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How do I choose a landscape designer?

Decide first whether you need a plan only, a licensed landscape architect, or a design-build company that also installs. Then look at each candidate's finished local projects, ask exactly what the plan will include, check any licence on DPOR's License Lookup, call references, and get the fee, deliverables and installation terms in writing before you pay.

Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.

By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

Step by step

Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.

  1. Step 1: Write a short brief

    List your goals, your budget range and the areas of the yard you want designed, so every designer answers the same question.[6]

  2. Step 2: Decide what kind of help you need

    Choose between a plan only, a licensed landscape architect for complex sites, or a design-build company that designs and installs.

  3. Step 3: Look at finished work

    Ask for photos and addresses of local projects, and visit one if you can, ideally a few years after planting.

  4. Step 4: Check credentials

    Look up any claimed landscape architect or contractor licence on DPOR's License Lookup.[3]

  5. Step 5: Call references

    Ask past clients whether the work kept to schedule, matched the plan, and whether problems were fixed willingly.[6]

  6. Step 6: Ask what the plan includes

    Confirm whether you will get a scaled drawing, a plant list with sizes and quantities, and notes on soil and spacing.

  7. Step 7: Ask who installs

    Find out whether the designer installs, recommends installers, or hands you a plan to put out for bids.

  8. Step 8: Get bids on the same plan

    If someone else installs, get at least three written bids based on the same plan and specifications.[6]

  9. Step 9: Put it in writing

    Get the fee, revisions, deliverables, schedule and payment terms in a written agreement before any work starts.[6]

  10. Step 10: Keep the deposit small

    For installation, pay no more than 10% or $1,000 down, whichever is less.[6]

Choose a landscape designer the way you would choose any professional for a costly job: decide what kind of help you need, look hard at finished local work, check any licence the person claims, call references, and get the deliverables and fees in writing. The right person listens to how you use the yard and draws a plan you can afford to install and maintain.

A front-yard planting of tall evergreens, a blue spruce and red-leaved Japanese maples behind a mowed lawn, beside the corner of a single-storey house
Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Know who does what

"Landscape designer" covers several kinds of professionals, and in Virginia they are regulated differently.

Licensed landscape architects. Under the Code of Virginia, a landscape architect is a person whose competence has been attested by the Board through licensure as a landscape architect.[1] Their practice covers "consultation, evaluation, planning (including the preparation and filing of sketches, drawings, plans and specifications) and responsible supervision or administration of contracts relative to projects principally directed at the functional and aesthetic use of land."[1] Landscape architects are licensed by DPOR's Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects.[2] They are a common choice for large properties, steep or wet sites, and plans that a locality must review.

Landscape designers. Not every landscape designer is a licensed landscape architect, and some hold a private certification from a professional group instead. Neither tells you how good a designer's work is, so review the portfolio yourself. If someone calls themselves a licensed landscape architect, confirm it on DPOR's License Lookup.

Design-build landscape contractors. These firms design and install. The installation is contracting work: a single installation job over $1,000 but less than $30,000 calls for at least a Class C contractor licence.[4] Grading, retaining walls for landscaping and landscaping timbers fall under the landscape service contracting specialty,[5] and irrigation and outdoor sprinkler systems are a separate specialty.[5] If the crew will spray weeds or pests, anyone who applies pesticides on someone else's property for pay must work for a company with a Pesticide Business License.[9]

Why the choice matters

Good design is where much of a landscape's value comes from. In research summarized by Virginia Cooperative Extension, design sophistication was the highest-ranked factor in a home's perceived value,[7] ahead of plant size and plant variety. The same publication notes that clients often need help understanding the design process,[7] so a designer who explains choices clearly is worth more than one who hands over a drawing.

How to compare candidates

Look at work, not just photos. Virginia's Board for Contractors advises homeowners to ask for local references and, if possible, go and look at finished projects.[6] A garden three or four years after planting shows whether the designer spaced plants for mature size and chose plants that suit the site. Ask references whether the work stayed on schedule and whether problems were fixed willingly.

Check every licence claimed. A licence number on a card or an ad does not prove the licence is valid.[6] Look up landscape architects and contractors on DPOR's License Lookup.[3]

Ask what you will get. Useful questions:

  • Will you visit the site, and do you want my soil test results?
  • Will the plan be drawn to scale, with every plant named, sized and counted?
  • How many revisions are included, and what does a change cost after that?
  • Do you install, recommend installers, or hand me a plan to put out for bids?
  • If you install, is there a replacement policy for plants that die in the first year?
  • Can I use the plan with another installer?

Compare installation the right way. If the plan goes out for bids, get at least three written bids or estimates using identical plans and specifications.[6] Read anything before you sign it: any bid or estimate you sign may become the contract.[6] Virginia law requires licensed contractors to provide a written contract for residential work,[6] and the Board's guidance for a deposit is no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less.[6]

For cost drivers and what a good quote breaks out, see what landscaping costs in Virginia.

When a designer may not be needed

For a single bed or a few foundation shrubs, many homeowners do well with their own plan; see how to plan a landscape design for your yard. Free help is also close by: Extension Master Gardeners are trained volunteer educators, and teams work in almost every county in Virginia.[8] They can help with plant choices and problems, though they do not draw plans for private yards.

Stop and call a pro if

  • The design involves grading, drainage changes, a retaining wall or a new irrigation system; these need licensed contractors to build.
  • The property is large, steep or wet, or the plan needs local review; consider a licensed landscape architect.
  • The plan includes a deck, pergola footings, outdoor wiring or a gas line, which bring in other licensed trades and permits.
  • Large trees need work before planting; hire a tree service for that.

Browse more lawn and landscaping answers, compare landscape design and installation services, or find lawn and landscaping businesses around Blacksburg. To get proposals for your yard, describe the job once and local businesses respond.

Common questions

What is the difference between a landscape designer and a landscape architect?
In Virginia, a landscape architect is licensed by DPOR's Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects, with the qualifying knowledge acquired through professional education, practical experience, or both. A landscape designer may hold a private certification or none. For a typical residential planting plan either can do good work; for grading, drainage, large sites or public projects, a licensed landscape architect is the stronger choice.
Can I take a designer's plan to other installers?
Ask before you sign. Some designers sell the plan outright, some keep rights to it, and design-build companies may discount the design only if they install it. Get the answer in your written agreement so you know whether you can collect competing bids.
Should the designer visit my property?
Yes, for anything beyond a single small bed. A good design depends on sun, shade, drainage, soil and views that are hard to judge from photos. Expect the designer to ask about your soil test, your budget and how you use the yard.
Does my landscape designer need a contractor licence?
If the same business installs the work, a single job over $1,000 calls for a Virginia contractor licence, which you can check on DPOR's License Lookup. Ask whether the person who draws the plan is the one who installs it.
Where can I get free landscape advice?
Your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office and its Extension Master Gardeners answer plant and garden questions. They will not draw a full plan for your yard, but they can help with plant choices, soil test results and problem diagnosis.

Sources

  1. [1] Code of Virginia § 54.1-400. Definitions, Virginia General Assembly, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  2. [2] Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Checked October 27, 2026.
  3. [3] License Lookup, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Checked October 27, 2026.
  4. [4] Code of Virginia § 54.1-1100. Definitions, Virginia General Assembly, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  5. [5] 18VAC50-22-30. Definitions of specialty services, Virginia Administrative Code, Board for Contractors. Checked October 27, 2026.
  6. [6] What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor, Virginia Board for Contractors, Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Checked October 27, 2026.
  7. [7] The Effect of Landscape Plants on Perceived Home Value (426-087), Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech. Checked October 27, 2026.
  8. [8] Extension Master Gardener Program, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech. Checked October 27, 2026.
  9. [9] Becoming a Certified Pesticide Applicator, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Checked October 27, 2026.

Want a pro to handle it?

Describe the job once. Licensed local businesses send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.