Anyone hire a landscape architect before? (house, plan, designs, build)

[submart]

Hello,

Our backyard will soon be a blank slate once we finish clearing away the brush. We really want to enjoy our backyard and make it a comfortable place to be. We want outdoor lighting, a fountain, a detached screened porch, a fire-pit, and some nice plants. We will also like a nice walkway. And to make our grass look nice again. We just don't know how to make our dreams come true and turn out nice.

We make an average income and probably don't want to spend more then 10K on the entire project for our quarter acre lot (half that size actually as we are only doing the backyard). We will have a new fence by the time we start this project. And there are some very large concrete slabs in our backyard of different heights. Don't ask, the house was a foreclosure.

Anyone ever use a landscape architect before? Was it worth it? And was it expensive? Our there design templates you can find online to save money?

Thanks

[TreeZoo]

I have a few friends that are LAs, so don't tell them I said this.

Do you NEED a landscape architect? No. And yes, they are expensive. 10%-15% of your budget will go to them.

If you have some time and are a design oriented person or even close to it you can get what you want with some close co-ordination with contractors. You will need a hardscape contractor, perhaps a general contractor, an irrigation company and a landscaper. Sometimes one company will do everything, but usually not. Building a detached screened porch is usually outside of most landscape contractor's ability and most will not do the walks either, but subcontract that out.

A landscape architect will design and bring all of these elements together for you. But not all LAs are created equal. In my experience, most LAs are not the best plantsmen but are better oriented in the hardscape or general design aspects. Be sure to see some of his/her previous work, especially how it looks a year or more after installation.

[submart]

That's for the detailed reply. I didn't realize how expensive they are. Maybe good communication with sub-contractors is the way to go.

[TheOverdog]

You only have $10k to spend on a detached porch (as in a small building?), some buried electrical lines to install multiple lights, possible plumbing for a fountain, and some hardscape (perhaps concrete?), and some concrete removal?

I think your budget is very low, unless you will be doing all the work yourself. And if you are doing all the work yourself, I'm not sure why you need a landscape architect.

It seems like you have already picked your design (as in what you want) you only need help with placing it or constructing it. Why do you need an architect? What are you trying to get from them?

[TrapperL]

NO, you don't need a LA. What you need is a landscaper/nursery that does in house designs at no cost and installs their products. They will know what plants are best for your soil type and lay out a great yard for you. Your budget can make for a great yard but you might have to do some of the finish work to make it exactly what you want. Most nurseries do not charge for the estimate. Here's the folks I've used for many years and they have always been in budget and have given me picture quality landscaping. You might be able to glean ideas from their website.
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