How Long does a Residential Landscape Design Project Take?

A beautifully designed and well-maintained landscape adds functionality to your residential property and curb appeal. Before beginning a landscape design project at your home, you should have realistic expectations about the time period such a project might take. The duration will depend on various aspects like the size and scope of the landscape design, the property and any specific needs that need to be addressed, elements outside your control like heavy rains, and supply chain issues.

Planning Your Residential Landscape Project

Before your landscaping team breaks ground on your project, a thorough plan must be in place. By planning well, all elements are considered, and a successful landscape project is ensured. Homeowners collaborate with professional landscape designers at this stage to assess the job site and to agree on how to make their vision for the project come to life.

These important conversations and considerations will allow the landscape designer to create a thorough plan for the project. This phase could take a few weeks or even months. It depends on some of the following factors: 

• The availability of the landscape design specialist
• How challenging the area is and the considerations it requires
• How complex the design it
• How customized the homeowner wants the project
• Multiple designs, discussions, and approvals or denials of elements of the plan

Assessing and Preparing the Landscape Project Site

Upon completing the landscape design plan, the next phase is preparing the area for the project to begin. This stage can take days or even weeks to complete, depending on the size and complexity of this phase of the landscape implementation. During this phase, the following tasks must be completed: 

• Evaluation of what is usable in the current landscape
• Removal of elements that will not be used, like trees or shrubs
• Removal of hardscaping elements like walkways, patios, fountains, pools, retaining walls, or pergolas that will not be a part of the new landscape plans
• Grading of the land as required for the project’s purpose and to address any drainage issues

How long this portion of the plan takes to implement will depend on the size of the crew, the equipment necessary, the size of the site, and the amount of work required. 

The Hardscaping Phase

Installing the hardscaping elements means putting in the features that are not planted and are not living. These elements might take days, weeks, or months to install. The duration of this stage of the landscape project depends on how large and intricate the landscape design is.

This is the time that hard elements are installed. These might include the following: 

• Fountains 
• Paths and walkways
• Patios
• Outdoor kitchens and grill areas
• Driveways
• Irrigation systems
• Ponds, pools, and other water features
• Retaining walls

Duration

The length of time the hardscaping phase takes depends on several factors listed below: 

• Whether the materials are readily available, supply chain issues can affect the availability of materials. 
• Weather conditions are out of everyone’s control and can affect how quickly this stage can be completed. 
• The size of the crew working on the phase will also influence the duration of this portion of the project.

To get a firm estimate on how long the hardscaping and the rest of your project will take to complete, contact Siara Designs® for a consultation.

The Softscaping Phase

The living elements of the residential landscape design project go in during the softscaping phase. This is typically the most exciting portion of the project. Homeowners enjoy seeing their landscape come to life as the organic matter is installed. 

The time this takes varies depending on the number of plants, the size of the crew, the size and slope of the area, and the availability of the desired trees, shrubs, and flowers. For small projects, this could take days. For large projects, expect weeks to complete the softscaping stage of the residential landscape project.

At this stage, the following installations are completed: 

• Trees are planted
• Shrubs are installed
• Flowers and beds are planted
• Sod is installed, or grass seeds are planted

Technical Aspects

There are aspects of the landscape project that go in at various stages. This might mean the irrigation system must be installed before a driveway, or landscape fabric must be secured before planting shrubs. Mulching materials are put down after the plants are planted. 

Adding the Finishing Touches

By now, homeowners have a good idea of how their landscape project will look upon completion. But, as the finishing touches are added, it is often surprising how much the appearance of the area changes.

Once the mulch is installed, you really see how crisp and complete your project will look. This is typically near the end of the project. Landscape lighting elevates the look of the entire yard. 

These touches can take days or weeks to complete, depending on how long it takes to source the materials, the size and availability of the crew, the size and intricacy of the project, and then if the weather chooses to cooperate.

The Cleanup Phase

To ensure everything is crisp and polished, the clean-up stage comes next. To best showcase a beautiful residential landscape project, debris removal and polishing up the final steps are crucial. This has usually been taken care of in stages, so it does not typically take long to complete. 

Enjoy Your Beautiful Yard

How long a residential landscape design project takes to complete will depend on several factors. How elaborate the plan is, the availability of materials, the size of the project, the size of the crew, the designer’s calendar, the weather conditions during the project, and the complexity of the project will all factor into how long the project will take to finish. 

The professional team at Siara Designs establishes open and honest communication with our clients so that you are always informed of factors that could influence how long your project will take. We ensure that you have realistic expectations, and we work hard not to disappoint. Our goal is that you have a beautiful residential project that you will enjoy for years to come, constructed in a timely manner. 

Contact Us Today

Reach out to our landscape specialists at Siara Designs about the residential landscape project you are dreaming of today. We can evaluate your lot, discuss your expectations and ideas, design the project to your specifications, and leave you with a beautiful, functional yard you can be proud of.