Freelance Landscape Design

[Anonymous]

I am wanting to do some freelance landscape design on the side. Do I handle finding the contractor or do I just give them the final plans? Do customers really want the plans or a final built product?

Bennett

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

Well, if you are going to do it “on the side”, you may find it difficult to have the time to manage the project. I started out doing it as a part time thing while working full time in a civil office (I did civil site plans with them rather than landscape architecture). I did not have time to deal with taking bids and certainly could not manage projects, so I only provided plans.

Because of that, I found that a lot of people felt I was more independent and more attentive to their needs rather than upselling. I also found it easier to sell design on flat rate pricing because people were afraid that the hours would build up and out of their budget, I protected myself by listing the things that I would do including the number of revisions and providing an hourly rate for additional work. I learned something from that as well – people were much more forthcoming in giving me the information that I needed to complete the job within the contract price, The result was that I could complete a design efficiently,

The other benefit to preparing me for working full time for myself was that I was able to do a lot more plans for a lot more people. That helped a lot with referrals, but more importantly it helped me build a portfolio of built work and more experience.

This might not be the best thing for you, but I thought I would share my experience for you to take in and process what may or may not work for you.

The advice that I never got was that it is best to work toward your strengths and avoid your weaknesses. Don’t hold yourself back by thinking you have to have the same skill sets as everyone else or have to follow the same business model as anyone else. Allow yourself to define the playing field so that your strengths make you win. Don’t allow yourself to try to compete against the strengths of others. There is diversity in the needs of potential clients just as there is diversity in the strengths of the individuals in our profession. You may also find, as I did, that what was preached to us in school about the values of our potential clients may be more in line with the hopes of the profession than the reality of our potential clients.

I’m unconventional, but I’m surviving pretty well as a solo operation in a not so great economy. I have zero marketing and I turn away work. It is all referral.- most are multi-million dollar residences and the landscapes average about $180k. It started with $300k homes with landscape makeovers.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info. Would you recommend partnering with a contractor to do the work, even if you are not overseeing the construction? So when you present the final design you have a cost estimate and someone who can build it.   

It seems hard to compete with design / build firms when they might not even charge for the designs.

[Dave McCorquodale]

Andrew’s advice is tough to add anything to, it’s spot-on.  Understanding your client’s budget (in the context of what can built for that amount) before you begin the design will save you time on revisions and result in happy clients.  

Those design/build firms are still charging for the design through the construction costs.  They just don’t charge a design fee to do a design, but the designer of the project has to make a living.  

Framing this correctly may give you an advantage: You’re being paid for the design and have an inherent obligation to do your best work.  It’s a fixed fee that you both agree on, not tied to the total cost of the project.  Design/build guys can’t spend too much time on a design because they don’t make a dime if the client doesn’t choose them.  As for your installer, if you partner with one: they should have a slightly lower cost for your projects if you’re doing the design and sales.  They’d otherwise need to be paying someone to do this.  An open conversation with them along these lines may help you stay competitive in the market.  If you can find an installer to charge less for your jobs, ask them to show the full cost on the proposal and then a line item that shows the discount. (because who doesn’t like to see a discount?!?)  

Full disclosure: I’m a design/build guy for high-end pools and landscapes.  I use my LA background and registration to sell myself (and my installer) as a more-qualified option than the competition.  

Designers are going to be paid either through a design fee or a commission.  If you can show your client that hiring you doesn’t really cost that much more, you’ll do well.  Again, understanding their install budget will determine your success and profitability.

Dave

[Anonymous]

Dave,

So are you saying that as an independent landscape designer you can market yourself saying that the designs are a higher quality or more creative because your focus is 100 percent the design, not worrying about the details of construction? 

Bennett

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

Bennett,

Dave’s advice is excellent (as usual).

You have to understand that certain people want to pay for design and they are after one thing only – that is to reduce uncertainty in the resulting landscape. That means what it will look like, how it will affect their lifestyle, how well it will be constructed, and how much it will cost.

When they hire a design/build (no negative to design/build) the client is more limited to dealing with that contractor and they know that the designer’s first obligation is to the business he works for rather than exclusively for the best interest of the client. Your design as an independent then has real value. Make sure to get that point across to your prospective clients.

You don’t have to team up with a landscape contractor. They want to bid on projects to get work. They will gladly write a cost proposal for your clients. They will do so knowing that others are bidding as well. They don’t like it so much if there are several other bidders or if some are much less qualified because it reduces their ability to have a good shot at the job.

I stopped doing cost estimates on my own years ago because I can get real prices from real contractors in a heartbeat and so can you. I simply have the contractors provide them (sometimes through me, sometimes directly to the client). If the cost is over budget, we either “value engineer” to reduce costs, or the client finds a way to increase the budget.

If you team up, it reduces your ability to attract the client that wants an independent designer. I like to keep that advantage.

[Dave McCorquodale]

In a nutshell, sort of.  Said another way, they’re paying you for a design and you’re giving them 100% of your effort.  You know that you’re being compensated for the work.  A design/build company doing “free” design work has to at least be mindful that the client may love their design, but not like the cost.  As a result, they might decide to shop the plan around to other installers until they find one with the right price.  If the client selects another company to install the work, the design/build firm just lost money.

You’ll still be mindful of construction details and cost, and point out any design details that need to be installed a particular way for a particular reason.  Though what you won’t have to worry about is a client taking your design to another installer and leaving you without any compensation for your work (which is what the design/build guys need to be wary of).  

The fact that you’re compensated for your work ensures that the client gets a design advocate that only has to focus on the design solution (and practicality of installing it within a given budget range).  You’re not worried about being undercut by another company taking your design and promising to “beat the price by 10%” or some other low-ball tactic.  

I hope that makes sense, it’s clearer in my mind than I may be able to articulate…

Dave

[Author]

Posts