Design is the one part of a backyard project you can buy on its own, and on Aquidneck Island it is also the part that makes everything after it possible. Hiring a landscape designer in Portsmouth, RI produces a document, and that document is what goes to bids, to the town and to the build calendar.
Gairad DeCastro launched Premier Outdoor Group as a design/build company on Aquidneck Island in 2007, and design and construction have worked side by side here ever since.
A plan is drawn by the same team responsible for building it, often on ground they have worked before. That changes what ends up on the page, because a detail that cannot be built on a given lot rarely survives the drawing stage.
Related: The Backyard Decides How the Pool Feels. Landscape Design Settles That First in Portsmouth, RI
What Does a Landscape Design Package Include?
A landscape design package includes a measured plan of the property rather than a picture of one corner of it. Every one of our design and planning packages starts with a site meeting, field measurements and a feasibility and code compliance review before anything is drawn.
The larger master plans go further, with a base plan, site staging, a layout of the outdoor living features, and a landscape plan covering hardscape and planting. The most detailed package adds grading, drainage and utility plans, a planting plan and a landscape lighting plan.
The point of the document is that it can be priced and permitted, not only admired, so the first conversation is about how much of the property the plan needs to cover.
Why Does a Landscape Plan Make Contractor Bids Comparable?
A landscape plan makes contractor bids comparable because every bidder is pricing the same thing.
Without a drawing, three contractors measure differently, assume different materials and price different scopes, and the homeowner ends up comparing numbers that describe three separate projects.
With one plan in hand, the quotes become genuinely comparable and the conversation moves to method, materials and schedule. That is a far more useful discussion than trying to work out which of three totals left something out.
What Does a Rhode Island Landscape Permit Need?
A Rhode Island landscape or pool permit needs drawings showing what is proposed and where.
Our packages include building permit submission prepared to town and state requirements, and waterfront and coastal parcels may also need CRMC assents, special permits or variances.
None of that paperwork can begin without a plan. Starting it in winter is what keeps a spring start realistic, because review timelines are outside anyone’s control once a submission is in.
Related: The Pool Is Only Part of It. Landscape Design Makes the Backyard Feel Finished in Portsmouth, RI
Is a 3D Rendering Part of a Landscape Design Package?
A 3D rendering is an add-on to a landscape design package rather than the deliverable itself. The plan is the working document, and a rendering is a way of seeing it from multiple angles before construction begins.
Treating the rendering as the product is how homeowners end up with a convincing image and no measurable drawing behind it, which is the version that cannot be priced or submitted anywhere.
A rendering earns its place once the plan behind it is settled. Color rendered plans, outdoor kitchen design and small structure design are available as add-ons in the same way.
Can a Landscape Design Be Bought Without a Pool or a Build?
A landscape design can be bought without a pool, and packages can be tailored to standalone landscape, hardscape or outdoor kitchen design. Our add-on services can also be considered as standalone design work.
The reason we prefer to build what we design is that it keeps the drawing honest. A plan produced by the people who will be standing in the excavation tends not to contain details that cannot be built on this ground.
Coastal lots on the island carry their own constraints, and a drawing that ignores them simply moves the problem to the excavation.
Start Your Portsmouth Landscape Design This Winter
The New England build season is short, and the work that comes before it is not. Design, pricing and permitting each take their own weeks, and a plan started in November reaches the spring queue with the paperwork behind it.
Every project starts with a complimentary 30-minute discovery call with our founder, followed by a high-level budget proposal.
Talk to Premier Outdoor Group about working with a landscape designer over the winter. Schedule your discovery call with Premier Outdoor Group
In Summary
How long does a landscape design take before it can go out to bid?
Landscape design time before bidding varies with the package scope and the size of the property. The sequence that matters is design, then pricing, then permitting, and each stage has its own weeks, which is why a winter start is what makes a spring build date realistic.
Does a waterfront property in Portsmouth need extra approvals?
A waterfront property in Portsmouth can need approvals beyond a standard building permit. Coastal parcels may require CRMC assents, special permits or variances, and Premier Outdoor Group’s design packages include permitting support for those submissions.
Can a landscape design be built in stages over several years?
A landscape design can be built in stages, and a full property plan is what makes staging work. Levels, drainage and service routes get resolved once for the finished property, so a later phase connects to work already in the ground rather than cutting into it.
What happens on the first call with Premier Outdoor Group?
The first call with Premier Outdoor Group is a complimentary 30-minute discovery call with the owner and founder. It covers the property and the vision, gives a realistic sense of investment, and leads to a high-level budget proposal.
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