over budget landscaping

5 years ago

We have a challenging yard so we hired a landscape architect asking "what can we do with $xxxx?" We were not sure if a pool was feasible- I asked for a spool or very small pool. Or hot tub. He gave us an estimate for his services. The first plans had a huge pool. The plans were very good and detailed, which I appreciated, but the pool was too big. I questioned the cost of so many large boulders in the design. He said they didn't cost that much. He also designed features we did not ask for. So he redesigned the pool and we agreed on a plan to hand to a landscaper. The landscaping cost came in at almost twice our budget. The boulders were a third of the budget. So now the architect is taking things out and making things smaller. (I wanted a smaller patio) Well, we got the bill for the second redesign which was double the total estimate for his time. I asked him why are we paying for redesign when he did not work within our parameters? No answer yet but what is my obligation here? Of course he hasn't sent the redesign. But he didn't respect our constant reminder of a target budget so why do I hear the cost of eliminating the extras?

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Comments (4)

mindshift
5 years ago
Was the $xxxx budget meant to include both his service and the landscaper's costs? Did he know that? Unfortunately, the first time we do something like this you and I do not know what questions to ask, and we don't know the process. The people who work in the field don't have a clue that they are not communicating with us. And, frankly, you did not communicate well with him. You should have insisted on a $ amount for "not that much". You should have had several pool installers visit your house and give you an estimate. Note that an estimate is not the same thing as a bid, but at least you would have had an idea of the cost. You can visit local stone suppliers and get an idea of how much boulders cost.

It does not matter what I or anyone else thinks about your landscape architect. He did the work you asked for, and you owe him for that. It is not his fault that installing the pool and landscaping cost more than you want to pay. Cut your losses; take whatever plans he has done and pay him. Then decide what you can still use of his plans.
tangerinedoor
5 years ago
I don't understand why you'd be paying your landscape designer for an estimate? An estimate should be free, no? And why would they be estimating unless you had agreement about the scope of the project? If you made clear your budget limit, and he figured the plan he dreamed up was way over your $$$ guideline, that's on him, not on you.
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bludvl82
Original Author
5 years ago
We paid a landscape architect for a design with a maximum budget for implementation. When he got the estimate for implementing it from the landscaper, it was twice our budget. So yes the estimate was free but the design was not. Not the reworks of the design
bludvl82
Original Author
5 years ago
We said we had xxx to spend total. I made it clear his cost was part of that. We did get multiple pool estimates and that was within the budget I expected. But he first a designed a large pool when I asked for a spa pool. Why is the correction on me? He added a bunch of boulders and walls we didn't ask for. Now charging me to draw it again without the extra stuff. If he could not help us figure out what we could do on our budget he should have said that at the beginning. Because our ask was what can we do for x. Not design whatever and let's see how much it costs