16 Sep Realities of Pricing for Custom landscape lighting Design and Development Services
By Mike Gambino
For most landscape lighting designer/builders pricing services is not something that is the highlight of our job. Still, it is obviously something that you’ll have to deal with if you’re working in this profession. I think most designers would like to focus on the work and forget about things like pricing. Unfortunately, if you’re doing business it’s a necessary evil. Whether you like it or not you will have to deal with the issue. For many of us it’s something that we’ll never really enjoy, but we need to at least become comfortable with it. Landscape Lighting specialists wear a lot of hats, and pricing is just one of them.
Many website visitors and potential clients really have no idea what to expect in terms of how much they will need to spend for landscape lighting design and development services. In some cases this is a result of a lack of experience in dealing with the subject, but another contributing factor is that prices can vary so drastically. If a client is looking simply for a low-cost provider, regardless of the type of project there will always be someone who is willing to take on the work (not necessarily qualified) for a fraction of what most of the competition would charge. This variance in pricing can make it difficult for clients to know what is included at that price, what quality of work and customer service they will receive, and how this compares to their other options.
There are no exact formulas because every project, every client’s needs can be so much different.
Unfortunately, there is no right or wrong way to price your services. Every designer needs to develop his or her own method for pricing, and even then, you probably won’t be able to follow the same formula on every project. Because each job will be different, it’s difficult to develop a method that will work well every time.
Both hourly pricing and project-based pricing have pros and cons.
Everyone has different ways of doing things and this is very evident by pricing you will receive for your project. Some feel that you shouldn’t charge by the hour. In general, project-based billing is more common than hourly rates, but that is somewhat of a gray area.
Clients like to know what to expect, and package-based pricing can give them the general information. If the pricing is out of their budget they can move on to another designer, or they can re-consider what they are willing to spend. Clients can make comparisons much easier with package-based pricing, assuming the details and any potential add-ons are clearly provided.
Prices affect your own outlook on your services and it will also impact your client’s opinion of your services.
When you see a low-priced designer what’s the first thing you think? He or she must not be very skilled or experienced, right? It’s pretty obvious that your prices will impact the mentality of your potential clients. Some will only be looking for bargain-basement pricing, but others will be measuring you by what you charge, whether they realize it or not.
However, your prices have a bigger reach than just the opinions of your clients – they also impact your view of your own services and abilities. By pricing your services very low you’ll eventually convince yourself that you’re not worth more. On the other hand, pricing your services high (and being able to land clients) will give you the confidence that you can be an elite designer. Of course, your mental approach can only take you so far, but it’s my opinion that this plays a role in your success based on your perception.
The variety of pricing is as wide as the variety of talent levels
Just because you see another landscape lighting design builder pricing services ridiculously high or low, don’t feel like you have no control over the process. Anyone can sell landscape lighting design build services. Some are not very talented or experienced, and some have unbelievable abilities and incredible experience. Most are somewhere in the middle.
While clients may argue by comparing our prices to another designer it is true you can find someone willing to do the job for just about any price if you look hard enough, but in general, you will get what you pay for.
Losing a job isn’t always a bad thing.
Newer landscape lighting design builders are often tempted to price their services at whatever level will get them the job. If the experience and building a portfolio is what’s most important to them at the moment, this might not be a bad idea. We all have a limited amount of time available, and taking a job that doesn’t pay what you need to make isn’t going to be ideal.
Pricing can be a good way to weed out the tire kickers.
I think most landscape lighting design builders get plenty of emails from potential clients who are pretty unlikely to follow through with the project. Typically, these tire kickers are looking for quotes, but they’ll usually have some reason that they don’t want to move forward or they’ll have some hang up on the price.
While it’s understandable that everyone has a price that they can afford and something that they can’t afford, but I’d prefer to identify the tire kickers as soon as possible so I don’t waste too much time answering questions and making no money. One of the downfalls of pricing your services low is that you’ll get more of these types of clients, and they’ll hang around for a while longer. Price your services higher and you’ll find that a higher percentage of your potential clients are serious about working with you.
Some potential clients will think your prices are high no matter what you charge.
Some clients will understand what’s involved with designing and developing a custom LED landscape Lighting System and others will not. Because there are people out there willing to design a lighting project for next to nothing, some clients will think that others should be willing to do the same, even if our service is completely different.
Charging more than quoted may be necessary.
I think we’ve all had those clients that keep adding new things to be done or changing their minds about what they want. When using project-based pricing this can cost you time and money. However, some situations will justify an increase in the price. Of course this needs to be communicated with the client.
Picture this scenario – You take your care to a mechanic and get a quote for repairs. Once they get inside they find that something else is wrong and needs to be fixed for your car to run properly. Are they going to charge more for the additional labor and parts? Yes. Many times the situations you will find yourself in
This landscape lighting blog is published by Mike Gambino of Gambino landscape lighting inc. all rights reserved. Mike is a professional landscape 
lighting system designer/ builder and has been designing, installing and maintaining landscape lighting systems for more than 26 years. Mike resides in the Los Angeles area with his wife and 2 sons. To visit his website go to www.Gambinolighting.com . To inquire about hiring Mike please click here .
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