FAQs

In most cases, yes. An accurate survey is the foundation of good design.

You may already have one as part of your original house plans. If you have a paper copy, it can be digitized at local shops like Rocky Mountain Reprographics in Edwards or Copy Plus in Eagle and shared with our team as a basis for us to begin our work.

A current topographical survey showing property boundaries, setbacks, existing structures, and site features allows us to design with precision and avoid costly adjustments later. If a survey needs to be scheduled, it can add approximately 6–8 weeks to the design timeline, so it’s helpful to start with an existing survey whenever possible.

Yes. Ceres+ works in close collaboration with Ceres Landcare as part of an integrated design–build–care team.

This continuity allows design intent to carry through clearly into construction and beyond. The same organization that designs your landscape can also build, plant, and care for it over time — reducing gaps in communication, improving efficiency, and ensuring long-term success.

Yes, the initial consultation is complimentary.

This meeting is an opportunity for us to walk the site, understand your goals, and discuss opportunities and constraints. It also allows you to get a feel for how we think and work together.

Following the consultation, we provide a proposal for design services. While we aim to be helpful and informative during the visit, we don’t provide design deliverables or detailed solutions at this stage — those are developed through the formal design process.

Yes. Water reduction and landscape resilience are an important part of our work.

We assess existing site conditions, irrigation systems, and plant communities to identify opportunities for meaningful water savings. From there, we develop design strategies that may include xeric planting, turf reduction, irrigation improvements, and phased implementation.

Our team has predictive analysis tools that allow us to look at what we design and predict its future water requirements. This is enormously helpful in understanding landscape build impacts and where they may place you in your community’s tiered water usage.

Our goal is to create landscapes that are both water-conscious and beautiful — aligned with local regulations, climate realities, and long-term stewardship.

Yes. We bring the same level of thoughtfulness and care to smaller projects as we do to large-scale landscapes.

For more focused scopes — such as planting improvements or garden refinements — we often collaborate closely with our Ceres Landcare team to provide the most efficient and appropriate path forward.

Most projects in our region require some level of design review, depending on your location.

We are experienced in working with local Design Review Boards (DRBs), HOAs, and municipal processes and county permitting, and we manage submittals as part of our services — often in collaboration with you. Our familiarity with these processes helps streamline approvals and reduce uncertainty along the way.

Our primary work is in the Vail Valley, Summit County, Steamboat Springs, and Aspen.

We also take on projects throughout the Mountain West — including Denver, Telluride, and the Tahoe region — and selectively work on projects across the U.S. when they align with our approach and expertise.

Our design process moves from initial consultation through conceptual design, refinement, final documentation and approvals — always grounded in site understanding and collaboration.

You can learn more about each phase on our Design Process page.

Timing varies based on the scale and complexity of the project.

As a general guide:

• Smaller projects may take 3–6 weeks
• Larger or more complex projects can take several months or more, particularly if they involve detailed coordination, permitting, or approvals

All projects are scheduled in the order they are confirmed. Once your design proposal is signed, your project is placed in our queue and we begin work as soon as capacity allows — giving each project the time and attention it deserves. Having an accurate survey in place is one of the most effective ways to keep the process moving efficiently.

We begin with a design proposal that outlines anticipated scope, timeline, and estimated hours, so you have a clear understanding of the work and associated costs before we begin.

Our design services are billed hourly, based on the level of involvement — from landscape designers through principal landscape architects. Most projects are collaborative, combining big-picture design direction with detailed development and documentation. Additional costs may include reimbursable expenses such as printing, permitting, travel, or construction administration, depending on the needs of the project.

We communicate openly throughout the process. If scope evolves, we’ll review any changes in time or cost together before moving forward.