hiring minneapolis landscape design ground one

The best landscape – the one that makes you smile when you walk out into it or whenever you come up the driveway – is often the result of a great partnership between homeowner and landscape professional. How should you approach hiring Minneapolis landscape design talent that’s the best fit for you? After 20 years of successful client collaborations, Ground One recommends these 5 tips.

Tips For Hiring Minneapolis Landscape Design Companies

      1. First, get referrals. Ask your friends and family who they’ve used and how the process went. If you find yourself admiring a neighbor’s beautiful yard, let them know how much you like their landscape and ask for the name of the company behind the great work. Then go online to vet those companies. Look through their portfolios to get a feel for their work, learn a bit about their process and read what past clients have to say. This will help you create a short list of landscape partners you’d like to meet.
      2. Find a landscape partner who listens. When you’re meeting with prospective landscape companies, pay attention to the questions they ask and how attentively they listen to your answers. A savvy landscape pro should ask how you use the space today, how you would like to use the space, and how long you plan to be in your home. They should talk with you about your kids, your pets, the way you spend time with family and friends. In short, they should get to know you, so they can design a space that is just right for you and the way you live.
      3. Look for a landscape company with a clearly defined design-build process. Ground One founder and CEO Pat Weiss believes that good planning eliminates most surprises. “Great results are not an accident, they’re a direct result of our collaborative process. Before the first shovel of dirt is moved, our clients know what the space will look like, what it will cost, and how long it will take to build.” Choosing a company that works through all the details up front means you can be confident in both the process and the end result.
      4. Ask how many design options you can expect to see. Many landscape companies draw a single solution for a single price. Other companies, like Ground One, present multiple options and encourage client input. According to Weiss, “There are always multiple ‘right’ solutions. What I like about the Ground One process is that after we’ve listened to a client’s needs, we move to schematic design and draw up multiple ‘right’ solutions to present to the client. That’s where the additional layer of collaboration comes in – pricing to look at, multiple designs to respond to. Clients might like this about one design and that about another.” Evaluating multiple options will help you see the possibilities within the space and arrive at the design that works best for you.
      5. Don’t be afraid to request detailed pricing. Some companies present a single price with little or no supporting detail. It’s OK to ask for more information. Ground One shares line item pricing early on in the schematic design phase, so a client knows exactly what their investment is and where costs can be trimmed if needed. Weiss adds, “Knowing pricing at this stage might help homeowners rule out the fireplace due to budget, for example. Clients can decide which elements should stay or which could be phased out due to budget. We give people information so they can make informed choices. Then and only then do we fold their feedback into final construction drawings.” When you’ve got pricing details and understand how the budget is allocated, you can proceed confidently with construction.

Ready to find your Minneapolis landscape design partner?

Let’s review. When hiring Minneapolis landscape design partners, we recommend you seek referrals and research potential partners online. Work with someone who asks questions and listens carefully, and in return, ask questions about the landscape company’s design-build process. Remember, you’re in the driver’s seat: understand how many design options you’ll see, and don’t be afraid to ask about pricing details. Incorporating these tips in your hiring process will ensure that you have the information you need to select a landscape partner that will deliver a great end product and a smooth design-build experience along the way.

If you’d like to learn more about Ground One’s design-build process or set up a free in-home consultation, please contact Pat Weiss at pat@groundonemn.com or call 952-884-3336.