[Cla Allgood]

I just thought I would chime in on this….it is a topic I am aware of on several fronts….while I am a landscape architect, earlier in our history we provided landscape architecture services and contracting services…not really design/build as we ended up having other contractors install our designs and then we often installed other landscape architects work. A lot different than true design/build.

Some of the best landscape architects we worked for during this period did not have any “field construction” history..but what they had was the confidence in their abilities to listen to the contractors (our) suggestions.   On the other hand, some less talented landscape architects were very afraid of field changes as they felt like it would reflect that they were not perfect to the client.  I think it is kind of a confidence situation.  And of course only the landscape architect knows the true history of the decision and the story behind the design, so a quality contractor always should respect that.

Equally I know for a fact that when a landscape architect is monitoring a “low bid” competition, he does need to be wary of suggestions.  Most low bid work can turn adversarial very quickly.  The landscape architect might sell his service to the client saying “Use me and we will get the lowest price and I will make sure the contractor sticks to the specifications I delivered for this project.”  Meanwhile on the other side of the job a low bid contractor is saying  “That landscape architect was overly zealous on this detail…he is not perfect and he overlooked something…when I find it, I am going to change order some profit back…”    So the client can end up with the struggle on the job, which really does not help anyone respond to those changes that really might be advantageous to the client and his project.

I always try to tell young contractors to work to make the landscape architect look good.  It does not usually take a lot of effort to find a fault with a design, especially one that was delivered to the client a year or more before the building broke ground…a lot can change with the site, product availability, industry information, etc. during that period.

Our company philosophy as landscape architects and as contractors is to listen to anyone who has a suggestion on how to make a job better.  Whether they have field experience or not.  I do not care if it is the wino from across the street.  Now we do not have to debate it with him, but if we are truly creative, we will listen to the ideas of others and try to find the good in them.

The most experienced and gifted landscape architect I ever worked with had a specialty in Japanese gardens, a doctorate in Landscape Architecture from one of the California schools, and a several generational family history in the profession.  He amazed me with his interest in our ideas as contractors and his ease in changing his carefully drafted designs on site to to take advantage of our ideas.  It was very motivational to us to work for him.

We still work for other landscape architects as contractors. Usually it is with water features.  And what I tell the guys is always be sensitive to the landscape architect and make the suggestion on the side, not in front of the client.  And to  never make the same suggestion over 3 times unless it is a safety issue.  After 3 times, we just be quiet and that is often where we learn something ourselves…

[Cla Allgood]

Good deal….I will look forward to learning about it…

[Cla Allgood]

We do not use Quickbooks for estimating but it is used in our business otherwise.  I would be interested in what you learn from this.  We currently are using a spread sheet on XL developed by the 3 Point Group.  It is fine for planting but we are still wrestling with the hardsdcape.  On our waterfeatures and pools we use a inhouse XL sheet that we kind of posted together from Vander Koi’s methods….I know some people use Timberline for estimating and books so the Quicken idea has to have good merit…

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