A new landscape contract designed to raise standards in the garden design and construction industry, whilst saving UK consumer both time and money, has been launched by the Society of Garden Designers (SGD).
The Consultancy Agreement and Landscape Contract for Homeowners have been produced by the SGD as members of the JCLI Contracts Forum. The emphasis is on clarity and transparency, in defining the roles of the client, designer and landscaper, so that the customer knows exactly what they can expect, how payments are defined and paid, and where responsibilities lie.
The document consists of two parts: the Consultancy Agreement which is for use between the client and the designer and the Landscape Contract for use between the client and the landscape contractor with the designer representing the customer’s interest and overseeing the work of the landscape contractor.
The agreement covers the key stages in the design process including the design, the tendering process and overseeing the implementation of the Landscape Contract where required. It allows flexibility in the extent and content of the service to be provided, but also includes standard clauses covering the obligations of the client and designer.
Training will be available jointly to landscape contractors and designers, led by Colin Moore who is a well known landscape contracts expert. Details of training events will be released in 2012.
Paul Cowell, BALI National Chairman said: “BALI wholly supports and welcomes the introduction of the new Homeowner’s contracts for designers and landscape contractors. These documents will provide reassurance for all parties and remove the potential for misinterpretation. Formal contracts protect against exploitation and prescribe a framework within which disputes can be resolved promptly. It will be essential for designers and contractors to receive adequate training to ensure their clear understanding of both contract types, and to enable them to field client questions.”
The contracts are supported by a Practice Note which should be read as an introduction before purchasing the contracts. The Practice Note and the Model Forms for use with the Landscape Contract are freely downloadable from the SGD website:
www.sgd.org