[agla]

This is inspired by Tfld and Fine Edge's comments about where in the process the landscape part of the design gets picked up.

A lot of the time with residential work, you don't get called in until the homeowner is already moved in.

The bigger the project and the more permitting work there is, the more likely the possibilty of a landscape plan to be needed prior to construction from what I have experienced. The biggest problem in getting this type of work is that few people start such a project by opening the yellow pages and calling up a landscape designer before anyone else. In other words, you have to have an established relationship with the people whom they actually will call to start the project.

First, who do they call first? If it is residential, it is usually an architect. If it is commercial, it is often a land planning office that would typically have both Professional Land Surveyor (s) and Civil Engineer(s). A bigger land planning office may also have Landscape Architect(s) in there as well. A stand alone Landscape Architecture office (with no PLS or CE) is less likely to be the first point of contact. (I work full time in a land planning office as well as having my side business)

The reason that a bigger residential job typically starts with an architect is simply that the homeowner views the house as the place to start. The architect is educated and experienced at siting a house (some more so than others). Most like to rough out a site plan and then get a land planning office involved. They typically need a PLS to certify that the proposed house will meet zoning regulations and to locate wetlands when applicable. Then they need a CE for the septic or sewage plan and possible to finish off the site plan so that it actually works (don't quote me on that).

Most places don't require a landscape plan in the permit process for a residence, so it is not a priority with anyone involved to bring in a landscape architect or designer at this point. Now you have a Site Plan done and a house under construction before anyone gets a landscape designer on board or before one knows about the job to try to get involved. You're stuck with the location of the house, the foundation heights, often the driveway layout, and sometimes built retaining walls, walks and patios.

Commercial work tends to start from a different mind set. That is to determine how much they can get out of a site. That is why the land planning office is called first. You start with allowed use, zoning setbacks, building lot coverage, wetland restrictions, septic requirements, parking demand, landscape buffers, ... and try to figure out the best way to get the most out of the site. Then you make a building footprint up and fully design out a conceptual site plan. The developers try to find prospective buyers or leasees and try to get them to commit to their site. Their prospects either have prototype buildings if they are a big chain, or they bring in their achitects to design one. Then the whole thing has to go through the permit process - Site Plan Review, Board of Appeals, Planning, Historic, Conservation, .... Board of Health. Landscape Plans are often required to showthat they meet Zoning requirements (buffer or screening) and possibly Conservation and/or Historic. So, here is a case where the landscape plan is done before you see or here of any work going on at a site.

[Fine Edge]

That issue is one of our biggest hurdles.

We don't really work for any home builders because of the obvious reasons so most of our work comes from search engines and word of mouth.
And I guess I didn't realize because of the fact that we don't work with many high-end builders but these builders around here are getting 10% of the total landscape price. That's without having any true landscape experience. Crazy.
The pool companies that we work around could really care less about the finished landscape product and many of them are touting themselves as being full service and trying to include a cut rate landscape package with their services.

Our current project thankfully has project management included and we can oversee the walkway, driveway, pool placement, grotto, etc...
And the builder will pocket $14,300 for not doing anything since we are handling it all.

The only way to really get involved pre-construction would be to hit the streets and phones and keep contacting all builders, architects, etc.. in your specific target markets.
Our revised web site that will be up in a couple of weeks will have a decent section on getting the landcape designers into your project very early. Now that our projects seem to be gradually climbing into the next level, my goal this year is to really try and convince some of the builders, pool companies, etc.. to try our services at least for 1 time and see how it works out for them.

[Chris Heiler]

90% of my work is residential remodels, that said, the other 10% is new construction. The only new construction I do is when an architect refers me to the homeowner in the very early stages of the planning process- usually before construction has even begun.

What you are discussing is an issue and one reason I don't work for builders or do much new construction work.