Question
Dear Mr. Murphy,

My husband and I own 7.25 acres in Live Oak, FL. We have a pond that was constructed about 35 years ago and a wealth of old Live Oaks, dripping with Spanish Moss. About 300 ft of driveway leads to our brick 1070's ranch style home. We have two 2 acre fields that we do not use.

How much should it cost for a company to come out and give us an estimate on developing a landscape plan for our property. We would like things to blend into the surrounding countryside and also to be low maintenance.

Answer
A registered Landscape Architect should charge approximately $75 to $150 hour for a pre-design consult. If you are looking for a master plan for your entire property I would guess a cost of $1000 or more for just the plan, plus cost of expenses such as mileage.

This does not include a survey which might be necessary depending on what detail you have.

If you call a local landscape installation company they may be willing to come out for free but beware, most design build firms are in the business of selling plants and not necessarily thinking in your best interest. I always recommend getting a design done and then getting competitive bids.

Best of Luck.

Sean Murphy, LA, ISA
www.seengineering.com
www.amenityarchitects.com