Defining Roles

Before we dive into discussions of plantings or the various components of landscaping work, I think it’s important to define roles and talk about relationships among the trades involved in watershaping projects – in other words, to take a basic look at who does what.

We can all save time and money by knowing from the beginning of the job who is going to handle each phase and detail as well as who is qualified, trained or licensed to perform the various tasks needed to get the job done. Planning this up front might even result in greater profits, and it definitely will make your job easier.

I know it’s the goal of this magazine to build a greater “watershaping community” where both landscape professionals and those who build pools, spas and waterfeatures all participate with natural coordination. For the moment, however, pool builders and their counterparts in the landscaping business tend to give little thought to one another. In fact, I’ve learned from experience that the only time they’re certain to interact (and not necessarily in a positive way) is when problems arise. Typically, that’s not good for anyone’s business.

TALKING SHOP

Consider drainage and irrigation as an example: Who’s responsible? Will the landscape contractor install the drainage and irrigation systems, or will the pool builder subcontract the installation of these systems – or take responsibility for executing the whole project?

These may seem like insignificant questions, but knowing who will do the work and what their qualifications are for designing and engineering these systems has a lot to do with whether or not a landscape professional will be able to install plants according to the design and whether or not the drainage and irrigation system will be compatible with the pool, spa or waterfeature.

I’ve found that many pool professionals believe it is a landscape contractor’s job to install the irrigation and drainage systems. That seems logical, but is the landscape contractor qualified to do this type of plumbing work, or even licensed to do it?

Let me address these questions from a landscaping perspective by defining what our roles tend to be. (Remember, these are general guidelines. In any situation in which you’re unsure or concerned about your own liability, it’s always a good idea to check applicable regulations in your area and seek the advice of local building and safety departments or state contractors license boards.)

With that in mind, landscape professionals fall into three basic categories: landscape architect, landscape designer and landscape contractor.

[ ] Landscape architects are trained to design both hardscape and planting and to draw architectural plans. They are licensed to do all types of retaining work and hardscape planning and construction, which gets them involved in designing pools and other watershapes.

Most have college degrees in landscape architecture and are required to have worked for another landscape architect or contractor before passing rigorous tests to obtain their licenses. Once licensed, landscape architects can operate essentially as contractors, hiring crews and paying other contractors and subcontractors directly.

When should landscape architects be involved? Often, these are the best people to handle entire landscaping projects, from concept to finished product. They will hire and pay subcontractors under the auspices of their contract, and in many cases landscape architects hire pool professionals to build a watershape that they have designed. In other cases, pool builders are hired as consultants for specific design elements of a given pool, spa or waterfeature.

[ ] Landscape designers generally focus on plant and hardscape design. These professionals may or may not have the same formal training as landscape architects. They’re not licensed to do architectural drawings and may have to rely on architects and engineers for structural work, but when it comes to planting and design work, they are often every bit as (or even more) capable than landscape architects.

Without a contractor’s license, however, they are limited to designing the job and must use a licensed contractor for installation. Landscape designers can only collect their own fees.

When would you most need a landscape designer? If you already have an overall watershape design but still need a planting plan, this is the area where landscape designers are often the true specialists: Most make their sole income from planting plans and so they usually have very creative planting ideas.

[ ] Landscape contractors do the physical work of landscaping: They generally handle installation of the irrigation and drainage systems, plantings and maintenance. Most do not draw planting plans nor do any other kind of design. They must be licensed.

The work they do might stretch beyond planting, irrigation and drainage to encompass functions like tree trimming and masonry work, but most stick to the basics (particularly in states where there are separate licenses for masons and tree trimmers). Personally, I prefer working with companies that specialize rather than those that claim to do it all.

Landscape contractors are trained and must pass licensing programs and tests administered by the states in which they work. When hiring a landscape contractor, I strongly suggest checking on both license and insurance: You don’t want to assume liability for their work unless you know they are legitimate operators.

PLAN WELL

So how do you know who should be doing the rough grading on the site, installing the irrigation or drainage system, designing the planting plan, or stubbing out electrical for landscape lighting? There is no hard and fast rule and the situation can vary depending on the job, the client, the watershaper and the landscape professional involved in the project.

Given the potential for overlapping roles, the most important thing to do before a project begins is to be clear, right from the start, about who is doing what. To get this done, I suggest asking some key questions.

[ ] Get the lay of the land. Ask your client if he or she has already contacted or selected a landscape architect or designer. It’s amazing how many potential problems can be avoided simply by knowing that there’s a design professional in the mix already. And if the customer doesn’t have anyone in mind, now is the time to make some recommendations. (This is a big point that I’ll come back to again and again in these columns: Watershapers of all sorts should always think in terms of networking!)

[ ] Know who you’re dealing with. If the customer asks you to farm out landscape work as part of your job, check the qualifications, education and references of all contractors or designers involved with the project – and don’t forget to check liability and other insurances! This is certainly standard operating procedure with subs in the trades you usually hire, and the same care should be applied on the landscape side. (Frankly, I highly recommend making these calls even if you don’t have any doubts about a particular sub. Why take chances?)

[ ] Think about the next steps. You and the client should begin thinking about what will happen after the pool or spa is done – whether it’s executing a planting plan or another hardscape feature, such as a barbecue or entertainment area. It’s in your best interest (and the client’s) to determine who is going to do these designs and who is going to do the installation: It gives you and the client an opportunity to integrate the design of the various elements from the start – everything from tile selection and ordering to determining how expansion joints should be arranged.

[ ] Define some roles. Who’s going to do the rough grading: you or the landscape contractor? Have the planting areas been planned? Will soil be needed? Questions like these will save you the time and expense of trucking off dirt from the excavation of a pool or pond only to have to bring it back when the landscape contractor needs it. It can also help you determine when to schedule installation of irrigation and drainage systems and coordinate those activities (if possible) with trenching for pool plumbing. This simple coordination makes everyone look good in the client’s eyes.

[ ] Settle the access issues. This is another area where coordination can really help. The time to think about the kind of access necessary for delivery of plants and trees or bringing in heavy equipment is before the pool-equipment pad is set up right in the way, for instance, or before walls, gates or fences are put back up.

[ ] Discuss electrical needs. This is a big one that too often gets missed. Early on, ask the client, “Are you planning on having landscape lighting?” If so, you need to determine who’s going to design the system, run the conduits and install the lights. In my book, this is a job best left to a professional who specializes in landscape lighting: There’s a definite art to it. Subs who install your pool lights certainly can “do the job,” but will they give you the best results in terms of aesthetics? A personal check-up is helpful here: Drive by at night to see their work in action.

NOW DO IT!

Obviously, there are many ways pool builders, landscape professionals and all watershapers may be asked to interact with each other, and it’s impossible to define a specific set of rules governing who does what. The key is knowing what type of company you’re dealing with and defining the process as early as possible.

When you do, the chances of a misstep or misunderstanding down the line are greatly reduced. Best of all, when you have planned well and integrated all the various trades, you can do your work with less worry and let your own expertise take over. Now it’s time to jump in and watch it all take shape!

Stephanie Rose wrote her Natural Companions column for WaterShapes for eight years and also served as editor of LandShapes magazine. She may be reached at [email protected].