involves cutting through drywall or wood. But you might notice some dust on your windows if the patio is close to your home.
Some noise: The machinery involved in a landscaping project can create some noise. Probably the loudest noise would be on a project that involves jackhammering out old concrete to put in new hardscaping. The jackhammering portion of that project will likely only be a day. You can let your neighbors know as a courtesy that you’re going to be having this done.
Setting up a staging site: If you have hardscaping installed, we will need to set up a staging site for the pallets of pavers coming in. In general, these types of projects are rarely in the way of a homeowner’s daily life, though obviously, there’s going to be some construction outside of your home, so you’ll want to keep children away until it’s complete.
We do put away tools and clean up our site at the end of every work day, but you should still take common-sense precautions.
Amanda says you can certainly do a few things to prepare for your landscape installation.
Taking these steps will help everything go even more smoothly from the start.
Clean up the yard. If you have children’s toys, tools or equipment, or other items in the way of the area where your landscape project is going to be completed, it’s very helpful to move or put these items away. Then, you can ensure they are stored exactly where you want them to be and don’t accidentally become misplaced if crews have to move them.
Clean up after pets. While this is a more common courtesy, it is a nice thing to do so that crews don’t have to step in dog poop (or track it around) while getting your landscaping project underway.
Consider parking. This is a big one as we often work in tight spaces with limited parking. If you live on a busy street with street-only parking, we ask if you can move a vehicle to give the crew a dedicated parking spot. Often, they do have to come and go from the vehicle for tools and supplies.
If you live in a home with a driveway and are having a large project done, we may need part of the driveway for staging or access. This can all vary depending on the project's scope and will be discussed beforehand.
Remember to lock the gates. If you will not be home on the project's day, ensure any unlocked gates are open. The crews will need to be able to access the site to start the project on time.
Hopefully, this article has given you a good idea of what you can expect regarding the process for a landscaping project.
Of course, it all comes down to choosing the right landscape designer to complete your project. You want to ensure that you’re working with a company that can handle the design and construction of your project with true expertise.
It helps to partner with a pro who will listen to your ideas and contribute their skill and expertise. Together, you can craft your dream space.
Ultimately, making a smart choice will help give you peace of mind. By choosing the right landscaping contractor for the work, you’ll be able to feel confident that you have the optimal solution for enhancing your property.
If you want to be confident that your landscape design will have everything it needs, request a landscape consultation, get your customized plan, and relax as you receive the royal treatment.