Landscape Design In Springvale

It varies enormously by scope. A basic concept plan for a suburban block averages $800 to $2,000, full documentation with planting, levels and materials $2,000 to $4,500, and landscape architects working on large or complex sites charge considerably more again. Some designers also charge a percentage of the build cost. MG Landscaping charges a flat design fee based on the size and complexity of the block and credits that fee against the build if we construct it, so you are not paying twice. Every job is unique, so the fee is confirmed in writing before any work starts.

The usual five are line, form, texture, colour and scale. Line is the movement through the space, meaning paths, edges and sight lines, while form is the shape of the plants and structures. Texture is the contrast between fine and coarse foliage and between smooth and rough surfaces, and colour covers both the planting and the hard materials. Scale is whether everything sits in proportion to the house and the block, and it is the one most often got wrong, usually by planting trees that outgrow the space within a decade.

Start with the fixed things rather than the pretty ones. Work out where water flows across the block and where it can legally discharge, then where the sun falls at different times of day, then where existing trees and their root zones are. Only then place the hard areas - alfresco, paths, lawn - and put planting around them. The most common mistake we see is choosing plants first and fitting the layout around them, which is how people end up with an alfresco in permanent shade. If you want to sketch it yourself, measure the block accurately first, because a layout drawn on guessed dimensions never quite works on site.

Yes. Once you have paid for the design, the drawing is yours and you are free to have it priced or built by anyone. A fully documented design with a planting schedule, levels and a materials schedule is detailed enough for another builder to quote accurately from, which is one of the reasons some clients commission the documentation. If you do build with MG Landscaping, the design fee is credited against the build, so the design effectively costs you nothing in that case.

A concept plan usually comes back within one to two weeks of the site measure. Allow another one to two weeks after your feedback for revisions and the documented version. Larger or steeply sloping sites take longer, mostly because the levels survey is a bigger job. If a permit or an engineer's design is going to be involved, factor several more weeks for that on top before construction can begin. We give you the timeline in writing at the start rather than leaving it open-ended.

We produce scaled plans you can build from, which is what actually matters, and we will walk you through them on site so you can picture the result in the real space. Software renders and 3D visuals look impressive but they are not what a builder prices or constructs from - dimensioned plans, levels and a materials schedule are. If a visual would genuinely help you decide between two layouts, say so and we will work something up. The test of a good plan is whether a builder can price it accurately without ringing you with questions.