landscapes+gardens design: 12.12.2010

12.18.2010

Landscape and Garden Design

Modern River Rock Island Planter

Before beginning your project, prepare yourself for a a successful project!

Have insurance, plans, construction schedule in place.
Test your soil and amend it as needed. Consider purchasing a soil testing kit or having your soil tested at a lab like Northcoast Labs. It seems like most county extension offices offer the soil testing kit or service for free as another alternative.
If you use a contractor, make sure he or she is a licensed landscape contractor.
Order materials and confirm your order and delivery date
Make sure you have all if any local, state or federal permits required for your project.
Be aware of noise ordinances, traffic control plans, etc.
A few days before beginning any do-it-yourself landscaping project, call 811 to make sure that all underground utilities are marked. If you are using a landscape contractor, make sure he or she is aware that you expect him or her to do this.
Be sure to have all existing irrigation and other electrical lines marked prior to digging.
Look into other pre-construction check lists to make sure you have not overlooked anything.
No worries, this is not rocket science. Just be conscientious about your responsibilities and try to be a good neighbor and not leave your site a construction zone for any longer than necessary. I have a friend who is a contractor who finishes up everyday tidying up the site so that it appears as neat as possible when the homeowners' return, not finished, just neat. It doesn't take long to do this, maybe 15 minutes. If you are a professional, it will make you look more professional than some of your competitors that don't take this step. Your project will also seem less like a nuisance, which on some level all construction projects are.