Site visit. Design. Quote. Build.
Every Cairn & Cedar project follows the same four-step process — from a $25K stone wall to a $400K full estate master plan. The Method is how we keep design, materials, and construction aligned, start to finish.
— Why most landscape projects go sideways
The handoff is where projects fail.
Most landscape projects involve at least three parties — designer, builder, and homeowner — and the handoffs between them are where the work loses coherence. Our Method exists to eliminate handoffs.
Designer disappears after the PDF.
Drawings handed off to a contractor. Designer never visits the site again. Build crew makes 200 small decisions without the design intent in the room.
Quote isn’t a quote.
‘Estimate’ presented as a quote. ‘While we’re here we found…’ charges arrive monthly. Original number bears no relation to final invoice.
Build crew works around the design.
Plant locations adjusted because ‘easier here.’ Wall heights compromised because ‘looks fine.’ Material substitutions made silently. Result diverges from design.
Punch list never closes.
Crew leaves at 95% complete. Final 5% drags on for months. Owner stops calling, accepts the unfinished state.
— The Method, by the numbers
— What every project gets
Same Method, every project.
Whether $25K or $400K, every project includes:
Two-hour site visit
Architect-led walk of the property. We listen, you talk. Light, slope, drainage, existing material — measured. No PowerPoint.
Written scope-of-work
Following the site visit, a written scope and order-of-magnitude cost estimate within one week. No charge.
Design phase (when applicable)
Hand-drawn schematic, then construction documents. Two reviews built in. Stamped if permitting required.
Fixed-price quote
Line-itemed by trade. Stone, timber, plants, labor, equipment, drainage. You see the math.
Construction with architect on site
Architect walks the site at every major milestone. Weekly progress photos for clients.
Two-winter inspection
Spring of years one and two, we walk the project, address any issues from frost or settling, no charge.
Annual relationship for master-plan clients
Master plan clients get an annual no-charge walk-through for the first three years.
— The Cairn & Cedar Method
Four steps. Project-dependent timeline.
The Method is the same whether the project takes 6 weeks or 18 months. The four steps stay constant; durations scale with scope.
Site visit
Two-hour walk with the architect. We listen, you talk. Light, slope, drainage, existing material, microclimate, neighbor sight-lines, intended use. Photo-documented. Written scope and budget range delivered within one week.
Design
Hand-drawn schematic on tracing paper for review. Then full construction documents — site plan, planting plan, hardscape sections, grading, lighting, schedules. Two reviews built in. Stamped for permits when required.
Quote
Fixed-price proposal organized by phase and trade. Stone source, timber source, plant nursery, labor, equipment, drainage all line-itemed. Change orders signed before any change happens during construction.
Build
Our in-house crew on site every working day. Weekly progress photos to clients. Architect walks the site at every major milestone. Punch list closed before final invoice. Two-winter inspection schedule built in.
— The Method in action
Three recent projects, same Method.
Lakefront master plan, 2½ acres.
Three terraced rooms stepping down to Lake Champlain. 240 ft of dry-laid stone wall, cedar pavilion, native pollinator beds.
Read project →
Seven-terrace hilltop garden.
Re-grading a north-facing slope into seven dry-stone-walled terraces of perennials, fruit trees, and a 60-foot meditation walk.
Read project →
1,400 sq ft contemporary courtyard.
Bluestone paving, cedar slat screening, a small reflecting pool, and three Japanese maples for autumn color.
Read project →— Process questions
Common questions about how we work.
What does the site visit cost?
Free. Two hours, anywhere in Chittenden County. We bring measuring tools and curiosity. We leave you with a written scope and budget range within one week. No deposit, no obligation.
Can I hire you for design only?
Yes. About 30% of our master-plan clients use our drawings with their own contractor. The Method still applies — site visit, design, quote (for design fee), and we remain available for site visits during construction.
What if I want to change scope mid-project?
Common and normal. We document the change, re-price, and sign a change order before any new work happens. The original scope’s price doesn’t change; new scope is added explicitly. No surprises.
Do you do small projects?
Smaller hardscape projects ($25K and up) and single cedar structures ($8K and up) are within our typical range. Below that, we’ll honestly point you to a few smaller specialists in Chittenden County we trust.
Will the architect actually be on site?
Yes. The architect leads the site visit, draws the design, and walks the site at every major construction milestone. Not a ‘design firm with field crew’ separation — same person across the project lifecycle.
What’s the warranty?
Two-winter inspection on hardscape and cedar work — we walk the site in spring of years one and two, address any frost-or-settling issues, no charge. Two-year plant warranty on planting plans we install. After that, projects are designed to require minimal intervention for decades.