Post by The Cell on Oct 22, 2008 12:34:57 GMT -5
The Cell's landscape will reflect our environmental concerns and draw from our years of experience, we understand landscaping is live art, and irrigation is how you keep that art blooming and green. The following pricing are for estimating purposes only. Actual prices may vary depending on the real soil conditions, topography, location of existing structures, and perhaps other factors.
Irrigation
The following irrigation methods are offered. They are listed from the least efficient to the most efficient form of irrigation -
Sprinklers and Rotors ($.95 per square foot plus controller)
Not all spray systems are built equally. Don't cut corners because it costs you more money in the long run, in both water bills and maintenance.
A high-quality spray system starts with a controller large enough to control the amount of valves needed for the micro-climates of your landscape. A micro-climate is an area with unique water needs, such as the sunny side of your front lawn versus a shady side. If both sides are irrigated with the same valve, as they often are in poor installations, the shady side will either be too wet or the sunny side will be too dry. A high-quality spray system also eliminates run-off.
Run-off is a leading cause of high water bills (and river and ocean pollution), and a good controller can help stop it. The controllers we provide can run any type of irrigation method and have multiple start times for surface methods, to allow absorption of water, and multiple programs, to provide different schedules for different needs on a single landscape. Plus, rain gauges or moisture sensors can be attached directly to our controllers, as well as to individual irrigation valves. Sprinkler heads on slopes should have pressure shut-offs to stop drainage.
Spray systems should also built to prevent damage from lawn mowers, children, and other normal yard events, as well as to minimize damage to your stucco, brick, and fences.
Micro-sprinklers ($1.15 per square foot plus controller)
These small low-pressure sprinkler devices are run off polyethylene tubing, and are ideal for flower beds and other small area planters. By not throwing water high into the air, they reduce evaporation losses caused by wind and heat, while decreasing over-spray caused by large sprinklers.
Surface Drip ($1.25 per square foot plus controller)
This exacting method of irrigation is ideal for irrigating everything but lawn. Drip irrigation is well documented to save from 30% to 60% of your water. By placing drip emitters on the plants you want to irrigate, you will optimize water usage and reduce weed growth. Drip irrigation reduces over-spray, evaporation, run-off.
Underground Drip ($1 per square foot, plus materials.) Material costs vary depending on your design. For example, if you install emitters only where you plant something, materials will cost less per square foot than if you install irrigation to irrigate an entire area, which can then easily accommodate future plantings (the same wasteful principle as sprinklers.)
Land Preparation
Certain landscape functions and features should be considered before anybody installs irrigation or plants. Some of these are virtually invisible to the untrained eye, but are key to a successful landscape.
Trenching ($1 per foot by trencher, $3 per foot by hand, 9" deep)
Drainage ($4-6 per linear foot plus core drilling of any concrete barriers such as curbs)
It only rains 1.1" per year in an average year in Mojave, but when it does, it causes quite a mess if you do not have proper drainage. Adding anything to your yard could change its ability to drain. The rough grade is ascertain and a drainage system is prepared based on the final landscape design. Where possible, we design the yard to slow, thus absorb, the rain.
Soil Supplements ($1.00 per cubic foot by machine, $4.00 by hand)
The soil in each yard is indigenous fill dirt compacted by giant land levelers. In western Mojave desert, soil contains almost no plant nutrients, water can barely penetrate it, and you have to struggle to plant anything in it. We will start by breaking up the soil, rototill compost into it, and regrade it. This lets us plant things much easier, and it greatly accelerates healthy plant growth. Fertilizer provides some benefit as well.
Before any Soil Preparation
Add Compost
Prepared Soil
Hardscape
Sample Pricing:
Concrete patio, sidewalk, etc. ($6 per square foot)
Inlaid brick ($1 per brick)
Inlaid specialty stone ($12 per 10 lbs)
Inlaid tile ($4 per square foot)
Slate, fieldstone, etc. ($2 per square foot plus cost per ton)
Stamped concrete ($9 per square foot)
Mow strip ($4.50 per foot)
Sidewalks, patios, mow strips, rocks, bricks, etc., are all part of a quality landscape. Prices are according to design and complexity.
Lighting
Low-voltage lighting is a nice amenity, and some stairs might require it. This wiring will be put in the ground before surface features are added.
Lawn ($.85 per square foot)
the mgmt.
Irrigation
The following irrigation methods are offered. They are listed from the least efficient to the most efficient form of irrigation -
Sprinklers and Rotors ($.95 per square foot plus controller)
Not all spray systems are built equally. Don't cut corners because it costs you more money in the long run, in both water bills and maintenance.
A high-quality spray system starts with a controller large enough to control the amount of valves needed for the micro-climates of your landscape. A micro-climate is an area with unique water needs, such as the sunny side of your front lawn versus a shady side. If both sides are irrigated with the same valve, as they often are in poor installations, the shady side will either be too wet or the sunny side will be too dry. A high-quality spray system also eliminates run-off.
Run-off is a leading cause of high water bills (and river and ocean pollution), and a good controller can help stop it. The controllers we provide can run any type of irrigation method and have multiple start times for surface methods, to allow absorption of water, and multiple programs, to provide different schedules for different needs on a single landscape. Plus, rain gauges or moisture sensors can be attached directly to our controllers, as well as to individual irrigation valves. Sprinkler heads on slopes should have pressure shut-offs to stop drainage.
Spray systems should also built to prevent damage from lawn mowers, children, and other normal yard events, as well as to minimize damage to your stucco, brick, and fences.
Micro-sprinklers ($1.15 per square foot plus controller)
These small low-pressure sprinkler devices are run off polyethylene tubing, and are ideal for flower beds and other small area planters. By not throwing water high into the air, they reduce evaporation losses caused by wind and heat, while decreasing over-spray caused by large sprinklers.
Surface Drip ($1.25 per square foot plus controller)
This exacting method of irrigation is ideal for irrigating everything but lawn. Drip irrigation is well documented to save from 30% to 60% of your water. By placing drip emitters on the plants you want to irrigate, you will optimize water usage and reduce weed growth. Drip irrigation reduces over-spray, evaporation, run-off.
Underground Drip ($1 per square foot, plus materials.) Material costs vary depending on your design. For example, if you install emitters only where you plant something, materials will cost less per square foot than if you install irrigation to irrigate an entire area, which can then easily accommodate future plantings (the same wasteful principle as sprinklers.)
Land Preparation
Certain landscape functions and features should be considered before anybody installs irrigation or plants. Some of these are virtually invisible to the untrained eye, but are key to a successful landscape.
Trenching ($1 per foot by trencher, $3 per foot by hand, 9" deep)
Drainage ($4-6 per linear foot plus core drilling of any concrete barriers such as curbs)
It only rains 1.1" per year in an average year in Mojave, but when it does, it causes quite a mess if you do not have proper drainage. Adding anything to your yard could change its ability to drain. The rough grade is ascertain and a drainage system is prepared based on the final landscape design. Where possible, we design the yard to slow, thus absorb, the rain.
Soil Supplements ($1.00 per cubic foot by machine, $4.00 by hand)
The soil in each yard is indigenous fill dirt compacted by giant land levelers. In western Mojave desert, soil contains almost no plant nutrients, water can barely penetrate it, and you have to struggle to plant anything in it. We will start by breaking up the soil, rototill compost into it, and regrade it. This lets us plant things much easier, and it greatly accelerates healthy plant growth. Fertilizer provides some benefit as well.
Before any Soil Preparation
Add Compost
Prepared Soil
Hardscape
Sample Pricing:
Concrete patio, sidewalk, etc. ($6 per square foot)
Inlaid brick ($1 per brick)
Inlaid specialty stone ($12 per 10 lbs)
Inlaid tile ($4 per square foot)
Slate, fieldstone, etc. ($2 per square foot plus cost per ton)
Stamped concrete ($9 per square foot)
Mow strip ($4.50 per foot)
Sidewalks, patios, mow strips, rocks, bricks, etc., are all part of a quality landscape. Prices are according to design and complexity.
Lighting
Low-voltage lighting is a nice amenity, and some stairs might require it. This wiring will be put in the ground before surface features are added.
Lawn ($.85 per square foot)
the mgmt.