Our Landscape Design Construction Process

The landscape design construction process should be clear and collaborative. At TruNorth Landscaping, we have tailored our approach to meet your specific goals while building a trusting relationship. Whether your property is in Grand Traverse, Leelanau, or Benzie County, we provide a clear path to your new outdoor space.

What to Expect

STEP 1: Connect With Your Design Liaison

Every great project begins with a conversation. After you reach out, our Design Liaison sends you a short questionnaire. This is the perfect time to define your goals and gather inspiration. We want to know how you plan to use your space, whether it is for outdoor cooking, hosting large gatherings, or creating a private retreat.

STEP 2: Design Consultation

We meet at your property to explore the possibilities of your space. You will walk the site with our design team to discuss your style preferences. During this visit, we also perform a thorough assessment of your terrain, sun exposure, and drainage.

Note: There is a small fee for this initial on-site consultation.

STEP 3: Conceptual Landscape Design

This is where your vision takes shape. Using the input from our earlier conversations, we create a conceptual plan that accounts for everything from hardscape layout to plant placement. You have the opportunity to review the plan and provide feedback on the details to help us clarify your vision.

The conceptual design involves a fee based on the scope of the project, which we will discuss with you before the work begins. If you already have a professional design that meets our guidelines, we are happy to work with that as well.

STEP 4: Final Design & Proposal

Once you approve the concept, we move into the technical details. We produce construction drawings that confirm the exact placement of every element, including irrigation and lighting. You will receive a comprehensive proposal, so you know exactly what the investment is before the first shovel hits the ground.

STEP 5: Landscape Installation

After you accept the proposal and pay your deposit, we reserve your spot on our schedule. Your Project Manager and Design Liaison supervise the installation from start to finish and provide regular updates. Keep in mind that a landscape often looks worse before it looks better as we begin to excavate, but our skilled crews work with precision to make the result worth it.

STEP 6: Protecting Your Investment

The first few years are critical for new trees, shrubs, lawns, and hardscapes. We offer customizable maintenance plans that cover plant care, lawn care, irrigation systems, and hardscape upkeep.

What Your Neighbors are Saying

We had the A Team visit us (Kyle, Dezirae, and Juan) to install a few plants and mulch our flower beds. They are so professional, knowledgeable and respectful of our property. Working with them is always a pleasure.

Michelle O., Homeowner

TruNorth was truly starting from a blank slate and transformed our outdoor “space” into an outdoor oasis. We are truly stunned every time we look at it. We were sad on the last day when we had to say goodbye to the team. They were an absolute joy to work with and took great pride in their work. Kyle and Josh offered suggestions for design modifications that made all the difference in the final look and feel of the space. Everyone was absolutely wonderful to work with. We highly recommend TruNorth to anyone.

Shelley M., Homeowner

TruNorth provides all of our landscaping needs. They designed our landscaping, installed and continue to service all of our landscaping needs. We have been working with them for the past three years and have found all of their services to be excellent!

Bernie R., Homeowner

Kyle, Josh, and their team did fantastic work! We love our patio and landscaping.
Will J., Homeowner

TruNorth has added to our dreams of living with nature! With a challenging build into a hill, the team rallied and created a rock wall that holds back the hill and at the same time has created an art installation. A waterfall, seasonal plantings, and a wildflower field that brings so much joy with each new day. By day, color for miles, by night, the lighting adds a glow that invites the sounds of the woods.

Syndee M., Homeowner

The lawn service is fantastic, Modesto is a great leader who has his team pay attention to every detail, including taking care of hard to reach spots and letting us know about any concerns they have with the lawn and garden. I highly recommend the company for any garden or lawn service needed, all the staff i’ve dealt with are extremely friendly, efficient and know what they’re doing.

Greg G., Homeowner

My landscaping experience has been better than I could have imagined. The design, the installation crew and follow-up were outstanding. Crew were timely, kept me informed throughout the project and responded to my questions promptly. Passersby stop and ask about the results. I couldn’t be happier.

Kathie M., Homeowner

We were very satisfied with the workmanship from the design process to excavating, installing irrigation, stonework & plantings. Everyone we worked with were helpful, on the job, on time & completed the project as scheduled. We will continue to work with TruNorth!

Jeany B., Homeowner

Frequently Asked Questions

This is heavily dependent on the time of year in which you call. If you reach out during Spring or Summer, you will have a minimum of a week wait before we can meet. Our designers are not only fielding several calls, they are designing projects and setting up and monitoring signed projects as well. We want all of our clients to feel heard, so we plan for time to sit down with you and really discuss your project and space.

Again, this really depends on your project size, if you want a formal design and plant list, and when you are calling. Turnaround time fully depends on how busy our team is, however, our current design time wait is between 6-10 weeks. There is a lot that goes into our design process—want to know more? Check the ‘our process’ link above.

We do charge design fees for a formal design. Your time is very valuable as is the time of our experienced designers and sales team members. Depending on the size of your project, what type of design you would like, etc. the fees vary. Before being billed any fees, they will be discussed with you and a design contract will be signed.

We cannot guarantee your spot on our schedule until you have signed for your project. With many potential clients mulling over their choices, what is possible one day may not be the next if someone signs their contract before you sign yours. Once you have signed and paid your deposit (if required), we can give you a realistic date range for when your project will begin.

We work with several different natural stone and pre cast stone companies. The Concrete Service is a great resource that we work hand-in-hand with on several projects. Their showroom and outdoor showroom can really help you get an idea of your choices. We also have several samples we can bring to you as well. The most common companies for pre cast stone we work with are High Format (formerly known as Rosetta), Unilock, Techo Bloc, and Oaks. Share your vision with your designer, and they can provide several options for your project.

Some of our plants are grown and cared for here at our beautiful property in Leelanau County. Those that we order out of house are from quality nurseries throughout the state. We do not run to a local hardware store to buy the tree or flowers we are installing. Because of this, we are able to get larger size and plants and a better variety of plants. We frequently buy in bulk, allowing for a savings on your end as well!

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