The design process can be terminated before completion for any number of reasons. Such reasons can include: a sudden job transfer necessitating an unexpected sale of the home; a client's eventual realization that their wants and needs exceed their budget; discovery of a site problem or other situation for which there is no practical or economically feasible solution; etc. When a client enters into a design or consultation contract with Wayside, they are agreeing to pay for the designer's time and expenses (see LANDSCAPE DESIGN / CONSULTATION CONTRACT for details). If the contract is terminated during the design process, the client is still obligated to pay for the designer's time and incurred expenses at the previously agreed upon rates. Depending on when the design process is terminated, there may be little or much meaningful documentation to reflect the designer's effort to that point. If terminated early (i.e., during or after the initial client interviews and site analyses, photography), there may be very little meaningful data or documentation to reflect the efforts of the designer. The later the design process is terminated, the more a designer will have to show for his/her effort. Such is the nature of the design process (see WHAT IS LANDSCAPE DESIGN?). It is not until the end of the process that the designer brings everything together and formulates a meaningful plan of attack. Up to that point, information, data, and ideas are still mostly disjunct and of limited value when considered separately.
It is important to repeat that, at Wayside, the client agrees to pay for the designer's time and expenses, regardless of whether a plan is generated. The landscape plan (together with its unique set of specifications) is the culmination of the landscape design process; it is the vehicle used by contractors to estimate the cost of the project and drive it to completion.
<< Previous Question | Next Question >>
