Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a Landscape Designer do? A landscape designer creates drawings and documents in order to clearly convey the overall design of an outdoor space. This can specifically include planting design, hardscape design, material choices, outdoor structure design, and the connection from indoors to outdoors. Please see specific service descriptions for more information.
- How soon can I schedule a meeting? Plan to schedule a meeting 1-3 weeks in advance.
- When should I start designing my landscape? September-February are great times, because they get you ready for a Spring planting/install date. Then you can enjoy by Summer! But any time of year is possible, just plan for about 3-6 months before you want to install it to be safe. Please note however that installs are harder in the Winter, because frozen ground means that no work can be done.
- Do you meet in the evening and on weekends? We offer weekday appointment times and some evenings upon request. We reserve weekends to spend time with our families.
- How long is the typical process for a Full Design? Usually a Full Design takes anywhere from 6-8 weeks to go through all the design iterations, meetings and emailing for feedback. This is not to say it takes 6-8 weeks working full time on a design, but rather that it takes that long to do all the back and forth required to arrive at a final plan. Many clients appreciate this amount of time because these can be big decisions that should not be rushed.
- What is the difference between the Online Consult and the Full Design? The main difference is the level of detail. The Online Consult does not result in any drawings, only a plant list. The Full Design is very detailed, everything is measured and specified and it is usually what a contractor would need to be able to estimate for construction, but its a longer process (see above question).
- Can you give me an estimate for the installation when we first meet? Upon first meeting, without a plan to refer to, we can only give you ballpark cost ranges based on past projects. Many people do want cost estimates before they begin, but anything accurate is not possible without knowing what will be designed. If contractors are able to give you a bid when you meet them for the first time, it either means they are padding it to be safe, or they are basing it on boiler-plate solutions.
- Do you do design-build or just design, how do you work? We primarily work as designers, and we will work as project managers to help coordinate installations with a separate contractor. Once the design is complete, we will help you connect with one of our recommended contractors, who can then give you an estimate. Once you hire the contractor, we can be hired additionally to help manage and coordinate the construction. This can be very beneficial since there will be many questions that arise from the contractor that may require an experienced eye. We will also often provide/source the plants since they are a key component.
- What areas do you service? Erin Lau Design is based south of Columbia City in Seattle, and specializes in serving clients in South Seattle, Rainier Valley, Hillman City, Seward Park, Mt. Baker, West Seattle, Mercer Island, Beacon Hill, Normandy Park, Renton and Burien. Please see map below:

Service Zone Map