Professional Methods for Estimating Landscaping Projects

From project conception to bid acceptance, the accuracy of your current working estimate is vital to landscape installation success. This informative program "Professional Methods for Estimating Landscaping Projects" explored professional methods for accurately costing out landscape construction projects.

Guest panelists included:
Mark Saydah, Whole Earth Landscape and Design, Inc., Harvard, MA
William S. Parker, Parker Garden Design, Nashua, NH

Attendees learned about the diverse methods and proven techniques for taking the guess-work out of producing construction bids and estimates. Our panelists described the processes they use for cost estimating and the steps involved in calculating quantity take-offs. They also discussed what a contractor/installer needs from a designer in order to provide the most accurate estimates. Basic materials formulas were provided and real-world examples of cost estimates for a variety of landscape projects were shown. Finally direct and indirect costs, profit margins, and other guidelines were also considered.

This program provided suggestions and tips to improve and streamline your landscape estimating methods. It also helped to demystify the cost estimating process so that you can work more effectively with your contractor/installer.

Mark Saydah is an entrepreneur with a business & horticultural background and has been running Whole Earth Landscape and Design, Inc. since 1989. He earned the MCLP certification in 1994 and the MCH in 2003. He is a past board member and co-founder of the ELA and a member of the MNLA. Mark is a local authority on the subject of landscape design and low-maintenenace landscaping and has been a speaker for various organizations including the Ecological Landscape Association (ELA) and the New England Wild Flower Society (NEWFS).

Bill Parker has been landscaping in Southern New Hampshire for 25 years. In 1996 he started, Parker Garden Design. PGD is a full service design and build landscaping company with a focus on natural hardscapes and native plants. Bill has developed PGD into a well known high-quality landscape company. He oversees all design work and does all of the estimating, bidding and selling. Through his years of experience in designing and implementing landscapes, he has developed an understanding of what it takes to create accurate estimates.