Best Landscape Design Company and Cost in Bay area California
Aone Lawn Service & Landscaping Sunnyvale

Why should I pay for a design when other landscape companies will do the design for free?

There are two types of landscape design build companies: Ones that charge for their designs and ones that do not charge for their designs.

There is an assumption that a designer who charges for a design is no different than the person who does it for free. To dispel this assumption, let’s use the following analogy:

There is an orchard and at that orchard you can get some apples. Some apples are free and some apples are for sale. The ones on the ground are free. The ones for sale have been washed, bagged and taken care of. Which apple do you want to eat? Smart homeowners understand the value of design and, to them; it is worth paying for it.

 Aone Lawn Service & Landscaping Sunnyvale proudly and confidently charges for its designs and here is why.

To put a value on something, in this case – the design – it must have value. Unfortunately, there is a trend today for companies to give away their designs as an incentive to land the job. This desperate, fear-based approach seriously undervalues design as a tool and, in the end, is quite dishonest.

Moreover, for companies claiming they do not charge or offer a rebate for the design are, in fact, charging you for it somewhere. It may not be a line item charge, but it is always somewhere – either in their overhead, or designing around what products are in their inventory, or in cutting corners during construction. We do the opposite to that. Our clients value our transparency and honesty and in so doing, we put the needs of our clients first and design what is best for them, not for our bottom line!

I’ve never hired a landscape designer before. How does the design process work? And, generally, how long will it take?

It’s very straightforward. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, it usually takes a few weeks. Here’s how it works: After you’ve signed the contract, (you checked our references, etc.), and we’ve discussed your needs, your aesthetic, your budget range, then we begin the design process. The design process is threefold:

• Conceptual Design
• Final Design
• Construction Documents

We begin with a detailed site analyses, take measurements and create a scaled drawing of the existing site and its conditions. Once we have a scaled drawing of the site, we sketch out some concepts. Images of plants, features and styles are assembled into a presentation. Then, we meet with the client to present our ideas. The conceptual phase is an iterative process and may take several efforts and follow up meetings until everyone is pleased with the direction of the plan. From that point, we move into the final design phase.

Final Design: The final design incorporates all that has been discussed during our client meetings and draft a plan that will transition into construction documents. Also, during this phase, we can begin to get a more concrete idea of the probable costs of the project.

Construction Documents: Once the Final Design is approved, we draft the construction documents. Depending on how complex the project is, there may be multiple construction sheets, including a Planting Plan, Irrigation Plan, Lighting Plan, Details Sheet, and Layout Plan. At this point, we can translate this information into a bid presentation, breaking down the costs for each line item.

Of all the landscape companies out there, why should we choose you? Why is your company better than the next one?

Our exemplary quality and delivery, our unwavering dedication to customer service, and clear and honest communication with our clients.

Let’s be realistic: Oftentimes what determines which company will land the job comes down to who can do it the cheapest? At the risk of being overly dramatic: Personally, I wouldn’t feel comfortable driving across a bridge, parking in a parking garage, or living in a house built by the lowest bidder. Would you?

The same goes for your landscape project. Of course, you could always find someone who will design and build it cheaper, but in the end, you’re compromising quality, creating hassles working with someone of questionable reputation, and speaking to the bottom line may cost more than expected with shoddy workmanship, expensive change orders and unreliable crews.