10 Reasons Why Landscape Designers Are So Expensive

So what’s the big deal? Why can’t landscape designers provide a simple design without charging an arm and a leg? How hard can it possibly be? Here are some reasons why:

1. A landscape designer might go through five different designs before landing on the one that the actual client sees at the end of the day.
2. A landscape designer might go through five more designs before landing on the revised design the actual client sees after addressing said client’s comments and concerns.
3. A landscape designer must think about how each designed element will behave on a site-by-site basis.
4.  A landscape designer must think about how every element designed relates to all other elements designed.
5.  Although the client usually only sees a 2-dimensional plan, a landscape designer has also designed the entire vertical dimension in their mind as well.
6. Conducting an accurate site survey can take a surprising amount of time.
7. A landscape designer will often make sure the materials proposed for a design can be found locally.
8. Landscape designers pay meticulous attention to plant selection and environmental concerns.
9. Designing to scale requires a level of accuracy above and beyond creating “a pretty picture”.
10. Landscape designers must always account for a communication learning curve with each new client.

Venessa Lines, Blog Contributor

Cooperative Design Resource, LLC.