Frequently Asked Questions:

Are you licensed, bonded and insured? 
Do you do maintenance? 
Do you charge for an initial consultation? 
Will there be additional charges during or after the consultation? 
Do you charge to prepare an estimate? 
Would you come out and sketch up design ideas on-site for us during the initial consultation? 
I would like to do the installation myself. Can you do a design for me that I install myself? 
I just need a small area re-designed. The projects on your portfolio are much larger than my yard. Do you do design-build for  small areas? 
I just need a patio, retaining wall, etc. installed. Do you do that kind of work? 
After the landscape design is complete, who does the installation? 
How much will it cost to...(fill in the blank)? 
I've got a landscape designer who will be managing the installation of their design. Could you provide an estimate for him/her?




 Are you licensed, bonded and insured?

Yes, we are registered as a general contractor in Washington State. Our registration number is SOLSTLN915JS.  Any time you hire a contractor it is a good idea to verify with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries that the contractor is registered. Here’s a link to their website where you can search for registration information for any contractor in the state:

https://fortress.wa.gov/lni/bbip/Search.aspx

We also carry insurance above and beyond Washington State’s minimum requirements.

·      Do you do maintenance?

Solstice Landscape Design only performs maintenance on landscaping projects we’ve designed and installed. This allows us to focus primarily on what we do best – to design & nurture gardens that nourish the mind, body, spirit and, of course, the Earth. Maintaining gardens we’ve designed and built teaches us how to improve our landscape designs because it shows us how quickly different plants grow, which plants are more susceptible to diseases and pests, which weed prevention techniques are best for different site conditions, which materials hold up to the elements, among a number of other things that can only be discovered from long-term nurturing and care of the gardens we design and build.

·      Do you charge for an initial consultation?

Just as a doctor, dentist, or most other professionals charge for an initial visit, we also charge for an initial visit, which usually lasts about an hour. Our initial consultation fee is $75. We do not have sales people meet with you in this meeting. Instead, you’ll be talking with the designer whose job is to help identify the key problems and solutions that would best meet your needs!

If you are interested in contacting us for an initial consultation, please click here.

 Will there be additional charges during or after the consultation?

There will not be additional charges during the consultation. If, during the course of the consultation, we agree that it will be necessary to draw landscape design plans to thoroughly address your needs, we will let you know what that will cost.

Since every job is different in scale and scope, we cannot speculate on what that will cost without seeing the project site.

 Do you charge to prepare an estimate?

No, however, we cannot do an estimate without visiting the project site to discuss your project. We charge the usual $75 fee for the initial consultation for all projects, no matter the scale and scope of the work.

 If you would like to contact us to schedule a consultation, please click here.

·      Would you come out and sketch up landscape design ideas on-site for us during the initial consultation?

In some cases, this is possible. In large re-designs, it’s just not feasible to sketch up designs on-site – it requires a more in-depth design process in which we thoroughly address dozens of factors that, if ignored, could lead to the failure of the project to meet your needs.

If you send me pictures of your site and give me the general dimensions and scope of work, I can let you know if I think it would be possible to sketch out design ideas on-site, or if it would require a more thorough landscape design process. This usually takes longer (3-4 hours, typically), and the additional time is billed at $75/hr.

·      I would like to do the installation of the landscaping myself. Can you do a design that I install myself?

Absolutely! Depending on the size and scope of the project, we may be able to do a design on-site in 3-4 hours, or it may require a more thorough landscape design process.

 Please click here to contact us to schedule a consultation if you are interested.

 I just need a small area re-designed. The projects on your portfolio are much larger than my yard. Do you do design-build for small areas?

We are happy to work on all scales of design/build projects. Our initial consultation fee of $75 is applied no matter what scale the project is.

 Please click here to contact us to schedule a consultation if you are interested.

 I just need a patio, retaining wall, etc. installed. Do you do that kind of work?

Yes, we are happy to take on patios, retaining walls, or other simple projects. With those projects we don’t typically need a design for. We can simply meet with you for an initial consultation to determine your needs and select materials, then we’ll go back to the office to prepare a fixed-price proposal, in writing. Our initial consultation fee of $75 is applied no matter what scale the project is.

 After the landscape design is complete, who does the installation?

The exact same person who you meet with on day one and walks you through the entire landscape design process will lead the installation. Unlike other companies whose landscape designers may rarely visit your site after finishing the design, our designer will be on-site nearly every day of the installation. This ensures that the many miscommunications that develop in the chain of command from landscape designer to superintendant to project manager to foreman will not occur when you hire Solstice Landscape Design.

Additionally, the installation process offers dozens of detailed design opportunities. It could involve adjusting the layout of the plants or the curve of a path or wall for a more striking effect. If you work with a company whose designer is not leading the installation, there will be many missed opportunities to refine such details. When you work with Solstice Landscape Design every detail is designed carefully for a more beautiful and sensitive garden.

    ·  How much will it cost to...(fill in the blank)?

It's hard to speculate on costs over the phone or via email. We can only begin to form accurate estimates once we have seen the site. Even then we prefer to take the time to provide a written proposal with a fixed price, after carefully taking into account all factors and assessing the existing vegetation, soil condition, trees, roots, access into the site, etc.

A thorough design process for a complete landscaping renovation, front and back, will often take between 15-20 hours, billed at $75/hr.  A small portion of the yard can be as low as 3 hours.

As for complete landscaping renovations (ripping almost everything out and starting fresh), national statistics show that it costs, on average, 10% of the value of your home to renovate the landscaping. This actual number varies depending on existing site conditions, and the exact features you would like to include. Our experience tells us it costs between 5 and 15% of the value of your home to completely transform your yard into a beautiful, nourishing, ecologically-friendly, functional landscape.

 I've got a landscape designer who will be managing the installation of their design. Could you provide an estimate for him/her?

We only work directly with the client (i.e. the end-user). We won't be able to install a project that's being managed by the landscape designer. There is too much room for error in the chain of communication from client, to designer, to us, then back to a desiger, then back to the client. Such scenarios become cumbersome for everyone involved, and we've found that it's a much smoother process when we work directly with the client (and it will cost you less, as well, since it removes one more layer of management from the process). We are happy, however, to install a complete design that has been prepared by another designer, as long as we get to work directly with you. 

   ·  Do you not see your question here? If you have any questions that went unanswered, suggestions for updates or improvements on the F.A.Q. page, please let us know through our 'contact' page. We appreciate your feedback, and would also be happy to answer your question!