A landscape project is a major endeavor for homeowners. From design to cost and construction, nothing is quick or cheap. If you want to change your landscape, you can search for “landscape companies near me” and hire professionals for the job. Let’s check out what you can expect when a landscape project begins. 

The Expectation

Consultation – Before the construction project begins, you need to go through the design and planning phase with the landscape contractor and landscape architects. After you contact reputed landscape contractors and architects, you’ll enter the consultation phase with them. The design team will visit your property and assess your needs. They will do a thorough investigation and survey of your landscape. During this phase, the designers would ask you all sorts of questions to assess your needs and would also take your opinion and suggestions on the design.

Budget – After the consultation phase is over, the designers would start taking measurements so that they can accurately recreate the design on paper or computer. This design will be the groundwork for the project. Expect the design to change several times to accommodate physical limitations, material options, and more. During the design phase, you’ll also get an estimate of cost depending on the complexity of the construction, time, materials required for the project, and more. You’ll be provided with a few designs, and you can choose one that fits your budget. You can also suggest changes to the design to make it fit your budget.

Planning – After the initial design and budget have been set, the contractor will come up with a complete blueprint. It will contain detailed specifications about materials, allocation of funds, and other parameters. You can also expect additional measurements and inspections of the site including testing of soil samples.

Scheduling – Once you have the blueprint for your landscape design, you’ll need to enter a contract if you haven’t already. You can choose to let the design firm build the project for you or buy the design from them and hire a landscape contractor of your own choosing for the project. It also starts the official scheduling and construction phase. Let’s check out what you can expect during the construction phase.

Loud noise – Depending on the scope of the project and other details, the landscape contractor may need to bring in some heavy equipment like trenchers, saws, and excavators. All of them can be very noisy. Fortunately, most contractors won’t start working too early unless you’re in the dead of winter. Expect construction to start at around 7 or 8 in the morning.

Contractors won’t work too late into the night either. So, you don’t need to worry about abrupt noise waking you up or your neighbors being bothered during quiet hours. Most of the time you and your neighbors would be out of the home. However, if you’re retired or work from home, for the most part, you’ll have to deal with loud noises of cutting, digging, and other such construction noises.     

It will be messy – Whether you have a large property or a modest one, as long as there are significant changes that need to be made to the landscape, the construction work will take some time. During the construction days, you’ll need to deal with piles of hardscape materials, plenty of dust, dirt, and other things that you’re not used to having in your yard. You’ll have to accept that inconvenience as a part of the construction project. Make sure you hire a reputed contractor. Reputed contractors would inform you about the mess and also get rid of it at the end of the project.

Safety considerations – Yes, the construction project is taking place in your yard. However, any construction zone, small or big, comes with safety hazards. While the landscape contractor and his team have years of experience and training to follow safety rules at the job site, you and your family don’t. There are ditches, heavy equipment, chunky materials, sharp tools, uneven ground, and many other things that could lead to accidents.

That’s why it’s important to take safety very seriously and have a talk about this with your family. If your pets prefer to stay outside most of the time, you’ll need to leash them indoors or leave them with a neighbor or relatives. You’ll have to make sure that your children understand the safety risks and don’t go out without your supervision during the construction project.

Delays are inevitable – Even when there is a solid plan and everything is followed by the book, some things are just out of your or the contractor’s control. Unforeseen circumstances like supply chain disruptions and bad weather can lead to delays or difficulty in procuring materials. Most contractors will have a clause for this issue in the contract and how they aren’t responsible for the delays caused by bad weather and other such “Acts of God”.

However, there are contractors who would account for weather delays and incorporate them into the contract. Either way, it’s important to understand that global events and bad weather aren’t in your contractor’s domain even if they affect the construction schedule. Moreover, you can also cause delays if you request a change of materials or design in the middle of the construction project.   

Be proactive – During the construction project, you’re not the only one who has to deal with noise, safety issues, and other inconveniences. Your immediate neighbors also share a part of it without any of the benefits. Fortunately, you can be proactive and let your neighbors know what to expect during the construction project so that things go smoother with fewer complaints. You can also give them a small gift as a goodwill gesture before the construction project starts.

Conclusion

There are several stages of a landscape construction project. From designing to execution, it’s a tough and intimidating job. That’s why most people prefer to hire professionals for this kind of project. You can do the same by searching for “landscape companies near me”.