Landscaping advice for new build home (1 Viewer)

[TripItUp]

So my gf and I are moving into our new build home in San Diego at the end of the month and friends in the area don't have many reputable Referrals.

We have a pretty good idea what we want(grill with gas line, fire pit, sprinkler system).  

questions are the following...

1) we have come across a guy that will do design for us, but seems expensive.  Is a separate designer worth it?

2) where do we go to get reputable referrals? 

3) we have a a guy that specializes in outdoor grills that comes highly recommended.  How do we integrate him into the larger project?

PS I have no clue what I'm doing

 

[ChiefD]

Start hiding grass seed.

 

[Johnny Rock]

I saw that Angie's List finally wised up and allows individuals now. Check there and see what you find. 

 

[boofatty]

So my gf and I are moving into our new build home in San Diego at the end of the month and friends in the area don't have many reputable Referrals.

We have a pretty good idea what we want(grill with gas line, fire pit, sprinkler system).  

questions are the following...

1) we have come across a guy that will do design for us, but seems expensive.  Is a separate designer worth it?

2) where do we go to get reputable referrals? 

3) we have a a guy that specializes in outdoor grills that comes highly recommended.  How do we integrate him into the larger project?

PS I have no clue what I'm doing

1 - Depends on what your end goal is and/or if you're up for more of a DIY attempt.  A true landscape architect will often impress you, but it's usually based on budget.  That said, an experienced guy without a degree can often provide nearly as good a service.  If you want the best pricing on the work itself, get the documents made and then bid the work based on the same set of documents.  If you don't, you could end up with bids based on many different interpretations of the scope of work.

2 - start with google.  try calling local residential builders, landscape companies, greenhouses etc.  I hire a lot of contractors, usually have to ask around and can't always trust what you see online unfortunately.  

3 - not required, but if you know exactly what you want in the grill, you're better off starting there and having landscape design around it/incorporate it.  This is because the plumbing will be underground, if it's heavy you'll need some beef underneath it, etc.  I bet he knows some landscape folks you could talk to.  If you don't start with the grill, you may be asking for trouble/added expense later on.

 

[El Floppo]

.

 

[McGarnicle]

I would design it myself, it's not hard and you get to personalize it to your taste and how much effort you're willing to put in for yearly upkeep. If you're totally clueless about it, take photos of landscapes you like and go to your local garden center.

 

[Snorkelson]

Look for a home and garden show- here in Michigan this is the season for it, don't know if always sunny SD has the same sort of thing but I imagine they do. You can talk with all sorts of local professionals, get good deals, see some portfolios, and get some ideas. There are also other building contractors you can vet your landscaper through. It's a lot easier when you can visit with 10 landscape companies all trying to get your business in one spot than to search them out.

Doesnt sound like it's something you are looking to do yourself, but if you do, think about things like where water will flow to, your foot traffic (compacted soil kills grass), how much/little maintenance you want, and shade. I've had to fix DIY projects gone wrong that may have gone better if they had just thought through the project a little better. Maybe introduce yourself to your neighbors, and ask if they have a recommendation. It's also good to ask if they know any to avoid.

Ive never had a built in grill, but after using a grill for awhile I'm usually ready for a new one, so I'd consider maintenance on that as well. 

 

[Snorkelson]

And on using a separate landscape architect, I'd avoid that. When I worked at a big ten school in the botanical garden the LAs would routinely put the wrong plants in the wrong situation, like putting some annuals that prefer less sun in a full sun area next to a building so the staff had to water them every day, and even then they don't do well. Then they would complain that we weren't watering enough. After 3 years of this I just ignored their designs because when I would bring up the issues in the offseason they would basically say "well we know what we're doing, where's your degree". 

My father owns a construction company, and while building a hotel we realized something was off- the architect made one side of the building 4 inches longer than the other.

So in my experience in these industries people with degrees in design rarely think about what it takes to actually do the job or know as much as they think because they've never had to deal with the issues that arise from bad design. Isolated examples I'm sure but I'd rather have the guy who buolt up his landscape company and now just focuses on design/sales and has his crew do the work.

 

[DaVinci]

And on using a separate landscape architect, I'd avoid that. When I worked at a big ten school in the botanical garden the LAs would routinely put the wrong plants in the wrong situation, like putting some annuals that prefer less sun in a full sun area next to a building so the staff had to water them every day, and even then they don't do well. Then they would complain that we weren't watering enough. After 3 years of this I just ignored their designs because when I would bring up the issues in the offseason they would basically say "well we know what we're doing, where's your degree". 

My father owns a construction company, and while building a hotel we realized something was off- the architect made one side of the building 4 inches longer than the other.

So in my experience in these industries people with degrees in design rarely think about what it takes to actually do the job or know as much as they think because they've never had to deal with the issues that arise from bad design. Isolated examples I'm sure but I'd rather have the guy who buolt up his landscape company and now just focuses on design/sales and has his crew do the work.

 

Never trust anyone who went to school for their profession. Just run down to Home Depot and hire a couple of guys who are hanging out in the parking lot.  They'll know how to do it right. 

 

[Chemical X]

HomeAdvisor is a good site...........

It sounds like you may need to hire separately, make sure the irrigation is down before the sod.  Make sure drainage is addressed and downspouts are run underground.