Are you making plans to add an outdoor living area to your Upstate SC home? Whether you’re adding a simple patio and some landscape beds or you’re going for a whole outdoor living oasis, you might be wondering how long the process is going to take.
While every project is unique, factors like project scope, weather, design changes, and site-specific challenges can all impact the timeline.
In this article, we’ll discuss what’s involved in landscape design and installation work, including what kind of timing you can anticipate. Understanding the landscape design steps involved in bringing your project to life can help set you up for success.
Jump To:
How Long Do Landscape Design and Installation Projects Typically Take?
What Are the Different Steps in a Landscape Design Build Project?
Key Factors That Affect Your Landscaping Timeline in Upstate SC
When Should You Start Your Landscape Project in Upstate SC?
FAQs About Landscape Design
What to Expect When Working with Pros
How Long Do Landscape Design and Installation Projects Typically Take?
If you’re thinking about getting started with the landscape design and build process, you might be wondering how long does landscaping take. There are a number of factors that can impact the timeline and you want to have an understanding of what’s involved.
Generally speaking, at Precision Landscape, our standard is to turn $100,000 jobs around in 4 to 6 weeks. Larger and more complex jobs tend to be more like 6 to 8 weeks or longer. We keep the landscape design process streamlined by having our sales team move right into the design phase.
As soon as we get approval on that design, we have our nursery manager start pulling plants that we already have and start ordering what we don’t have in stock.
The key is that we aim to keep everything moving. There can always be delays that arise but overall we have a lot of success in keeping the landscape design and installation streamlined.
What Are the Different Steps in a Landscape Design Build Project?
The landscape design process is going to look a little bit different for every company as everyone has their own way of doing things. But let’s talk about the landscape design/build steps that Precision Landscape follows. Our process is intentionally in-depth as we want to make sure we dot every "i" and cross every "t"!
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The process begins when a client contacts us. Our office staff will get a meeting on the calendar for the salesperson to visit the home.
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At the site visit, the client will provide their wishlist of everything that they want to do. All of that will be worked into the landscape design.
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We then put together a “bill of materials” (a project estimate) and the design to share with the client. On larger projects, we bring in our landscape architect to do the design work and make sure all of the homeowner’s goals are being brought to life in the design. The client then decides if they want to move forward as is, if they have changes to the project, or if they’ve decided to go in a different direction.
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After the initial deposit is made, the project moves into the hands of the construction team. At this point, things start moving quickly. Sales will still be a point of contact, but the construction team is now moving everything forward.
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An approximate start date is set and preparations get underway!
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A pre-construction meeting is held in which the project manager, salesperson, and client all meet onsite. We spray paint where everything is going to go - whether it’s sod, hardscaping, or plants, it all gets drawn out so the client can “live in that space” for a little bit. One of the reasons for this is that, once we put the shovel in the ground, changes can be expensive. Most of the time clients fall in love with the layout and can’t wait to get it underway. But there have been circumstances where a client has pulled their lounge chair into the area that’s meant to be their patio and realized it’s too small or they want to change the layout. It’s best to recognize this before breaking ground!
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We are in contact with our clients regularly until everything gets started. Once it does, on the first day, we get everyone on site again. Your exciting new outdoor living area is now underway!
Key Factors That Affect Your Landscaping Timeline in Upstate SC
There are some key factors that will impact how long your landscape design project will take from start to finish. Here are some to consider.
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Project Scope and Complexity: Naturally, the complexity of your landscape design concept is going to impact the timeline. Is this a smaller or simpler project or a total backyard renovation? Does it involve a lot of sub-surface level work (like grading, drainage, etc.)? Is the layout of your yard challenging? There are many factors within the project scope and complexity that will come into play.
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How Many Specialized Services are Needed: Projects that include more technical details (like lighting, grading, masonry, etc.) require specialists to do that work.
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Design Changes: As you could see from our landscape design steps that we discussed, we give clients ample time to make changes to the design before we actually start digging. That’s because it becomes costly and complicated once the project is underway. But if you do make changes, it can still impact the timeline, usually with additional time.
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Material Availability: Any special-order items can have a longer lead time. But as far as plants, it helps keep things moving that we have our own nursery.
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Unexpected Delays: Weather and underground surprises that occur once we start digging are generally the two main unpreventable delays that we encounter.
When Should You Start Your Landscape Project in Upstate SC?
Here in The Upstate, we work year-round. We don’t have an off-season like landscaping companies in other parts of the country. But that doesn’t mean that weather might not be a hold-up some days.
Since we work year-round, you can start a landscape project at any time. But it is important to note that most landscaping schedules will begin to fill up come spring. As people start spending even more time outside, they start getting more serious about making improvements to their yards.
Starting a landscaping project in the winter could potentially mean it’s easier to get on your landscaper’s schedule. It could also help ensure the project is done when you’re ready to use it.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Landscape Design Process
What is the typical timeframe for your design-build projects?
At Precision Landscape we are typically looking at around 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the project’s scale. All of this is pending lead time, however we do so much behind the scenes that it really does keep everything moving once the project is underway.
What are the common delays of landscape projects?
There are two big ones: underground surprises and weather.
When a salesperson is on site, they’re looking at everything above ground and building an estimate based on the fact of what they’re looking at (plus their experience knowing what’s probably underground).
Most commonly, delays come after digging starts and there are issues, like private utility lines that require us to hand dig instead of using equipment or realizing that we can’t dig as deep as we thought we could due to rocks or other obstructions. In the landscape/construction world, the majority of the investment goes into the elements you can’t see below ground like grading and drainage. But that also happens to be where the unknowns come from.
The second one is the weather. We are always at the mercy of Mother Nature. We like to joke that we are meteorologists that also do landscaping as we are constantly keeping an eye on the weather. But it’s a factor that is out of our hands.
What happens if my project gets off schedule?
If an unexpected delay gets your project off schedule, we’ll do everything in our power to get things back on track.
Why do some projects take longer than others?
There is commodity landscaping like plants, mulch, and sod. That’s pretty easy to keep on schedule as every landscaper has it down to a science. But once you get into landscaping that involves technical work like lighting, grading, or masonry, that’s work that not all landscapers can do. That kind of specialized work requires specialists and, as you can imagine, it can take a little longer.
Do I need a landscape design before installing?
Every project should have some form of a rendering or design. The complexity of that rendering will likely be determined by the complexity of your project. A small landscaped area might not require the same level of design as a complete outdoor living area.
What to Expect When Working with Pros
Making the decision to invest in a new outdoor living area is an exciting endeavor. But you also want to feel confident that you’re making the right choices and that you’re working with a company that is executing best practices.
Choosing the best landscape design and installation in Greenville and Upstate SC will mean a much less stressful and more streamlined experience. The right company will be able to guide you through the process so that you aren’t left feeling on your own to figure everything out.
They’ll also have a robust landscape design process that will help ensure every detail is covered. After all, when it comes to your premium outdoor space, no detail is too small.
At Precision Landscape, we’re here to help you get everything you dreamed of when the work is finished. Homeowners in Lake Keowee, Greenville, Travelers Rest, Greer, and Simpsonville trust us to create their dream spaces. Our team frequently works in communities such as Five Forks, The Cliffs, Augusta Road, and Main Street, designing properties that reflect both the architecture and the long-term vision behind the home.
Ready to get started? If you're looking for a long-term landscape partner, we’d love to help you take the next step. Fill out our consultation form today so we can help you create your dream landscape.
