A great landscape design doesn’t just happen: it’s the result of a process. After reviewing the Construction Documentation phase in our last post, at last we arrive at the sixth and final phase of our process:

The Installation Support Phase

Traditionalists may still call this phase “construction administration,” or “CA”; but since “administration” implies control, the moniker “construction observation” has become preferred. Ever obsessive about accuracy, Verdance uses the term “installation support” because in the realization of a planting plan there may be little actual construction no matter how extensive the installation; and because while we do not administer the installation (i.e. we do not oversee the landscape contractor’s work), we usually do more than simply observe it — we may purchase additional plants or furnishings for the owner, for instance, or collaborate with the contractor to define a plant substitution. In this role we support both the owner and the contractor to ensure that the integrity of our vision is upheld even if specifics change during the installation process.

This Installation Support phase (which internally we call “IS”) picks up where the Construction Documentation phase ended: with a set of plans that complies with local regulations and is ready to hand off to a landscape contractor for bidding and implementation. If the owner has not already selected a contractor (perhaps after receiving preliminary cost estimates in the Design Development phase), the first step in Installation Support will be to solicit a bid from one or more landscape contractors. If we’re leading this effort, we usually will solicit bids from at least two and as many as five comparable contractors. Because all their bids are based on the same information—the CD set—there should be few discrepancies, and an apples-to-apples cost comparison should be relatively straightforward. Even so, the lowest cost may not win the bid: other factors such as availability, expected project duration, experience with custom elements, and personality will be factored into the decision.

Once the bids have been reviewed and the contract awarded, the project is firmly in the contractor’s hands. If the contract documents depict and specify every detail, theoretically the contractor and owner could proceed together without any further involvement from the landscape architect. In reality, however, the landscape designer is needed to provide guidance and quality control until the landscape installation is complete.

For example, before demolition of the old landscape begins, we identify vegetation and features to remain, remove, or relocate. After the contractor lays out the hardscape areas, we not only compare the layout with the plans but also evaluate it in the context of the site — a layout that looks good on paper may benefit from minor adjustments in person. Similarly, when the new plants have been delivered and laid out by the contractor, we’ll check to be sure no unintended lines or inadvertent “tunnels” have been created. We’ll also advise the contractor and owner on any substitutions that might be necessary, for instance if a specified plant is out of stock at the nursery. And we’ll double-check the quality of the plant material upon delivery to be sure it will perform as intended over time: in one recent project, the nursery delivered a variegated Japanese maple cultivar that had been allowed to start reverting to its dominant, plain green heritage; although the contractor felt confident the green foliage could be pruned out, we insisted it be exchanged, and were rewarded with a stunning specimen in return. Finally, we’ll help fine-tune the placement of landscape lighting, specify and/or purchase any “filler” plants that might be needed, and purchase and place furnishings, pots or statuary.

One of the most important functions in our entire process comes at the end of installation, when we tour the completed project with the owner and contractor and identify anything that remains to be fulfilled: missing items, repairs needed, irrigation adjustments, or anything that deviates significantly from the contract documents. These observations form the basis for the “punchlist,” a to-do list the contractor must complete in order for the project to be deemed “substantially complete,” i.e. ready for the owner’s full enjoyment. It is in the contractor’s interest to resolve the punchlist as quickly as possible, because their final payment from the owner depends on attaining substantial completion. Again, while the property owner could handle this without the landscape architect’s involvement, most owners find it useful to have an expert third party — particularly the one who developed the contract documents — in charge of certifying completion.

Once substantial completion has been achieved, both the contractor and the landscape architect will have fulfilled their contractual obligations, and will go about the administrative work of closing out the project. The contractor may offer “as-built” plans and will probably have a warranty period during which plants may be replaced and defects repaired (California law defines a minimum four-year warranty period for “patent” defects which can be reasonably observed, and a ten-year minimum warranty period for “latent” defects which would not have been discovered during a reasonable inspection). For our part, we’ll probably follow up least quarterly to ensure the landscape is performing as expected, and to photograph it throughout the seasons for our portfolio.

Saying goodbye to a good project and a good client is always difficult, and while closeout does mark the end of the Installation Support phase and our work overall, we take great solace in knowing that it also marks the beginning of our client’s use of — and delight in — their unique new landscape.