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Landscape Contractors: An Overview
Landscape contractors bring to the table an understanding of the plans and documents that the landscape designers and architects have prepared. They understand the proper terminology. They know the tradesmen and subcontractors who can do excellent work. They organize the workflow. They turn the ideas into a practical and coherent reality.
For landscape contractors, this project management is the skill that proves their real worth. In general, the more complex the project, the more important it is to have a single experienced professional overseeing the job. If nothing else, it eliminates the finger-pointing when conflicts arise. You then only have one person to deal with.
Many landscape contractors are often further engaged to handle the ongoing landscape maintenance of the projects they install. This long-term partnership benefits the homeowners because they can be assured that the integrity of the overall design will be maintained—for example, when a particular style of garden has been chosen: a formal landscape design with its meticulous attention to line and form or a Mediterranean garden design that gets much of its style from plant choices.
What to Know Before Talking to Landscape Contractors
There are several issues you will want to understand for yourself before interviewing landscape contractors. They include:
• Deciding how you want the landscape to be used. Will you entertain? Do you have children and therefore want a play area? Would a swimming pool be a worthwhile investment?
• What services do you want? Consider design or architectural services, plant and material choices and construction.
• Will you care for the landscape yourself or do you want to hire out the ongoing landscape maintenance?
Questions to ask Landscape Contractors
Once you have a general idea of the project you want to undertake, you are ready to talk to the landscape contractors. Here is a short list of questions to ask:
• How long has the firm been in business? Has it always been in this part of the country? The answers give you an idea of their knowledge of the Houston area's particular climate and environmental conditions.
• Does the firm intend to use subcontractors? If so, how long have they been working together?
• Request proof of insurance for liability and workers' compensation. Ask what local licenses and permits will be required.
• Ask for references.
• Ask to see a portfolio of completed projects. It might even be informative to visit a project that's in the works, something that will give you a good idea of what the crews and their work habits look like.
• Request the bid in writing. Professional firms will have written estimates and contracts that include the scope of work, estimated time of completion, total costs, payment methods, warranties and possibly dispute resolutions.
• Is the contractor professional? This last question is really one that you'll ask yourself after your initial impression, and it's an important one—is this person someone you want to do business with?
The Value-Added of Landscape Contractors
The true value that landscape contractors provide can be summed up in two words: construction management. It entails the implementation of the project's requirements in the correct sequence, which is integral to a successful installation. The list may include:
• Site grading
• Landscape installation
• Tree planting, tree preservation, tree trimming or removal
• Landscape drainage systems installation
• Irrigation systems
• Hardscapes (driveways, sidewalks, patios, walls, gates, fences)
• Outdoor kitchens
• Luxury swimming pools
• Outdoor water fountains
• Landscape lighting
Many homeowners mistakenly think that a landscape project is just as simple as putting the different parts into a logical order—get the pool done, then call in the lighting guys, for example. However, in most cases, one piece of the overall design is rarely installed in its entirety at one time; rather, it is installed in parts and starts with the subcontractor coming back to the project several times before his part of the installation is finished. In many cases, a single subcontractor may be called back five different times to complete incremental steps leading up to the completed installation.
“The different sections of a major landscape installation need to be interwoven, very similar to how a dance is choreographed,” explains Jeff Halper with Exterior Worlds. “The subcontractors keep coming and going at different times, doing one step in concert with ten others. For instance, before the pool subcontractor pours the decking, you want to get the electricians and the irrigation specialists out there. Otherwise you'll land-lock that beautiful planter that you had specially built to mark the end of the pool area. You've left it stranded without electricity for lights or plumbing for easy watering.
“We try to be frank with our clients as to where we can be most valuable. If a customer only wants an arbor built, I may tell them to just call the arbor builder. But if they want, say, the arbor wired for landscape lighting and integrated into the irrigation and drainage system—that's another matter. Landscape contractors, in particular, add value when you want the hardscapes to relate to one another—the pool, the irrigation, the outdoor kitchen, the drainage system, the lights, the whole deal. The more sophisticated the design, the more important landscape contractors become. In these cases, we become a necessity, not a luxury.”
Landscape contractors are licensed professionals who are trained in performing techniques and designs onto a piece of land. This is whether it is a small or a large scale project. Landscape design comprises mainly of landscape management, landscape planning, landscape detailing, landscape assessment, landscape urbanism and garden design innovations. The skills of a landscape contractor, together with their certifications and experiences, has varying factors that can affect you selection and criteria of who is the best these days.
Landscape contractors are licensed professionals who are trained in performing techniques and designs onto a piece of land. This is whether it is a small or a large scale project. Landscape design comprises mainly of landscape management, landscape planning, landscape detailing, landscape assessment, landscape urbanism and garden design innovations.
People behind these, would be contractors that are also regarded as landscape designers. They are also the ones who convert a simple yard into great outdoor scenery, using renovation and decorative processes. Aside from this, they are also equipped in managing landscape renovations such as:
1. Disposing existing:
• Pests
• Plants, and
• Unused things
2. Building new infrastructure features
3. Installing drainage and irrigation systems
4. Sculpting:
• Themes
• Designs, and
• Walkways
5. Installing:
• Gazebos
• Fences, and
• Patios
6. Assuring the flowering of garden plants.
Hence, landscapers will present and even plot advisable themes but they also follow your chosen design. They can arrange maintenance services and provide follow ups, for future care. Contractors or design firms are also rest assured that their people had undergone training and expertise. This is with regards to landscaping at its best.
Moreover, many firms enjoy the market’s growth, especially in the landscaping industry nowadays. There was an increase both abroad and domestically. With this, top designing firms and contractors in US have reached billions of revenues. Reaping the subsidy, design firms became strong, particularly in the design market of the U.S.
Thus, changes and challenges in the industry such as new client demands, work loads, additional staffs and new design models has been a long standing problem because of the strong market.
According to the 2007 Electronic Edition of the ENR Top 500 Design Firms, they surveyed and published the top firms according to their revenues. The top 5 from the top 100 pure designers are as follows:
Type of Firm 2006 Revenue
1. AECOM TECHNOLOGY CORP. EA $2,831.9
Los Angeles, California
2. THE LOUIS BERGER GROUP EA $865.5
East orange, New Jersey
3. CDI BUSINESS SOLUTIONS EC $630.6
Philadelphia
4. PBS&J EA $546.1
Tampa, Florida
5. MUSTANG ENGINEERING EC $540.0
Houston, Texas
These top 5 rankings were judged according to their award winning plans, strategies, applications and extensive experience. Furthermore, here is the Top 5 for the Best Architectural Firms, which focused on landscaping:
1. FRCH Design Worldwide
Cincinnati, Ohio
Web Address:
FRCH Design Worldwide is a design and architectural firm that serves hospitality markets, restaurant, offices, entertainment and retail markets internationally. The firm got this slot in the year 2006. In fact, it is the first place winner of ZweigWhite's national for the "Best Firms to Work for Award". Thus, FRCH offers new strategies for architecture designs, promoting customer satisfaction.
2. Little Diversified Architectural Consulting
Headquarters:
• Charlotte, NC
• Dallas, TX
• Irvine, CA
• Detroit, MI
• Orlando, FL
• Washington D.C
• Irvine, CA
• Los Angeles, CA, and
• Research Triangle Park, NC
This firm was formerly Little & Associates Architects. Hence, this firm specializes in:
• Universities and Colleges
• Interiors
• Facilities Management
• Offices
• Civic
• Retail industries, and
• Financial industries
Thus, this company comes in an array of architectural consulting services such as:
• Land Development Services
• Space Management Consulting, and
• Architecture
3. BSB Design
Headquarters:
• Costa Mesa
• Denver
• Atlanta
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Las Vegas
• Sacramento
• Boston
• Jacksonville
• Chicago Loop
• Phoenix
• Tampa
• Orlando, and
• Fresno
BSB was founded in the year 1966. They specialize in architecture for residential areas. Where in, they have even expanded to commercial architecture such as:
• Community land planning
• Hospitality, and
• Resorts
Thus, BSB Designs offers unique design solutions, along with award winning plans. This firm is a veteran for 40 years, having 300 architects, staffs and designers.
4. Sasaki Associates, Inc.
Offices:
• Watertown, MA
• Boston
• San Francisco
Founded by Hideo Sasaki in 1953, Sasaki Associates became a respected international landscape firm. With 270 professionals, interdisciplinary measures are being implemented in their offices.
5. EDSA
Address: Fort Lauderdale
Offices:
• Florida
• California
• China
• Maryland
• Orlando
• Los Angeles, and
• Baltimore
EDSA was established in the year 1960. They actually guarantee an extensive experience in:
• Cultural and campus planning
• Environmental and community planning
• Hotels and resorts
• Ecotourism
• Entertainment and urban design
With over 220 employees, EDSA is a landscape architectural, planning, graphic and urban design specialist. Lastly, it is an internationally renowned firm.
Thus, with the vast number of landscaping firms and contractors, how can one find the best should you decide to build your own area, into an outdoor paradise? Here are the some tips:
• A big ad is not important, what is important is taking time to present and match your own designs to the landscaper. A good contractor actually listens to his clients.
• Visiting stores that offer listings of firms. With this list, you can do some research about the entire company profile and the designer itself.
• Get estimates from the contractor and other prospects as well.
• Don’t rush things. A good contractor lays down the design plot and its features before signing up.
• Seek for a firm that has a superior service and facilitates excellent customer care. They should be able to value their client’s opinions.
There are many excellent landscaping contractors and landscape designers nowadays. A vast progress of the landscaping industry inherits these contractors to upgrade their specialization with other competent companies.
Local landscapers can arrange special maintenance services in lieu with their customer satisfaction rate and performance. This may help in bringing them to become one amongst the top contractors and firms in the U.S. today.
Now that new computer design software is in demand, it has become an added variety of service for one firm to possess. Due to the advent of computer generated landscaping designs, more professionals must be trained and knowledgeable enough to implement this kind of progress.
Prospects in choosing contractors and firms to be on the top list must follow certain researches and surveys to the best of their services.