A guide for Southwest Florida homeowners
Landscape architect or landscape designer: which do you need?
It is one of the most common questions we hear from Naples and Fort Myers homeowners, and the answer starts with Florida law.
What Florida law says
In Florida, landscape architecture is a licensed profession regulated under Chapter 481, Part II of the Florida Statutes and overseen by the Board of Landscape Architecture within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Only a licensed professional may call themselves a landscape architect or offer landscape architecture services under that name.
Florida law also recognizes landscape design, such as planting plans and the conceptual placement of landscape elements, as work that does not require a landscape architecture license, while certain construction documents must be prepared or approved by appropriately licensed professionals. That is why you will see design-build firms and garden designers describe their work as landscape design.
Lombardo Landscaping is a design-build contractor, licensed as a Florida Certified Residential Contractor (CRC1331625), with an in-house team that produces CAD plans and 3D renderings. We describe what we do as landscape design, and we tell clients plainly when a project calls for a licensed landscape architect instead.
Three ways to get a landscape designed
| Licensed landscape architect | Landscape designer | Design-build firm | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who they are | A professional licensed by the State of Florida under Chapter 481, Part II of the Florida Statutes | A designer focused on planting plans, layout and the look of the landscape | A licensed contractor with an in-house design team that also builds the project |
| Typical projects | Commercial sites, public spaces, large developments and work that requires sealed drawings | Residential gardens and planting plans | Residential and commercial landscapes, hardscape, water features and lighting, designed and installed |
| Deliverables | Site plans and construction documents for permitting | Planting plans and concepts | CAD plans, 3D imagery, plant schedules, a priced proposal and the finished build |
| Who builds it | A separate contractor you hire | A separate contractor you hire | The same company that designed it |
| Best for | Projects where code or the client requires a licensed landscape architect | Planting refreshes where someone else will install | Homeowners who want one team accountable from drawing to warranty |
When you need a landscape architect
If you are developing commercial property, working on a public or institutional site, or your city, county or lender requires sealed landscape drawings for a permit, you will need a licensed landscape architect. Large planned communities often have one on their own team.
When design-build is the better fit
For most homes, including luxury estates, the goal is a beautiful, buildable landscape that matches the house and survives Southwest Florida's climate. A design-build firm is built for that: the people who draw the plan are the people who price it and build it, so there is no gap between the design intent and what goes in the ground.
- One contract and one point of accountability
- A design priced from its own quantities, so the estimate holds
- Construction knowledge in every design decision: drainage, footings, wire and pipe
- Pools, kitchens and structures through one team (for us, via Lombardo Pools and Lombardo Luxury Build Group)
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- What license do you hold, and can I verify it with the state?
- Will I see a dimensioned plan and, if I need it, 3D imagery before construction?
- Who builds the project, and who manages it day to day?
- How is the construction price calculated?
- Can I see completed projects and read reviews from clients?
For more on vetting a team, see three questions to ask a Naples landscaping company and why hire a full-service landscaping company.
