The Landscape Architecture Design Process: Concept to Completion

By Joshua Tripp, Landscape Architect, ASLA — PLACE Landscape ArchitectureLast updated: June 2026

"How long will this take, and what exactly happens along the way?" It's the first question most clients ask, and the honest answer is that a landscape architecture project moves through a defined sequence of phases — each with its own deliverables, decisions, and timeline. Understanding that sequence up front is the best way to keep a project on schedule and on budget, because most of the expensive surprises in this work come from skipping or rushing a phase.

Here's how the process actually runs, from the first site walk to the last inspection, with realistic Pacific Northwest timelines from our work across Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, Sandpoint, and the wider Inland Northwest.

The Six Phases at a Glance

The profession organizes the work into a standard set of phases — the same structure reflected in the ASLA's documentation standards. Sizes and names vary slightly between firms, but the arc is consistent:

Phase	What happens	Typical residential timeline
1. Discovery & pre-design	Site analysis, survey, program, budget framing	2–4 weeks
2. Schematic / concept design	Big-picture layout options and direction	2–4 weeks
3. Design development	The chosen concept refined into 3-D detail	3–5 weeks
4. Construction documents	Permit-ready plans, details, specifications	3–6 weeks
5. Bidding / negotiation	Contractor selection and pricing	2–4 weeks
6. Construction administration	Oversight during the build	Spans construction

For a residential master plan, expect roughly 8 to 14 weeks from the first site visit to a permit-ready drawing set. Commercial, civic, and multi-family projects run longer — commonly 4 to 9 months through documentation — because they involve more coordination with engineers, architects, and reviewing agencies. Permitting timelines for shoreline and hillside work add to that, and they are outside the designer's control.

Phase 1: Discovery and Pre-Design

Everything good downstream depends on this phase. We start by understanding two things in depth: the site and the program (what you want the place to do). Site analysis covers topography, drainage patterns, soils, sun and wind, existing vegetation worth keeping, views, and — on our region's properties — wildfire exposure and any shoreline or wetland regulation that applies. A current survey is usually required; we'll tell you if you need one.

In parallel, we map your program and frame the budget. Talking honestly about investment range at this stage, before any lines are drawn, is what keeps a design realistic. This is also where we flag the regulatory path: a flat in-town lot and a Lake Pend Oreille shoreline parcel are completely different permitting stories, and it's far cheaper to know that in week two than in month four.

Phase 2: Schematic (Concept) Design

Now we explore. Schematic design is where the big moves get tested — where the drive enters, how the spaces are organized, where the terraces and gathering areas sit, how the design relates to the architecture and the views. You'll typically see a concept plan and enough supporting imagery to understand the intent and feel of each option.

The goal here is direction, not detail. We want to settle the fundamental organization of the site before investing in the precise dimensioning and specification that come next. Strong client engagement in this phase is the best money you'll spend on the project — changing a concept now costs a conversation; changing it in construction costs real money.

Phase 3: Design Development

This is the phase where the design becomes real. We take the approved concept and resolve it in three dimensions: exact grading and drainage, wall heights and materials, planting composition, hardscape layout, lighting, irrigation strategy, and how every element connects. Material selections get made. The plan stops being a sketch and starts being a buildable design.

Design development is also where coordination with the rest of the project team tightens — the architect, the civil engineer, and on new construction, the builder. Many of the issues that derail projects later are caught and resolved here, on paper, where they're inexpensive to fix.

Phase 4: Construction Documents

Construction documents are the legal and technical instructions for building the design. Per the profession's standards, this set includes the plans, sections, schedules, construction details, quantities, and written specifications a contractor needs to price and build accurately — and, where required, the stamped drawings a jurisdiction needs to issue a permit. The completeness of this set is what protects you: a well-documented project gets cleaner bids, fewer change orders, and a finished result that matches the design.

Phase 5: Bidding and Negotiation

With a complete document set, the project goes to contractors for pricing. We help you evaluate bids on more than the bottom number — scope, qualifications, and how well each bidder understands the documents matter as much as price. Apples-to-apples comparison is only possible because the construction documents define the work precisely; vague plans produce vague (and later, inflated) bids.

Phase 6: Construction Administration

The design isn't finished when the drawings are done — it's finished when it's built correctly. During construction administration we stay involved: reviewing submittals, answering contractor questions, observing the work at key milestones, and confirming that what gets built matches the intent. The ASLA's construction contract administration guidelines treat this as a core part of the architect's role, and for good reason. It's the phase that ensures the quality you paid to design actually shows up on the ground.

Why the Sequence Matters

The phases exist because each one resolves a different class of decision, and resolving them in order is dramatically cheaper than resolving them out of order. We've seen the alternative: projects where construction started on a half-baked concept and every week brought a new, expensive decision in the field. The discipline of the process — the same process behind larger civic work like Steele Indian School Park and institutional projects such as Gonzaga's Hemmingson Center — is what makes a complex residential landscape come in on plan. On new-construction homes, we plug into this sequence alongside the builder; for Sandpoint-area custom homes we often coordinate with teams like Mountain View Construction so the site and structure advance together.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the landscape architecture process take? For a residential project, plan on roughly 8 to 14 weeks from the first site visit to a permit-ready document set. Commercial and civic projects typically run 4 to 9 months through documentation. Permitting and construction time are additional.

What's the difference between schematic design and design development? Schematic design settles the big organizational moves — layout, spaces, relationships. Design development refines the chosen concept into precise, buildable detail: grading, materials, dimensions, planting, and systems. One sets direction; the other resolves it.

Do I need all six phases for a small residential project? The phases scale. A modest project still moves through the same logic, but the deliverables are lighter and the timeline is shorter. Skipping phases entirely is where trouble starts; compressing them sensibly for the project's size is normal.

When does permitting happen? Permit-ready documents are produced in the construction-documents phase, and submittal happens after that. Knowing which permits a site will need — shoreline, grading, critical areas — is identified back in discovery so there are no late surprises.

Can I hire a landscape architect just for the design and manage construction myself? Yes, scopes are flexible — some clients stop after construction documents. We'll be candid about where construction administration adds the most value, because on complex sites it's often what protects the design's quality.

What do I need to provide to get started? Usually a property survey (we'll advise), any existing site documents, and a clear sense of your goals and budget range. The more honestly we can frame the program and investment in discovery, the smoother every phase that follows.

Starting Your Project

A landscape architecture project runs best when both sides understand the road ahead — the phases, the deliverables, and the realistic timeline. That's how we work from our Spokane and Sandpoint studios across the Inland Northwest.

If you're ready to start, or just want to understand what your project would involve, get in touch.

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Image: photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.