David C. Racker, FASLA

Phil,

Ditto Dan comments on experience, common sense and to use your company history on previous Construction estimates. I would add to his list, network(social) with local contractors and ask them for their input. Some will be glad to help out and others may not, you never know until you ask. Good Luck

Phillip,I have seen several programs over the years and have not been a big favorite of any of them so far. I have been in d/b for almost 28 years. I have worked in the field and behind the desk and I know how long it takes to plant a 4″ tree etc. including the stop at 7-11 for a big gulp and traffic, waiting for the semi to deliver the sod or…[Read more]

Hi, I’ve recently started working for a small residential design/build company and I’m wondering how other people go about estimating construction costs. Is there some great piece of software that makes the process easy, or do people rely on their own knowledge of material and labor prices. It seems like the estimating software I’ve looked at are…[Read more]

Hey Folks! Just a quick note to say hello and introduce myself. After completing the 2009 report, I resigned as project manager of the Sustainable Sites Initiative to pursue other opportunities and spend more time with my 7 month old son. I am interested in the practical application of landscape sustainability in residential settings and look…[Read more]

Hands-on all-day workshop on Modeling Residential Sites with Slope in Google SketchUp (for intermediate/advanced users) in San Francisco Feb. 20th, 2010

tal_sketchup.pdf

Hi All,
A little Bio. for your consumption. I started irrigation design in 2001 in Arizona. Worked with a L. A. in Arizona, who exclusively went after IRRIG. projects. He did very well, However I wanted to grow to other areas and moved on. Jump to the present, In the last office I worked in (March 2009), My billable hours for Irrigation Design was…[Read more]

hai nice to join in this group

Chris-
I know exactly what mean. It would be almost impossible to be a true advocate for the client if you were being paid a sales commission from the contractor. The commission I was referring to is more like maybe a “finders fee”, if you will. I run across all sorts of projects and not all of them are appropriate for a designer. So I refer the…[Read more]

Chirs,
Here in Texas we are not required to be licensed for landscape contracting. Sometimes I wish we were because every guy that has lost his job in the last few months has become a landscaper/maintenace contractor. I am sometimes bidding against people that are brand new in the business.
I am working with several Landscape Architects like…[Read more]

Hey Chris,
We are in Phoenix, and we do mainly design and subcontract the work out on high end residential designs. I believe we are the main contractor, and the work is divided accordingly.

Chris,
I operated a design/build company for 25 years where most of the work we did in-house with some sub-contracting on the specialized features. I now work by myself designing and then managing the projects. I have a network of contractors that work on these projects. I have a design fee and then negotiate a management fee with the…[Read more]

Elif-

I have learned that high-level or not, clients don’t read a lot of text. They’re swayed by images, sketches, pretty colors, and your passion. If you say Mondrian, show them what/who that is so they don’t have to ask. Have images that clearly delineate the connection between a Mondrian piece and your design (for example). If you communicate…[Read more]

Chris-
My advice:
If you love design, find a couple of good contractors you can send work to on a regular basis. They will (or should) pay you a commission or referal fee for the work you refer to them. They will in turn send you work, some of which they will pay you for directly. Probably a little at first, then more as your relationship builds.…[Read more]

Hey Chris,
My principal here in AZ is a licensed contractor. It’s pretty involved here, but definitely opens up many opportunities…

Hello fellow irrigation designers! I am taking the Certified Landscape irrigation Auditor Exam in the beginning of October and was wondering if anyone has the 2007 manual? Let me know if you would be willing to part with it! Thanks 🙂

Hi all.. I just joined the group..I use eaglecad for irrigation projects for 7years. It also runs in Autocad. You may test yourself by freeware version if you want…
Greeting from İstanbul…

Rob-

We use Land FX; which it sounds like the same setup as Raincad. It is extremely simple to pick up on and their support is like no other. We have been using it for almost 5 years now without one complaint. I would give them a call and talk to their rep if you are interested.

Hi Guys”
Greetings!!!!!
An innovative design in stone surfaces that offers a customizable line for interior and exterior wall claddings
Cheers / Bharat Mishra

Does anyone here have experience with Leit solar controllers? Any issues with long wire runs, durability, etc?

Thanks in advance

If you want a little marketing inspiration, listen to this months podcast from LandscapeLeadership.com.

Designers Susan Cohan and Rochelle Greayer discuss how they’ve built a following and presence online by blogging. Learn how blogging has directly impacted their businesses.

Both are members of The Lounge.

You can listen and download the…[Read more]