Santa Clara – Landscape - Designers & Consultants

The first step towards designing an improved landscape for your outdoor space is to understand exactly why you are need professional help with your yard. You have to know why you want to change the look of your landscape before a professional landscape designer can begin the process of transformation through a detailed design.
Being honest with yourself about your budget for any outdoor project will also be very helpful in starting a defined search for a Santa Clara County landscape designer. As with any home-improvement project, a budget must be tentative and prepare for setbacks or complications, but you must have a number in mind before you begin. To truly be ready to answer the question of "how much," you will need to clarify what exactly needs to happen with your space, how much of your landscape you are going to tackle and the basic idea of what you want the transformation to look like. You don't have to come up with a design (that is why you are hiring a professional), but you do need to have some small idea as to what you are looking for so that you know how to plan, especially when it comes to creating a budget.
In order to help you create a tentative plan and budget, take a look at the questions below. If you answer them honestly for yourself, you will be well on your way to beginning the real process of hiring a good landscape designer in Santa Clara County, including from any of the cities of San Jose, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Cupertino and CampbellSunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Gilroy and Morgan Hill.

• Do I want a Diamond Certified landscaping designer that is rated best in quality and backed by the Diamond Certified Guarantee?
• Do I want my landscape to increase the value of my property?
• Am I looking to make my outdoor space more user-friendly for pets and/or children?
• Am I looking to do more in my outdoor space (cooking, entertaining, etc.)?
• Do I have any idea what style I am looking for (English garden, new age tranquility, etc.) or do I need professional help with that step as well?
• What features am I interested in (water fountains, rock gardens, waterfalls, built-in barbecuing space, etc.)? What materials do I like best (granite, stone, wood, etc.)?
• How big of an area (in square feet) am I looking to revamp?
• What is the current state of my outdoor space (rough dirt and rock, basic grass, terraced, etc.)?
• How much am I willing and/or able to spend on this landscaping project?

Now that you've interviewed a number of Santa Clara County landscape designers over the phone, it is time to get out into your community, whether you're in the larger cities of San Jose, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Cupertino and Campbell or the smaller towns of Blossom Valley, Los Altos, Mt. Hamilton, New Almaden and Saratoga, and visit with a select group of designers in person or invite them to visit your home to see the space you want landscaped.
This face-to-face talk should provide you with the information you'll need to hire the landscape designer that you feel most comfortable with and therefore get the best results from.

1. How do you charge for your landscape designs?
2. Can I see proof of any professional credentials or association memberships?
3. May I review your portfolio?
4. Can you provide me with at least 10 current references of similar projects to the one I've described?
5. Describe in as much detail as possible how you go about understanding my landscaping wishes and needs and combining them into your professional design.
6. Tell me about your philosophy of landscape and design.
7. Why should I hire you?

1. How am do I want to utilize my outdoor space?
2. What are my goals for landscaping?
3. Is there anything about my current space that I would like to leave the same?
4. What is the architectural style of my home?
5. Am I planning to make any significant additions to my home or outbuildings?
6. Which way does my house face? How much sun does the area receive?
7. Do I know about any water, soil or irrigation issues? What are they?
8. Do I have some favorite plants or plants that I can't stand?
9. What kind of style am I looking for (Zen, groomed, informal or formal, natural, etc.)?
10. What are my tastes in landscaping as far as color, texture, space, materials, etc. are concerned?
11. How much maintenance am I willing and/or able to do? Do I enjoy gardening or do I hope a garden will take care of itself?
12. Do I have adequate outdoor lighting?
13. Do I have a plan for watering or should a design include a sprinkler system?
14. Do I plan on working with a contractor for the installation of a design or would I like to implement it myself?
15. What is the estimated amount I am willing and/or able to spend on design and installation?

You play a big part in the success of your landscape designer. Follow these few simple steps to ensure you are being a good customer when hiring a Santa Clara County landscape designer.

• Be clear and upfront with the designer. Let them know what you want from your design, the long-term outcome you're expecting and specific ways they can satisfy your expectations.
• Remember, a friendly smile goes a long way!
• Before you hire a landscape designer in Santa Clara County, restate your expectations and goals, and reiterate to the landscape design representative your understanding of the agreement. Most problems with local landscape designers occur because of a breakdown in communication. By being clear about your expectations and theirs, you can avoid most conflicts.
• Be sure your service representative has a phone number where they can reach you at all times while they're designing. The work will move along more smoothly if your landscape designer can reach you for any necessary updates, questions or work authorizations.
• When your designer contacts you, return calls promptly to keep the design on schedule.
• Pay for the landscape design work promptly.

Why would you want to be a good customer? Landscape designers in Santa Clara County appreciate customers who are straightforward, honest and easy to work with. Your good customer behavior sets the tone from your end and creates an environment conducive to a good relationship. Things may very well go smoother and any problems may be more easily resolved.
Paying Landscape Designers in Santa Clara County
Many landscape designers choose to bill their clients in one of two ways. One, by an agreed-upon project price. This would include the consultation, time spent preparing the plan and for the rights to the final design.
Two, they can charge separately for each piece of the puzzle, including a set cost for the initial interview, an hourly rate for the time spent designing and another set amount for the rights to the master plan.
Due to the nature of designing, most landscape designers do charge a down payment so as to protect themselves from doing a lot of work and having a client decide they don't actually need or want their services. You should be wary of anyone who wants more than 10% of the total estimated cost of design.
Finally, you have the right to request a contract and refuse to work with a designer who does not provide one. Contracts should include all the basic information about the landscape designer as well as provide contingencies for anything that may be subject to a change in price as you move through the process of creating a complete design. Remember, if your landscape designer doesn't offer one up to begin with, request one and move on if one is not provided.

Diamond Certified landscape designers are backed by the Diamond Certified Performance Guarantee. If the landscape designer is Diamond Certified and you can't resolve the issue by talking with the designer or his/her boss if applicable, get in touch with the mediation department at info@diamondcertified.org or call 800-738-1138.
Ways to End Struggles with Santa Clara County Landscape Designers
Santa Clara County landscape contractors, for the most part, have your best interests in mind and want a positive outcome for your outdoor space as much as you do. But in some cases, despite your best efforts, problems can occur. Remember that communication is key -always attempt to clarify any questions or concerns you have along the way. You can sometimes stop a problem from developing by remembering the following pointers:

• Stay calm, rational and polite.
• If it is a larger company and there is a supervisor to speak with, request a meeting with them and your designer
• Have a detailed outline of your complaint and expectations ready to present.
• Be willing to compromise to a mutually agreed upon outcome and let the company know it.

If none of these measures work and your landscape designer belongs to a professional organization, such as the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, feel free to contact the organization to file a formal complaint.