Landscape Construction: From Site Preparation to Completion

The purpose of landscapes is not just to introduce greenery but also to complement a building’s architecture.

Landscapes further improve the usability of the outdoor space and give a building its own character. Therefore, behind every successful landscape, professionals coordinate a range of activities. These include grading, drainage, hardscape, irrigation, and planting.

There is a lot of pre-planning and coordination between landscape construction professionals.

If you are a property owner or landscape contractor, explore landscape construction and why BIM coordination matters.

What is Landscape Construction?

Landscape construction transforms outdoor spaces using hardscapes and softscapes. It is the field that deals with developing natural outdoor living spaces within building facilities.

Any project, from residential and commercial properties to industrial, needs functional landscapes. Contractors visit the site to analyze and design landscapes that will turn into functional environments.

It is not only about a natural space inside a facility. Landscaping creates functional outdoor living spaces like patios. The field involves creating proper pathways for occupant movement, standing grounds, outdoor seating, and more.

These are what we call hardscape elements in landscape construction. The aim for landscape contractors is to ensure that the site’s conditions support these elements.

Landscape contractors aim to make the natural environment and structural/hardscape elements work in harmony.

What Does Landscape Construction Include?

There are several elements in landscaping, some for functionality and others for aesthetics. A visually cohesive outdoor space is fine until you see a misplaced sprinkler or outdoor seating without shade.

The scope of landscape work varies as per the overall construction project’s design and site conditions. Hence, not every job will include all the above-mentioned scope. Some projects are only planting and paving without the need for intricate drainage, irrigation, or outdoor structures.

Different Stages in Landscape Construction

A landscape project usually follows a sequence of activities that is similar to other construction domains. Landscape professionals start by assessing the site properties and the vegetation that will suit it. Further, they have to collaborate closely with plumbing and electrical trades for proper irrigation, drainage, and underground service installation.

Here are the stages below, with each preparing the site for the next.

Site Assessment and Design Coordination

Landscape designers or architects prepare the initial design, reviewing the current site plan. At this stage, they add the most necessary elements such as grading, planting layouts, and outdoor space plans. However, the real tasks begin by taking this design and tallying it with the site conditions in a new construction landscape project. The site assessment reveals the areas where the current design conflicts with the existing building foundations and utilities.

For example, there might be a tree pit that overlaps with an underground utility or a drainage route that conflicts with a paved walkway. So, landscape construction clash detection at an early stage can reduce these issues, making the site execution smooth.

Site Preparation and Grading

After we have a coordinated landscape design, it is time for the landscape contractors to execute it. So, they clear the designated work area and remove any unsuitable material from the ground. Then they use grading to create elevations and slopes that drainage, paving, and planting will accommodate. Skilled landscape contractors will give special focus to grading as they know the importance of this process. Inefficient grading has many disadvantages, such as standing water near foundations and soil erosion.

Drainage and Underground Services

Now, once grading sorts out the spaces, contractors use the coordinated plan to install drainage and underground services. They place the items in the trench and verify the elevations and connections before covering them. As per the US Environmental Protection Agency, stabilized drainage areas play a key role in protecting completed landscapes. Contractors follow the approved plan to coordinate these services on the site and also perform landscape enhancements where necessary.

Hardscape Installation

Now, once the underground framework is ready, it is time to install the hardscape elements. These are the built features that include walkways, patios, steps, and retaining walls. Contractors construct these, maintaining specified levels, alignment, and accessibility requirements. While installing hardscape features, they refer to the accessible-route requirements available from the US Access Board. For example, it explains that an accessible route must connect site arrival points, parking zones, and passenger loading zones.

Softscape Elements and Installing Irrigation Systems

Here comes the part of planting the vegetation, starting with the preparation of planting beds. Also, selecting appropriate plants helps reduce maintenance needs in landscaping.

This step is delicate, and it naturally comes after all the heavy construction work is complete. At this stage, teams plant trees, shrubs, turf, and a few other types of vegetation per the owner’s requirements.

Along with that, they check the irrigation systems to confirm that water distribution is adequate for a new landscape.

Final Inspection and Handover

This is the final stage where contractors check and verify all the previous step activities. These include checking the performance of grading, paving finishes, irrigation, and drainage systems. Contractors identify and resolve defects while verifying the clash-free elements for the final time. They finally prepare the handover documentation that also includes the irrigation layouts, equipment information, warranties, and maintenance service instructions.

How BIM Coordination Supports Landscape Construction

BIM, or Building Information Modeling, transforms landscape design and engineering from 2D to 3D.

The technology brings the 3D design information into a shared environment. Here, teams have access to the same design, where they can easily identify spatial conflicts.

So, in BIM landscape coordination, teams can review landscape elements alongside architectural and engineering layouts. Several owners also demand a preview of designs before construction begins. BIM can make this possible, where seasoned professionals can convert 3D models into stunning visuals and animated walkthroughs.

For Landscape design coordination for commercial projects where there are extensive outdoor spaces, such visualizations become crucial. For such advanced landscape design and engineering workflows, you can get in touch with our experts at Pinnacle.

Factors Affecting Landscape Construction Costs

Landscape services bring several factors that define whether the project will be in or over the set budget.

These factors can be very basic, such as the project’s size, design complexity, current site conditions, and existing features. If the site has uneven terrain and poor soil, the excavation process becomes more extensive, increasing costs.

Here is a short list of the factors that affect landscaping:

• Material selection: There are different materials for the pavement, outdoor seating, and pathways. If the owner chooses premium materials such as natural stone paving, retaining walls, etc., then it will raise the budget.
• Ground conditions: If the site is uneven and poor for planning, a lot of expertise will go into the preparation stage.
• Drainage and Utilities: These systems are not easy to install and sometimes require additional effort and rework as well.
• Labor and equipment: Labor rates can fluctuate, and renting the heavy equipment also adds to constant expenses.
• Permits and unforeseen conditions: Landscape projects are executed in alignment with the local codes. There are building codes that govern the type of design and vegetation a landscape can have, among other factors. If the design does not follow those, it will add up to rework and increase costs.

So, these are the factors that can add unexpected costs during the process. But with BIM-based design coordination, teams can run multiple clash tests on a landscape model. Hence, teams can identify any visible or potential conflicts and resolve them.

Final Thoughts

Many project owners may think a successful landscape project depends on the material quality and the final appearance. However, without proper site preparation and effective drainage, vegetation would not survive, and the occupant experience will deteriorate. Therefore, in modern landscape construction, professionals coordinate drainage and irrigation lines right in the design. BIM-driven landscape design makes this possible by bringing multiple disciplines into a single frame.

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