Backyard Landscape Design and Renovation
We had a small (urban) backyard that was basically just an asphalt driveway, a closed in storage area (under a sunroom) and a bunch of dead grass (from our dogs running around). SLDA came in, assessed our possibilities and drew up a design that matched our needs and my design preferences. The work took a little longer than anticipated to finish... but my guess is that we were one of their smallest projects (the tend to work on large properties), and perhaps less of a priority? Though, a paying customer is a paying customer. Once things got started, they did pretty good with staying on track. There were a few bumps in the road here and there... with the wrong color mulch being used (twice), a dead tree that had to be replaced (sub-contractors fault) and some discrepancies with the estimated cost of plants (including annuals) vs. the actual cost. Overall though, we are exremely happy with the end result. Their strongsuit is definitely their design skill/artistry. We were able to fit all the elements we wanted into a very small space. They laid a tumbled stone patio (including under the sunroom -- by knocking down the shed -- which really opened up the yard). I got my vegetable garden, koi pond, natural elements (boulders, lots of perennials, stone steps, etc.), a play area for our 3-yo and a play area for our two large dogs. Additionally, we got two mature trees, where no trees existed, and a very peaceful and zen space to hang out in. On the pricey side? Definitely. We could have gotten off much cheaper, but the design aspect was very important to us. I will post some before and after pictures later.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $25,000.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- The person we originally met with (the owner) was not the same person who did the design or managed the project. We didn't understand that would be the case... so setting expectations re: this would have been helpful. I think you always get the "best care" when working with an owner. Our PM did a very good job... but we definitely bumped heads on a few things.
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Buying pots and plants through the landscape design company comes with a high price. Granted, they do offer warranties and do some "special things" when planting (fertilizer, water-retention gel, etc.), but you could save money buying some of these things yourself. The large pots and plants cost us much more than we budgeted for.