“I’m looking for bids to get some landscape lighting at my house,” is the last thing I want to hear on the phone or see in an email. I suppose, as a possible client, you are probably shocked by that a little, right? Please give me a moment of your time to explain what I’m talking about.
People are used to being able to call an electrician to give a bid to wire a room or their home. The electrician looks at the plans and can see what he will need for the job and can give a bid which includes all of the labor and materials because he has a clear definition of the work to be performed and the materials needed; it’s all right there in the plans that were drawn up by the architect. The same scenario works for plumbers, painters, framers, and many other contractors. The plans tell them all they need to know. Two or three of those particular tradespeople asked to bid can use that plan, choose the products they will use, and meet the applicable codes. They might even get their materials from the same supply house. Everyone is working from the same plan so you, as the person hiring them, can compare apples to apples. You can also look at their reputation, certifications, years in business and so on to decide which company to use for your project. This is the normal “bid” process. You might go for the low bid company, or you may decide to hire someone who has more experience, or has a better reputation. They may cost more but it’s probably a wiser choice.
So, why won’t I give a bid? What is different about a profession like mine that I can’t give a bid for a project?
The difference is a little like comparing a house painter to an artist.
First, let’s start out with the fact that there is no plan or schematic drawn for the landscape lighting. There is no design to tell me what fixtures I’m supposed to use and where to put them. I also have nothing to help me to know how long it will take to do the job. A house painter can look at the scope of the project – the number of walls and measurements to know how much paint will be needed and how long it will take. But the artist? He needs an idea – inspiration to create the design first. So a landscape lighting plan has to be created, just as the architect crafted the plans that other contractors followed. Now you might say something like “OK, so create the plan and give me a price.” At which point I would respond, “Creating a plan takes time, training and experience; there will be a design fee for that service.” Remember, the architect charged a fee to create that set of plans (design) for the other contractors.
It’s also pretty easy to realize that no three designers or artists are going to create exactly the same work, right? Then you have three different people inspired to design three unique concepts for the same property. One person may be a trained lighting designer well-educated about lighting and how it works to fill a space, while another may have no formal training in lighting at all. It’s safe to say that the designs will be nothing alike between these providers. If the trained designer is using 50 high quality fixtures, while another guy may be using 20 or 30 lesser quality products, it’s a sure bet that design is not going to be anywhere near the price of the 50-fixture design. It’s also likely the end results will not look anything alike because the more astute designer, for example, may use a wash fixture where the untaught person places a “bullet” fixture or nothing at all. These two fixtures don’t cost the same either; so of course, there is a price difference in the project. The experienced designer will have a more extensive portfolio of fixtures and techniques available to use.
Hopefully you see where I’m going with this. When it comes to starting from scratch, it’s impossible to create a “bid” for an outdoor lighting system. Unless everyone who is providing the bid is working from the same plans, and using the same products, it just won’t work. There is no way to liken two or three different designs – works of art – from various providers using assorted product lines and different fixture types and styles. The disparities are potentially too great for fair comparison.
Now you know why I cringe when someone asks me for a bid, and why I just can’t give one. We are always very happy to design an incredible outdoor lighting system, and give a quote for the installation and maintenance of that system. Heck, that’s exactly what we do! Please contact us here so we can discuss your project and develop a great landscape lighting design for your home. And yes, there will be a design fee for that service.
