Something I often share with potential landscape design and construction clients in Knoxville, Tenn. is that it’d be unheard of to build a house without a thorough set of plans, yet so many people try to landscape their outdoor spaces without first creating landscape design plans.

There are several options to consider when you’re thinking about what type of landscape design plan you should be getting for your next outdoor landscaping project. And each option — hand drawn, digital or 3-D — has its unique benefits.

Hand Drawn Landscape Design Plans

Hand drawn landscape design plans are a fantastic option when you’re in the conceptual phase of your landscape project planning.

Check out how we get from a blank page to beauty …

Digital Landscape Design Plans

Digital landscape design plans include more precision than hand drawn plans. This type of plan is essential to have before you get construction bids, especially if you’re shopping it out to multiple landscaping contractors. Because of the detail-natured of these digital plans — elevation, grading, dimensions, material quantities — contractors will use them to estimate the cost of landscape construction.

In addition, we often create color digital plans for homeowners or business owners to help them get a better sense of the design. Generally, contractors are satisfied using black-and-white plans, which are much more utilitarian than color plans.

3-D Landscape Design Plans

We use three-dimensional landscape design plans to help communicate a design when two dimensions just won’t cut it. When we’ve created a landscape design that has several vertical elements such as pergolas, steps and retaining walls, we’ll use the 3-D landscape design plans to showcase those features. Without the three dimensions, you might misunderstand the impact of those elements on the overall design.

3-D landscape design plans are also great for clients who may find it difficult to “just picture it.” This can be especially hard to do when we’re making substantial changes to an existing space.

Get Advice on Landscape Design Plans for Your Next Project

For help figuring out your next landscape design and the perfect plans to help you picture it, fill out our online contact form or call me at 865-765-5550.