Pricing

Different Projects, Different Pricing

The following factors can influence the cost of a project, so if you're trying to save on cost, keep the following things in mind.

Hardscape

• The installation of extensive hardscape elements like flagstone or pavestone patios and walkways can increase project cost significantly. Also, the type of material can also influence, for especially in the case of flagstone, product costs can vary greatly, with higher quality flagstone costing significantly more than lower quality.
• One way to save on hardscape costs up-front and still ultimately get exactly what you want, is to initially install patios and walkways as a compressed, decomposed granite (DG). DG is a well-packed, colorful sand material, that works like a well-worn path. This way, functionality is maintained, but you can easily change the DG area into your choice of hardscape material at a later date.
• Another influencing factor is the addition of special garden elements, such as a raised bed for growing vegetables, or garden art such as fountains.
• Changes to existing elevation and extensive boulder work can also increase cost.

Plants

• Moderate water-use plantings cost a bit more than desert plantings, because we use 5 different amendments that we add to the soil and mix thoroughly.
• Size of container in which the plant material is grown can influence project cost. In other words, a 1 gallon plant cost less than a 5 gallon size of the same species. Not only do smaller plants cost less to purchase, they're also easier to install, and in the case of trees, usually catch up to and surpass larger planted specimens within the first 2-4 years… so you end up with a better tree that cost less!
• As for shrubs and other perennials, the difference is usually fully compensated in plant size within 1-3 years. As horticulturists and arborists, we recommend the use of younger plants in most cases. However, when we want to use a slower growing plant that fulfills a particularly important role in the landscape, we may recommend a larger specimen.

Lighting
We only use very high quality lighting products, for they are well worth the price difference. However, deciding whether or not to light a landscape can greatly influence price. Naturally, more extensive lighting layouts will cost more than those more moderate or minimal in scope. Remember that lighting can be added at a later date with only minimal disruption to the existing landscape.

Project Size
Of course, the overall size of a project will greatly influence cost. One possible solution is to break it into smaller projects, such as separating out the front and back yards. More minute and detailed segregation of larger projects is difficult and usually impractical. Keep in mind also that every project has associated start-up and shut-down costs, so while breaking a project into smaller portions can save on upfront, in the end, the whole project will have cost a bit more because of additional start-up and shut-down costs.