Yes, some do work that way. I do. Price is going to be determined by the scope of work. You can expect to pay $70-$120 per hour, or to have a contract that would reflect a similar price rate.

You should realize that an LA who is making an effort to do the best he can for you is not going to sit down and whip off a plan in two seconds. He is going to develop a plan which means that it is not the time it takes to draw the plan that you are paying for. He is going to trying this and trying that, calculating wall heights, .... You can expect to pay between two and three thousand for a plan view.

Leaving plants out is not a smart thing because plants enhance or mitigate what is going on in the plan. You can always substitute plants of similar form when you implement the plan, but you should know how the plan is supposed to work. Plants are an important tool in making a plan work rather than just as decoration, don't overlook that.

Thanks, laag for the time explanation. I've had quite a few callers this spring expressing dismay over pricing. Folks just don't understand how long it takes to be creative, and to get the whole project to flow. And I've got about three hours comitted before I sit down- one initial meeting, one final meeting and copying the plan/gathering plant information to give the client- whether it's just a small backyard or a three acre master plan. And some small yards are much more challenging than large lots.

I've gotten enough contracts to keep me busy, so I'm not sweating the no-goes.

thanks, that gives me a realistic idea of what to expect. i'm sure it's not unreasonable, given the improvements that (hopefully) result.

debbie

Expect a fee of 10-20% of the total cost of the job, if you want full services including project management. Those prices I mentioned earlier are for a one sheet plan view without construction details. That is what many home owners are looking for.