"Interview Questions"
What do You Need to Ask Your Landscape Designer
During that all Important First Meeting...
Below is A List of Questions to Ask Your
Landscape Designer during Your First Meeting:
(For your records a place is provided to
keep track of their brief responses)
Please CLICK HERE to Print
Your Copy Of These
"Interview Questions"
The First Step... Ask these questions Only After You Have Walked Through Your Garden with the Designer and discussed Your Design Ideas and listened to theirs... If you aren't impressed by their ideas or don't feel comfortable with the Designer at that point, Thank them for their time and tell them you'll let them know if you decide to hire them.
The Next Step... Is to Sit Down, Share a Beverage, Relax, and allow the Designer to show you some samples of their work. It may be in the form of: A Picture Portfolio; A PowerPoint or Video computer presentation; A sample of the preliminary design presentation and construction documents You Will be getting if you sign with them - Maybe followed by photos of the garden completed from these plans; Or various other visual aids of the Garden Designers choosing.
What You are looking for here is: The Designers Presentation of their work presented in a professional organized manner... An indication of how organized they will be?; How well do they deliver and explain the presentation... Is it easy for You to follow - Is it confusing to You... An indication of their communicative skills?; Do You have a positive response to the work they are presenting to you - Does it excite you?; How Do You Feel they will be to work with... Do You Feel Comfortable with them - Do They Seem comfortable with you?
Again, If you aren't impressed by their presentation or don't feel comfortable with the Designer at that point, Thank them for their time and tell them you'll let them know if you decide to hire them. (This way You Don't Waste Your Time or Theirs when there is No chance You are going to work with them).
Ready... Let's get started with the Questions:
Don't worry if they can't answer all of the questions... This is merely a short guide (Eight Questions Total) to Familiarize You with The Landscape Designer's education, background, and professional experience. To get you thinking: How experienced are they?; Can You work with them?; Do You feel confident that they can Design The Garden of Your Dreams to Your Satisfaction?
Keep the First Meeting Lite and Friendly... Have Fun asking these questions! This should be A Pleasurable Experience for You and the Designer you are interviewing. You'll have plenty of time to review and analyze their responses later after the first meeting has ended.
(Please Note: I suggest you review these questions thoroughly prior to Your First Meeting so that You Are familiar with them... That way you can concentrate more on the Designer's Responses than focusing on these questions. It might help to think about which responses would be more favorable to you... What responses would make selecting this Designer as Your Final Choice easier for you - And which responses would have a negative impact on selecting this particular Landscape Designer?)
This BRAIN TEASER will be of great help when it comes to narrowing down your selection to YOUR THREE FAVORITE DESIGNERS, and in making Your Final Choice.
1) How long have you been a Landscape Designer ? (The more experienced they are the easier Your Garden Designs Experience will be).
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2) What's your Landscape Design background ? (Where they learned their craft: College Degree; Trade School; Apprenticed under another designer... The better schooled they are the more detailed your completed plans will be).
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3a) Have you Done Any Projects in our area ? (This is important if you live in an area governed by local restrictions. The Designers past experiences in working with your Home Owners Association or City-County agencies can limit the amount of time the approved design process can take).
Follow-up question: 3b) Can You Give Us A list of a few projects we can drive by... Or can you arrange for us to visit the sites with you ? (This is a good follow-up if you like them but their portfolio isn't quite up to your expectations).
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4a) What Is Included in the design package we will be receiving ? (It should include: A preliminary design plan/elevation sketches with the final presentations rendered in color; Materials Samples - hardscape, plant photos, lighting tear sheets, etc; A preliminary cost estimate prepared by a landscape contractor of the designers choosing at this point; A complete set of construction documents with engineering if necessary, ready for the contractor to pull permits).
Follow-up question: 4b) What specifically will the Construction Document Package Include ? (They should included: A Detailed Construction Plan with grading and drainage; Construction Details Sheet(s) with Materials call outs, referenced to the construction plan; A Planting Plan: An Irrigation Plan; A Planting and Irrigation Details Sheet; A Garden Lighting Plan; and A Landscape Construction Specifications Sheet listing all construction specification requirements).
Follow-up question: 4c) How Long Will It Take You to prepare the plans ? (You should expect a Preliminary Design Concept and Cost Estimate within 3 to 4 weeks after signing the Designer's contract or 5 to 6 weeks if a professional land survey needs to be prepared. Once the preliminary design plans have been completed Your Designer may need to file the plans with one or more local governing agencies... After approval your Designer will prepare the necessary construction documents. This may take 6 to 8 weeks if the services of an Engineer are required).
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5a) Will your first preliminary presentation be a series of rough plans and sketches, allowing us to make changes and give our input... Or do you prefer to present us with a full blown preliminary presentation, rendered in color; materials samples; and preliminary cost estimate, at our next meeting ? (This is important if you would prefer one method over the other... It really depends on how involved you want to be in the design process... And any time constraints you have on getting your garden completed for a special event).
You should let the designer know your preliminary presentation preferences at this point... Most designers will present it in the way you feel most comfortable with.
Follow-up question: 5b) How many preliminary sketches are you willing to provide, before presenting us with the Final Preliminary Plan ? (How many times are they willing to allow you to change the plans during the preliminary design process? Keep in mind that the number of Times you want to change the plans and the number of Design Meeting Hours this requires will be reflected in the designers final proposal/contract fee structure).
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6) How do You Charge For Your Services ? (Various fee structure options are: A) A fixed fee for preliminary design meeting(s), plans, preliminary costs estimates, and construction document preparation. In addition they may also charge an hourly rate for site visits during construction...
B) An hourly fee for all services with a Not Expected to Exceed Amount... This is an open end fee structure, but if your budget allows, it gives you the opportunity to have the Designer at your disposal on an unlimited basis during the design and installation phases...
C) A Percentage Fee based on the total final cost of Your Garden - 10 to 15%. Again, this gives you the opportunity to have the Designer at your disposal on an unlimited basis, but with the advantage of knowing up front what the Final Garden Designer Fees will be +/-).
You should let the designer know Which Fee structure You Prefer at this point... Most designers will present their proposal /contract in the way you feel most comfortable with.
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7) Are there any other additional charges we should be aware of ? (Most Designers will charge You Reimbursable Expenses for: Additional approved plan sets over and above the one set included in Your proposal/contract.. Such as additional plan sets required by any Local Governing Agency or additional sets required by crews/subs during Your Gardens Installation Phase; Surveyor/Engineering fees if required; and Any Local Governing Agency Review Fees required during the design phase of Your Garden).
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8) Does Your Proposal/Contract Include a Cancellation Clause ? (You should require they include a clause stating, "Should it become necessary for the Client and/or Designer to cancel this contract for any reason, the Client agrees to compensate the designer for all services performed up to the date of written cancellation.
Such compensation will be billed to the Client, at the hourly rate of $______/hr. for completed design services [not to exceed the total agreed to contract fee]."
This allows You or The Landscape Designer the option to cancel at any stage of the design process... For example, if You and Your Landscape Designer are unable to agree on a final preliminary plan/budget, that might be a good time to look for another designer!)
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Once You Have Completed The Landscape Designer Interview you have two options:
1) You can tell the Designer You would like to take some time to decide... Or
2) You can tell the Designer you would like them to submit a Proposal/Contract for review if you feel they are going to be one of YOUR THREE FAVORITE DESIGNERS to choose from.
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