When looking to renovate or create a new landscape design, hiring a professional, knowledgeable and experienced designer will be some of the best money you’ve ever spent!
You’re paying them to develop a very well-thought out, functional and beautiful plan for your property. This usually involves drawings that show your landscape from above, also referred to as a site plan or bird’s eye view.

These scaled plans will show the layout and sizes of proposed elements. Plants are chosen for your particular area and theme, proposed design elements are specified, and at times an irrigation system design may be required, depending on your situation. Once the design is complete, it can then be implemented by your landscape contractor, who ideally is one-in-the-same.

But what does it actually cost to get a landscape design plan completed?

Usually, a full-color, scaled landscape design plan can range anywhere from $800 – $5,000, with a myriad of variables to consider. Some landscape designers charge an initial consultation fee, ranging anywhere from $150 – $500 (we have no initial consultation fee).

What factors typically affect price?

The designer’s credentials. Landscape designers can become accredited or certified through a number of organizations. These can be an indicator of experience and skill, which are definitely an investment for the designer, and will likely be reflected in their price.

A landscape designer with a long career, good reputation, knowledgeable staff, and impressive portfolio is certainly going to cost more, but is definitely well worth it. And if you decide to hire a landscape architect, then expect to pay towards the highest end of the range above (keeping in mind that they’re often not hands-on).

Your property. The larger the property, the more time will need to be spent at the site and on the drafting program, which ultimately will cost more. However, small spaces can present their own unique design challenges, which usually requires more thought and planning to create a cohesive and functional plan. Properties on a hillside, existing mature landscapes, additional environmental concerns, or other challenges tend to raise the price as well.

Your desires. Most often, clients have been looking online at perfectly poised horticultural photography (beauty shots), which can lead to unrealistic expectations of their own garden wish list. These photos are terrific inspiration; however, they should be reviewed with your designer as to the relevancy to your budget and property footprint.

If you’d like an outdoor kitchen, decking, pondless water feature, LED accent lighting, or whatever else – these elements are all factored into the final plan, but there are several design components that need consideration. That’s a lot of moving parts and the design fee will reflect that.

Landscape style. Simplicity is one of the most expensive design concepts, which is terribly misleading for most clients. Also, an authentic English or Japanese garden requires an incredible amount of knowledge, planning, and skill to achieve – especially given the specific conditions of your location. A design that prioritizes modern design with clean lines, native plantings, wildlife habitat, or low water use plant options, poses significant challenges for any designer. Of course, we enjoy these kinds of challenges, but they do come at a cost.

Clearly, there is a vast number of factors that can affect what you pay for a landscape design. Ultimately, what you end up investing in a well-conceived design plan, will save you a ton of potential headaches and mistakes down the road, in turn saving you money in the long term.

Now, with the knowledge above you’ve obtained from this article, you’ll have a much better idea of what your design project could cost. The best way to find out for sure is to contact us for a quote!