GAMBINO LANDSCAPE LIGHTING’s Basic Cost Efficient Landscape Lighting Design Process

27 Sep GAMBINO LANDSCAPE LIGHTING’s Basic Cost Efficient Landscape Lighting Design Process

By Mike Gambino

Here at Gambino Landscape Lighting we firmly believe in a very basic, efficient and effective low cost design process which we have been using successfully  since the start of this business nearly thirty years ago. Most every photo of completed projects on this website, our Facebook page or anywhere else for that matter has used this simple, easy and low cost effective design method.

To start we DO NOT recommend Formal written design plan documents. Those formal design plans advertised as “Free” or “included in the cost to build” are not in fact free at all. The time and effort of the design is always absorbed by the property owner and built into the overall cost of the landscape lighting system price. In most every instance, city or town permits and inspections are not required for low voltage landscape lighting system installation which makes a formal design plan even more unnecessary. We would rather use the money that would have gone to the formal plan towards additional materials and labor to install which will make the lighting system even more spectacular. We have also found that most clients have no real idea and cannot conceptualize how the lighting will look by symbols or scribbling on a monitor screen or printed page. Furthermore very rarely does a formal design get built exactly as shown on a formal plan.

DESIGN CONSULTATION SITE EVALUATION CLIENT MEETING

• We meet face to face with all decision makers present. A more thorough landscape lighting design process. A better approach to visualize what you will get ahead of time and you will be able to see and handle actual product samples. This should be considered essential for commercial projects or when our very best quality is more important than the project budget.

In lieu of expensive and unnecessary formal design plans our process is much simpler, less costly and much more effective. In our service area we charge a $100-$200 design consult fee (depending how far we have to travel) which gets credited to the project when property owners hire us at this meeting with all decision makers present, which usually only takes between 1 and 2 hours of time.  We like to know WHY is landscape lighting Desired/Needed? What is the Desired Budget? When will this project begin and when should it be completed by? What are the specific requirements if any and how do the owners occupants use the property? Are there any specific safety requirements? Usually these answers are given while walking through the space that is to be lighted. Once we have this information, we like to take a stroll through the space on our own making notes on specific design ideas, material types and quantities, site challenges and obstacles, soil condition, density of plantings and degree of difficulty for system installation. Then we sit down tabulate materials, estimate anticipated cost of labor and arrive at a firm price to build the system based up these notes taken in the garden. We then take another stroll through the space with the interested parties and paint a visual picture in their minds as to how the lighting will look, specific design ideas etc. Then we show actual samples of fixtures that will be used so client and see the quality and there are no surprises on construction day. Cost to build the system is presented and when accepted an agreement signed and cost of lighting fixtures paid which doubles as a deposit towards the project.

When we arrive to do the installation (minimum 20 fixture systems) all materials are installed (except electrical conduit pipe) with power cable laid on top of the ground and system is powered up. Client is able to view the complete system for 1 evening and provide feedback. If changes are desired or additional fixtures needed , once added cost is agreed upon, changes are made and client views completed system again. Once client signs off on project we commence completion of system installation. This process puts the control in the hands of the buyer, ensures complete client satisfaction and is much more effective than symbols scratched on a site plan.

FREE Design Process

When you want an expedited and or inexpensive design/build process, just tell us you want basic or minimal design. Some design phase work is still required on our end, but we can often design simple landscape lighting schemes without scheduling a site visit. You are responsible for a little bit more this way because you may have to send us a few photos of your property and give us some measurements. But if you are willing to do some of that leg work, then we can often give you a free estimate for simple, basic landscape lighting systems. This process usually works out fine for most basic small landscape lighting systems of 20 fixtures or less. It will be left up to you to conceptualize what your system will look like by viewing pictures of landscape lighting systems we’ve built over the years rather than by design consultation site meeting.

When to Choose the Basic Landscape Lighting Design Process?

Here are some situations where we recommend choosing our Basic Landscape Lighting Design Service:

• If you have a modest or fixed budget for the landscape lighting and you want all of your money to go towards landscape lighting system construction (materials and labor) rather than for site visits.
• If you are a long distance from us and a site visit would be rather expensive.
• If you don’t mind taking some pictures of the landscape lighting site and taking some measurements for us.
• If you love the pictures you’ve seen of our landscape lighting systems  and trust us to create something that you will like, so you don’t feel the need to spend a lot of time planning all of the design details.
• If you generally want to save money wherever possible, are less picky about the appearance of the landscape lighting construction proposal, or are very busy and just don’t have the time… “just come build a Gambino Landscape Lighting System, please!”

Information We Need?

Why do you want landscape Lighting?

What is your Budget?

When do you want this project started and completed?

Do you have any specific design or safety requirements?

• If you looking for as much free advice as possible (don’t feel bad, you’re not alone here 🙂 then continue reading through our extensive catalog of blog articles and information presented on this website.

• Contact us now if you are ready to start designing your custom Gambino Landscape Lighting system!

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 28 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 . Blog articles may be published with permission on other websites without editing or removing links.