The 7 Phases of a Landscape Architecture Project (Explained)
A clear explanation of the standard landscape architecture project phases: Pre-Design, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documents, Bidding, Construction Administration, and Post-Construction. What happens in each and why firms structure work this way.
Every landscape architecture project moves through a predictable sequence of phases, from first client meeting to final punchlist. Firms structure work this way for good reasons: it aligns billing milestones, sets client expectations, and prevents the chaos of skipping ahead before earlier work is approved. This article walks through the seven standard phases and what happens in each.
Why phases matter
Phase-based project structure serves three purposes:
- Client alignment — Each phase ends with a deliverable the client approves before work continues. This prevents the scenario where a designer spends three weeks on details only to learn the client fundamentally disagreed with the concept.
- Billing clarity — Fixed fees are typically split across phases (e.g., 15% SD, 25% DD, 35% CD, 10% Bidding, 15% CA). Milestone billing keeps cash flow predictable.
- Scope control — Change requests that arrive after a phase is approved become formal scope changes (with additional fees), not free revisions.
Most AIA and ASLA fee structures assume phased delivery. Not following phases is how firms end up scope-creeping into unprofitable projects.
The 7 standard phases
1. Pre-Design (sometimes called Programming or Site Analysis)
What happens: The project's foundation. Site visits, existing-conditions documentation, client programming interviews, zoning research, utility research, existing tree inventories, survey coordination.
Typical deliverables:
- Site analysis diagrams (slopes, hydrology, vegetation, views, solar exposure)
- Program summary (what the client wants the space to do)
- Regulatory summary (zoning, setbacks, tree protection, wetlands, special districts)
- Scope of work / fee proposal (if not already executed)
Typical fee split: 5–10% of total fee
Common pitfall: Skipping this phase to save time. It's the cheapest phase to get wrong — decisions made here shape every later phase.
2. Schematic Design (SD)
What happens: Explore design concepts. Usually multiple alternative layouts showing different approaches to the program. The client picks a direction (or a hybrid).
Typical deliverables:
- 2–3 schematic plan alternatives
- Character images / precedent studies
- Preliminary grading concepts
- Preliminary plant palette (not a full schedule)
- Rough opinion of probable construction cost
- Client presentation (boards, narrative, or slide deck)
Typical fee split: 15–20% of total fee
Common pitfall: Over-polishing SD to look like a finished design. Clients then assume decisions are locked before you actually need them locked.
3. Design Development (DD)
What happens: The selected SD concept gets refined. Dimensions get real, materials get specified, plant species get chosen, grading gets actual numbers. This is where design decisions solidify.
Typical deliverables:
- Dimensioned site plan
- Preliminary planting plan with species (not yet full schedule)
- Preliminary grading and drainage plan
- Material palette with specifications
- Preliminary irrigation concept
- Preliminary layout of lighting, furnishings, hardscape details
- Updated opinion of probable construction cost
- DD set for client approval
Typical fee split: 20–25% of total fee
Common pitfall: Leaving too many open questions at the end of DD. Every undecided item becomes a CD problem, and CDs are the most expensive place to figure things out.
4. Construction Documents (CD or CDs)
What happens: The production phase. Convert the approved DD package into the permit/bid/build set — plans, details, specifications, schedules. This is where landscape architects spend the most time and where CAD/BIM skills matter most.
Typical deliverables:
- Layout plan with full dimensions
- Grading and drainage plan (detailed)
- Planting plan with full plant schedule
- Irrigation plan and irrigation details
- Hardscape details (paving assemblies, walls, steps, etc.)
- Furnishing and lighting details
- Specifications (usually CSI-format)
- Compliance documentation (MWELO if California, SITES if pursuing certification, etc.)
- Permit submittal package
Typical fee split: 30–40% of total fee
Common pitfall: Under-budgeting CD hours. CD consumes roughly half the total project hours for most firms.
5. Bidding & Negotiation (sometimes called Procurement)
What happens: Issue the CD set to contractors for bid, answer contractor questions, review bids, recommend a contractor to the client.
Typical deliverables:
- Bid set transmission
- Responses to contractor RFIs
- Addenda (formal changes to the bid set)
- Bid evaluation memo
- Recommendation to client
Typical fee split: 5–10% of total fee
Common pitfall: Assuming this phase is trivial. Contractor questions during bidding often expose CD errors — better found here than during construction.
6. Construction Administration (CA)
What happens: The longest phase by calendar time. Site visits, submittal review, RFI responses, change order review, punch lists. The landscape architect isn't directing construction (the contractor does that) — they're verifying conformance to the documents and advising the owner.
Typical deliverables:
- Site observation reports
- Submittal reviews (plant material, pavers, lighting fixtures, etc.)
- RFI responses
- Change order reviews
- Pre-installation meetings (planting, irrigation)
- Substantial completion punch list
- Final completion punch list
Typical fee split: 10–15% of total fee (though this phase often goes over budget)
Common pitfall: Billing CA hourly when it was scoped as a lump sum. Track CA hours carefully — it's the easiest phase to lose money on.
7. Post-Construction (Closeout)
What happens: Final closeout. As-built drawings, warranty period coordination, plant warranty inspections, project archiving.
Typical deliverables:
- As-built record drawings
- Maintenance manual / irrigation controller programming guide
- One-year plant warranty inspection
- Project archive
Typical fee split: 2–5% of total fee
Common pitfall: Forgetting to close projects out. Old "active" projects in the accounting system drag down utilization reports and make profitability data useless.
Regional and firm-specific variations
Not every firm uses all seven phases as separate line items. Common variations:
- Residential firms often combine Pre-Design into SD, and combine Bidding/CA into a single "Construction phase."
- Design-build firms may skip Bidding entirely (no external contractor).
- Public-agency work often adds a phase between DD and CD called "Phase Submittal" or "60% / 90% CD" for interim review.
- International work uses RIBA stages (0–7) which map roughly to the phases above but with different emphasis.
The underlying logic is the same: you don't start detailed documentation until the concept is approved, and you don't start construction until the documents are complete.
How Phasewise handles phases
Phasewise ships with all 7 standard LA phases pre-built: Pre-Design, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documents, Bidding & Negotiation, Construction Administration, and Post-Construction. Plus a Custom option for project-specific phases.
When you create a new project, you pick which phases apply, assign budgets and hours per phase, and the system tracks burn rate, timesheets, and profitability per phase automatically. No more building a new phase structure in a spreadsheet for every project.
Understanding the phases is the first step. Tracking them across real projects is where most firms fall down. Phasewise makes the tracking part automatic.