Timing Your Landscape Installation
What’s the timeline for getting my new landscaping installed?
This is one of the most common questions we’re asked when potential clients request a bid for creating a new look for their outdoor space.And we get it - you might have a blank canvas of soil surrounding your house that you’d love to see full of life. Or it might be time to revitalize your yard after years of looking at the same scenery. Or you might have seen an exciting project featured on Houzz or Pinterest and can’t wait to see it come to life in your own backyard.Whatever your inspiration is, a landscape transformation instantly increases your curb appeal and is one of the most noticeable home improvements you can make.A landscaping project of any size involves forging a partnership between yourself and your landscape designer and production crew. If you are looking to undertake a full-scale yard renovation or completely new construction, it’s generally a good idea to plan at least two to three months from start to finish. Smaller projects involving only a few elements or plantings can often be completed on a shorter timeframe.On the other hand, there are some large-scale landscaping projects that homeowners choose to have completed in phases after the overall design is approved. Those projects can span two or three seasons.
The Design Build Process
At Villani Landshapers, we are fortunate to have landscape designers on staff who work closely with our production crews to be able to coordinate design build projects from conception to completion.
Consultation
That process starts with setting up an initial design consult appointment with a landscape designer. We typically set these appointments within a week of your first contact with us. During this appointment, the designer will meet you at your project site and discuss your ideas, budget, timelines, materials, and general preferences. The designer may ask some exploratory questions and offer suggestions and guidance based on your answers.
Designing
From that initial consultation, your designer will go to work creating design options for your property. Usually within two to three weeks of your initial meeting, your designer will send you their first ideas or set up a time to present the design concepts to you. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, this initial presentation may include both 2D and 3D designs or a 3D virtual walk-through.After the design presentation, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and request any revisions.
Design Approval & Scheduling
Once you have an approved plan, we will work with you to get your project scheduled on our production calendar. Depending on the time of year and size of your project, our production crews could be working anywhere from two to eight weeks out.
Installation
Your project installation timeline depends on many factors, including the type of work needed, the scope and size of the project, and of course, weather. In general, it’s safe to say that large-scale renovations or new landscape construction projects would take four to six weeks to complete.
How Late in the Season Can You Landscape?
Once again, the answer depends on what you are planning to do. Landscape installation can begin as early as the ground thaws in spring and can extend well into the fall, depending on when a hard freeze first occurs. In most years, our production crews have been wrapping up installations and planting large trees into early December.Knowing that it could take upwards of two months to see the final results of your landscape project, when is the ideal time to start? Anytime! If you start your planning process over the winter, you could be enjoying your new landscaping by summertime. However, it’s also entirely feasible to start your planning process in July and get your landscaping job on the production schedule well before the snow flies for the year.Here are some general timing guidelines to follow for your landscape project:
Winter/early spring design consult = late spring/early summer installation
Early to mid-summer design consult = installation in late summer/fall
Late summer/fall/winter consult = possible late fall/early spring installation
Creating or updating your landscape is a significant investment; taking your time to ensure that you have a designer, plan, and production crew that you are comfortable with will go a long way toward creating the ideal outdoor space that you have in mind.If you’re dreaming about some landscape improvements for your yard, you can jump-start your creative thinking by browsing our residential design gallery or our project books on Houzz.com.