FAQ

We charge $120 per hour for measuring, drafting the base plan, research, and administrative handling of the plan. Design time on zoom and finishing the plan are charged at $395 per hour. PLUS GST.

As every property and client are so different, it is difficult to charge a flat rate! We have provided a range of services and prices to help you decide what might be reasonable expectation of price. 

Our design team is covered by both liability AND errors & omissions insurance, Worker's compensation, and a health care plan. We pay them mileage to cover their vehicle expenses.

Our service covers payment processing and transferring the plan to digital format. We also maintain a  significant amount of technology to provide a reliable and easily accessible service - both online and behind the scenes.

We support our local, provincial, national and world communities through membership in Canadian Nursery Landscape Association/Landscape Alberta, through monthly donations to Tree Sisters, The Stollery and Hope Mission, and through paid ads for the Edmonton Horticultural Association Garden Tour Guide.

We generally design within a 100 km radius of Edmonton.

We occasionally go up to 300 km and charge travel time, mileage and expenses (Lesser Slave Lake, Cold Lake, Rocky Mountain House, Stettler, etc)

We rarely will fly to other communities and charge expenses that includes an overnight (Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Yellowknife, etc)

We can do distance plans where you measure and take pictures - it is significantly more work for you but has been done successfully.

No, not at this time. While it is a fun feature, most of our clients prefer not to invest in the extra fee.

We are happy to fix any errors that we have created. Our warranty extends only to a corrected drawing.

Our plans are conceptual layouts and all measurements and information are to be verified by the homeowner/contractor before beginning construction.

 (definitely a rabbit hole topic...)

Landscape Architects have a very specific education and are mentored for several years by other Landscape Architects. They often deal with large site design that integrates many trades and complexity. They are able to "stamp" drawings (like engineers do) which means they are offering a high level of confidence in the project. They are not always knowledgable about plants and the practical matters of residential property life - but some are.

At Earthworm we are called landscape designers and over the years we have employed landscape architects, landscape architectural technicians, and horticulturalists . That can mean a few things as well! Landscape drawings can done by anyone who feels they have the skills to create them. Earthworm often employs people with degrees in science and certifications in horticulture, landscape design, master gardening, permaculture, etc. These people likely have years working  hands-on in the horticulture industry with garden centres, tree nurseries, landscapers, garden maintenance companies and architectural design firms. 

We are certainly looking for that well rounded designer that can answer a high percentage of your diverse questions!

We create a conceptual space planning type of drawing that is very useful to homeowners and residential contractors. For example, we will show where retaining walls are needed and the approximate heights and suggested materials - but sometimes we will recommend that you hire an engineer to consult on the soils, materials and loads to make sure that they are built to a solid standard. Whenever possible, we will suggest alternative layouts that are not needing engineering - but we have safety in mind and we know our limits!

One of the major differences will be in the cost of the drawings. While we charge under two thousand for most of our plans, stamped drawings could be over ten thousand. Obviously we are not doing the same amount of detail or size of project! But maybe you don't need it. We feel that our collaborative process makes a wonderful, practical design accessible for most Alberta homeowners.