Landscape and Property Consultation Fees
(based on acerage)

​Your consulting visit includes discussions on the following:
Assessment of your overall property. We will walk your property and discuss your long term goals and visions and address any concerns you may have. So, have your list of questions ready.

Typical conversations include:

• Overall property layout. This is the difference between success and failure.

• What is your personal time commitment to maintaining your property?

• How and where to construct your garden or orchard – be in control of what you are putting in your body not to mention big savings by growing your own food.

• Planting trees and shrubs that have the highest percentage of survival with the least amount of stress. Choosing the right ones for our area is key - this includes water–wise native landscapes.

• Fencing – keeping livestock in and/or people and deer out.

• Privacy borders – are messy or bad neighbors an issue?

• Irrigation – water is getting more and more expensive. Save $ by being efficient when designing your systems – even little inefficiencies can cost you a lot of money.

• Fire protection – insurance companies in the foothills rob you of your retirement. Be ready when they visit.

• Deer proofing. There is no reason to spend $400 at the nursery just to have your local deer population treat it like a buffet. I have planted so many plants that I purchased from the nursery that have the deer resistant icon on them only to find out that the deer love them!

• Clay/Rock solutions – soil is definitely an issue here. There are ways to make it work for you.

• Options for gopher, vol, and mole eradication – these guys can ruin your landscape and cause lots of stress.

• How and where to construct a livestock area. Raising livestock is a lot of work if done improperly. Huge upside if done correctly.

• Safest ways to eradicate star thistle and other nasty weeds. Don’t poison yourself and all of the wonderful little creatures that make foothill life  wonderful. There are safe and easy options.

• Insight as to owner builders in EDC – Before I was a licensed Landscape Contractor I built 2 homes and a barn for myself and family as an owner/builder with the County. This move saved me hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is not for everyone but it is worth exploring for sure.

• Identifying projects that will result in endless time and money commitments over the years to come. An example of this is a huge lawn that requires constant mowing and watering to look good – especially as water prices and weekly yard maintenance costs will surely increase in the future and your energy level will not.

• ANYTHING that concerns you.

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When we are all finished – usually 1-2 hours – I will email you a review of our meeting with any recommendations I see that will benefit you moving forward.

Also included with your review will be:
A list of contractors who are reputable in our area to accomplish your project(s). I have worked with many excellent/competent contractors over the past 50 years in our area. And, I have worked with some horrible ones.This is an area that is critical. Picking the wrong contractor can drain your and create all kinds of problems. The ultimate choice, however, will be yours. As a retired contractor I can give you ballpark figures as to what you might expect to pay when you hire contractors to do your project(s). I wish I had this wisdom when I was making decisions. I would have saved a lot of time and grief. And more as needed for your specific project.