How to Choose a Commercial Landscape Design Company
Selecting a landscape design firm for a commercial property is a procurement decision, and it rewards being treated like one. The difference between firms is rarely visible in a proposal document, which is why the process below front-loads the parts that reveal it.
Apex Landscaping has designed and built commercial landscapes across Chicagoland since 1991.
Define the scope before you shortlist
The most common cause of incomparable proposals is an undefined brief. Before contacting anyone, settle: which areas are in scope, what problem you are solving, whether this is design only or design and build, your decision timeline, and who signs off.
A written brief, even a short one, means every firm prices the same thing. Without it you receive several different projects at several different numbers.
Do the background work
Look at how long the firm has operated and whether it has worked on comparable property types. A firm strong in retail may not suit a corporate campus or a municipal site.
Check that the entity is properly registered and insured, and look at whether the work shown is their own design or their installation of someone else’s.
Check memberships and credentials
Trade association membership indicates engagement with the industry. Verify what any given credential actually requires, because some are examined and audited while others are a subscription.
The ones that carry weight are those requiring examination or independent audit. Individual certifications, such as an ISA-Certified Arborist, apply to a person. Company-level accreditations apply to the business and its practices.
Apex is licensed and insured, and our team includes ISA-Certified Arborists.
Have a view, and stay open
Bring a clear statement of what the property needs to achieve: tenant experience, arrival impression, reduced water use, easier maintenance, a specific problem area.
Then leave room. A firm worth hiring will propose something you had not considered, and the value of the engagement is partly in that. Arriving with a fixed solution reduces a design firm to a drafting service.
Ask for references, and use them
Ask for references on comparable properties, then actually call them. The useful questions are not about satisfaction. They are: did the schedule hold, how were changes handled, what went wrong and how was it resolved, and would you use them again.
Look at real work, not a portfolio
Photographs are taken on the best day of a project’s life. Ask to see a site that is three or four years old. Mature work reveals whether the planting was appropriate, whether the hardscape has moved, and whether the design still functions.
Request a site visit
This is the step most buyers skip and the one that most reliably separates firms.
Ask each shortlisted firm to walk your property. Watch what they notice. A capable firm will ask about drainage, look at how vehicles and people move across the site, notice sightline and access issues, identify trees worth protecting, and ask how the space is used through the day.
A firm that walks a commercial site without mentioning water is a firm that will discover the water problem during construction.
Assess how they work with you
Who is your point of contact, and are they involved after the contract is signed. How are revisions handled and how many are included. How do they communicate during construction. How are change orders priced and approved.
Whether they design and build, or design and hand off. A single accountable team removes the seam where design and installation disputes live. That is how we work; see our landscape design page.
Read the contract properly
Scope by area and in specific terms. Deliverables at each stage. Ownership of the drawings. Schedule and milestones. Payment terms tied to deliverables. Change-order process. Warranty terms, including plant establishment. Insurance certificates provided directly by the insurer. Termination provisions.
Where a project involves grading, retaining structures, stormwater, or right-of-way work, confirm who is responsible for permits and municipal review. Requirements vary by village across Chicagoland.
Compare on scope, not on total
Line the proposals up item by item. The differences are usually in what one includes that another excludes, and in the parts you cannot see once installed: base preparation, drainage, and soil.
Apex works with more than 90 commercial and association properties across Chicagoland.
Frequently asked questions
Should we hire a design firm and a separate contractor?
Either works. A single design-build team removes the accountability gap between drawing and installation. Separating them can suit projects where you want the design authored independently of who bids the construction.
How long does commercial landscape design take?
It depends on scope and on whether municipal review is involved. Review often takes longer than design. Projects designed over winter are the ones built early in the season.
What should we prepare before the first meeting?
A written brief, a site plan or survey if you have one, any relevant association or municipal requirements, and a realistic decision timeline.
Do we need permits?
Frequently, for grading, stormwater, impervious surface, and right-of-way planting. Requirements vary by municipality and should be confirmed during design.
How do we evaluate proposals that look very different?
Ask each firm to price the same written scope. Then differences reflect approach and cost rather than interpretation.
Working with Apex Landscaping
Apex Landscaping has designed and built commercial landscapes across Chicagoland’s north and northwest suburbs and the North Shore since 1991. We design and build as one team, so the people who draw the plan are accountable for what gets installed. We are licensed and insured, and our team includes ISA-Certified Arborists.
See commercial landscaping services for scope, commercial landscape maintenance for ongoing programs, commercial landscape ideas for direction, or start a conversation about your property.