A common question I often receive from students when deciding on their future career path is “How do I become a professional landscape designer?” I created this post as a direct resource for individuals who are interested in the prospects of landscape design but are unsure of occupational responsibilities, professional credentials, and business structures required for landscape designers.
In this article, I will review how to become a professional landscape designer. This is a comprehensive guide of not only the educational and training components but also the traditional employment opportunities and occupational tasks of the profession.
Research Career Information
One of the most important components when considering a career as a professional landscape designer is researching the general tasks and responsibilities of the profession and deciding whether it is something you wish to pursue. This can be as simple as reviewing the web or contacting the local trade organizations in your state.
A landscape designer is a professional who develops comprehensive strategies to add beauty and function to private or public sites for future use. Traditionally, a landscape designer works on residential properties designing and constructing gardens, patios, walkways, outdoor ponds, and other associated features.
In certain cases, landscape designers might also complete designs for public sites, but may not be permitted to install all required work for large public clients as a landscape architect would. If you are interested in understanding how the landscape design profession differs from the profession of landscape architecture, be sure to be on the lookout for my other article “Differences between Landscape Designer, Landscape Architect, and Garden Designer: An Occupational Overview”.
The work hours of a professional landscape designer are highly variable depending on the employment structure and seasonal conditions in which the person practices within. For landscape designers that work under the umbrella of a larger company, the daily work hours will likely be standardized and seasonally intensive. For independent designers, who act as sole proprietors of their own business, work hours are developed based on personal preference.
Although the profession of landscape design is primarily design-based, professional landscape designers work extensively with individuals in other associated industries such as plant care specialists, lawn care professionals, arborists, and general landscape installers just to name a few. When interested in pursuing a career in landscape design, it is important to also review the general occupational tasks of these fields.
Education & Training
A successful landscape professional should possess, at minimum, proficiency in plant identification, general landscape services, and design drawing – whether drafting or computer-generated. It would also be beneficial to have training in basic business management and economics. These educational goals can come from a variety of sources, but I usually recommend interested students pursue at least a one-year professional certification from their local community college or state university extension office.
An Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree in a related field such as Landscape Services, Horticulture, or Environmental Studies would be beneficial for individuals that want a more traditional college experience. A Bachelor’s degree may also be more appropriate when a designer wishes to show employers their greater academic success and achievement when compared to other job applicants.
The training and educational requirements for landscape designers are highly variable state to state. A national landscape design organization, The Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD), provides designers a centralized resource for information but their Certification requirements do not entail any higher educational degree work.
State Licensure
The most difficult question for landscape designers to receive proper information is licensing. The industry and licensing requirements of the landscape industry are highly variable from state to state. Below, I have created a consolidated spreadsheet that reviews the currently listed requirements for the title “landscape designer” in each state. Please note this does not include any information on Landscape Architecture licensing.
| STATE | LICENSE REQUIRED FOR LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS |
| AL | Horticulture Professional Services License |
| AK | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| AZ | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| AR | No Specific Landscape Design License Required (Landscape Contractor License required for installation of ornamental plant material) |
| CA | Landscape Contractor License Required (covers Landscape Design) |
| CO | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| CT | Home Improvement Contractor License Required |
| DE | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| FL | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| GA | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| HI | Landscape Contractor License Required (covers Landscape Design) |
| ID | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| IL | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| IN | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| IA | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| KS | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| KY | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| LA | Landscape Horticulturist License Required |
| ME | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| MD | Home Improvement Contractor License Required |
| MA | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| MI | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| MN | Landscape Specialist Certification Required |
| MS | Landscape Horticulturist License Required |
| MO | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| MT | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| NE | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| NV | Landscape Contracting License Required |
| NH | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| NJ | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| NM | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| NY | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| NC | State Landscape Contract License Required |
| ND | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| OH | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| OK | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| OR | Landscape Construction Professional License |
| PA | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| RI | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| SC | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| SD | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| TN | HRA E-2 Landscape License Required |
| TX | Landscape Specialty Contract License Required |
| UT | S-330 Landscape Contractor License Required |
| VT | Landscape Specialty Contract License Required |
| VA | Landscape Specialty Contract License Required |
| WA | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| WV | Landscape Specialty Contract License Required |
| WI | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
| WY | No Specific Landscape Design License Required |
These requirements do not include any licensing information for restricted pesticide use. Always be sure to confirm the requirements with your state or local jurisdiction.
Professional Certification for Landscape Design
State licensure is not the only option for landscape designers. As you saw from the table above, there are some states that have no licensure requirements associated with the term “landscape designer”; however, that does not mean an individual should not pursue other professional credentials. Two national organizations assist in providing resources for individuals pursuing landscape design.
Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD)
The APLD is a professional organization centered on the Landscape Design profession. According to its mission, it “encourages all members to adhere to a code of professional standards, to actively participate in continuing education and to be current with state-of-the-art developments and trends throughout the field.”
The landscape design certification program through the APLD requires individuals to submit three installed landscape design projects with corresponding drawings, plant lists, design intent, and photographs. There are no educational requirements to become a certified landscape designer through APLD; however, they to require certified members to complete 30 hours of continuing education credits each year. The certification review board meets twice annually and there is a $200 application fee.
Pros of APLD Certification: It provides you with a professional credential that can be marketed to potential clients. It also links you to a community of other landscape design professionals that provides current learning resources and educational opportunities.
Cons of APLD Certification: Not all individual states have recognized local chapters. Also, most jurisdictions do not accept an APLD Certification as sufficient for permit applications.
For more information on the APLD, you can visit: www.apld.org
National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP)
The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) is a trade organization representing the landscape services industry in the specialties of lawn care, landscape maintenance, arboriculture, landscape installation, irrigation, and landscape design.
It has gone through several branding changes over the past two decades, initially starting as the ALCA (American Landscape Contractors Association), then PLANET (Professional Land Care Network) and now the NALP. The organization runs a series of professional trade shows and exhibitions nationwide and publishes a quarterly periodical on the landscaping trades.
The NALP offers a “Landscape Industry Certification” in specific landscape sectors. Members can apply for testing through NALP to obtain the specialty certification. The certification sectors include Business Management, Interior Technician, Exterior Technician, Horticulture Technician, Lawn Care Manager, and Lawn Care Technician.
Pros of NALP Certification: NALP has a large base of landscape industry professionals through which networking can occur. They offer exposure to a wide range of services and maintain good exposure to the industry.
Cons of NALP Certification: There is no specific Landscape Design credential. None of the specific industry sector credentials listed above have any descriptions which list landscape design as a skill or outcome. Additionally, the local presence of the NALP is highly dependent state by state. Finally, similar to the APLD Certification, most jurisdictions do not recognize the NALP Certification as appropriate for municipal permit applications.
For more information on the NALP, you can visit: www.landscapeprofessionals.org
Society of Garden Designers (SGD)
The Society of Garden Designers is an international organization based out of the United Kingdom. Its members are certified through the SGD and provide a wide range of services centered around landscape and garden design. The organization also publishes The Garden Journal periodical which is widely distributed and contains a wide variety of industry information including profiles of highlighted garden designs and its members.
The SGD also maintains an online directory of its members for marketing purposes, so individuals looking for garden designs have a centralized resource. It also publishes guides for future landscape design students on evaluating landscape design courses prior to registration.
Pros of SGD Certification: The Garden Journal is a wonderful publication that offers inspirational projects and relevant information for landscape designers. The SGD is also specifically focused on landscape design and has a good reputation within the industry.
Cons of SGD Certification: It is only focused within the United Kingdom. It does not have much presence in the United States and suffers from the same municipal permitting issues discussed in the prior two certification organizations.
For more information on the Society of Garden Designers visit: www.sgd.org.uk
State & Regional Trade Organizations
Although national trade organizations can provide a large pool of resources for beginners when starting their design careers, individuals should also reach out and attend their local state or regional trade organizations as well.
Most states have landscape industry certifications that can be received by individuals who complete certain required local trade organization requirements (courses, exams, internships, etc.). These local organizations can be very valuable to new landscape designers by providing networking with similar individuals or vendors in your geographic area.
Unless you are working for a much larger company, most landscape design projects will be located within the state or region you reside, therefore it is very useful to develop a relationship with these local trade groups.
Landscape Designer Employment Structure & Occupational Outlook
The employment structure of landscape designers can vary greatly on an individual basis. Below, I will briefly review the general work environments and business structures that designers may work within.
Business Owner: Sole Proprietorship
When beginning a career as a self-employed landscape designer, most start as a sole proprietorship. A sole proprietorship is essentially an individual landscape designer working as himself/herself, having complete control over all aspects of the business.
If you do not file any paperwork establishing yourself as a business, you are automatically working under the umbrella of a sole proprietorship. The important thing to note as a landscape design sole proprietor is that your legal structure does not produce a separate business entity. This means that all liabilities held against your company are also held against your personal assets.
For individuals looking to assess the viability of their own design business without producing the required business paperwork of an LLC, a sole proprietorship is a useful option. Once the business has been in operation for a longer period, it is preferable to register formally as an LLC.
If you are interested in starting your own landscape design business, make sure you review the 6 part educational series: How to Start Your Own Landscape Business. It is an essential guide on how to plan, develop, and register your own landscape design company.
Business Owner: Legal Licensed Corporation (LLC)
If you are an individual who has decided to structure a business entity and wish to protect your personal financial assets from those of your business, a Limited Liability Corporation is most likely the best option for you.
An LLC is also considered a “pass-through” entity, meaning that it does not need to file separate corporate taxes. The profits and losses of the LLC “pass-through” to the personal income statements of the business owner who must claim them on their personal income taxes.
The personal financial protections along with the pass-through abilities make an LLC an attractive option for new landscape design companies.
Business Employee (Working for an Existing Company)
Landscape Designers can also work directly under an existing business (regardless of business structure). There are many business entities that work directly with, and hire landscape designers for their staff. These may include Plant Nurseries, Landscape Service Companies, Greenhouses, and Landscape Architecture firms.
As a professional landscape designer, it may be more financially viable to work for an existing business for several reasons. First, an established company will have a larger base of existing clients through which to solicit design projects.
Second, the new landscape designer will not need to invest their personal capital within the business as they would if initiating their own business. Finally, an established company will have better capabilities to handle downswings within the design market by supplementing their income through other streams (plant orders, lawn care services, etc.).
The work hours and personal investment will differ greatly when working for another company versus being self-employed. Individuals should consider their own career goals and objectives before making this decision.
Employer Identification Number
Regardless of your participating state licensing requirements or business structure, a self-employed landscape designer would be required to obtain an EIN (Employer Identification Number) also termed a Federal Tax Identification Number.
An EIN will allow your landscape design business to purchase materials (plants, stone, mulch) at wholesale distributors at a much lower cost than their retail counterparts. An EIN is also required if you eventually hire additional employees to your company.
If you choose to be a self-employed landscape designer, you can file your business through the standard local and federal channels and then apply for your EIN through the following website here. Note that if you are working under the umbrella of another landscape services company, the business will have an EIN of their own.
Required Equipment & Resources
The required equipment and resources a landscape designer utilizes on a daily basis will depend heavily on the project styles, client profiles, and personal preferences of the individual designer. From my experience, I believe a landscape designer must have the following resources in order to conduct their standard professional tasks:
Work station & Computer (Desktop or Laptop): To provide the designer with a centralized location for business operations and to complete digital or traditional design plans.
Digital Camera or Phone: To allow the designer to take pictures of their project site and other sites as precedents for future design concepts.
Design Reference Materials/Manuals: To give the designer standard construction information in order to properly specify and design their project sites.
Final Thoughts
I hope this article provided insight for individuals researching the requirements and prospects of becoming a professional landscape designer. The occupation can be a long and rewarding one for those interested in creating meaningful and beautiful spaces. As always, individuals interested in this career pathway must consider their local and state environment along with personal goals before entering this industry.
If you are interested in starting your own landscape design business, be sure to review my six-part series on Landscape Design Business Planning.