I'm a designer with a landscape architecture degree from State and 2-1/2 years of professional experience. I'd like to add some freelance work to my portfolio.

I have experience with decks & patios, arbors & trellises, retaining walls, custom gazebos & shelters, wetland gardens, native plants, butterfly gardens, xeriscape, rainwater collection, and custom water features. I offer competitive rates and custom-tailor my services for each client.

If you are interested in my services, I will come to you for a free consultation. I can provide references and work samples upon request. Send me a PM for further info.

Thanks.

11/3/2008 4:50:24 PM

This guy's work is freaking awesome and quite impressive. He's also the most honest guy I know. Pencil hits the paper and/or napkin and some crazy brilliant design magically appears.

11/3/2008 5:04:07 PM

^Thanks.

I appreciate the PM's. I just responded to two of them.

11/4/2008 11:16:03 AM

I just responded to my PM's.

thanks folks. keep 'em coming.

11/5/2008 4:48:39 PM

I also have 2 registered architects that I work with sometimes. We can help you with renovations and additions.

11/10/2008 8:35:35 AM

My website is up and running: http://www.redcandesigns.webs.com

Any feedback is welcome.

11/13/2008 2:39:55 PM

Drop the google ads and include a nice photo of your work in the same place on every page.

11/13/2008 3:38:27 PM

^Yeah, I'm going to lose the ads. I initially set it up as a free website to get the ball rolling.

11/13/2008 3:43:19 PM

what's something like this generally run?

11/13/2008 7:56:14 PM

^It depends on the job. Each site and client is unique. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions.

BTW, I price myself very competitively. I can provide you with as much or as little service as you like. I assume most people on here would rather do the labor themselves than hire a contractor. If that is your situation, I would be more than glad to help you out. I can create a simple plan and give you advice on installation and maintenance. I am perfectly comfortable overseeing a job involving a contractor, but I am just as interested in DIY jobs.

11/13/2008 8:23:15 PM

bttt

11/19/2008 10:34:25 PM

bump

12/1/2008 10:48:22 AM

Okay folks, its time to get ready for spring. I just slashed my prices for the season. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, I can give you a sketch plan for peanuts.

http://www.redcandesigns.webs.com

2/15/2009 11:27:46 AM

Bump

2/17/2009 8:43:47 AM

Don't be shy, folks. I will give you a free consultation and estimate.

2/23/2009 10:42:06 AM

Ok. I think it is worth a shot.

We have a retaining wall. It is holding up the street. (The house is a good bit below street level) The original wall is rotting (wood) and we would like an upgrade. It seems like a significant job. There are concrete steps down from the street. It is a rental property so we want sturdy and cheap.

Is this something you would be interested in?

2/23/2009 10:04:34 PM

you know

that wood retaining wall that's holding up the street in front of your house

if it's really in danger of structurally failing

the city might want to know about it

do you have photos? is it state maintained? you might not get stuck with the bill...

2/23/2009 10:21:45 PM

It is not rotted it out yet.

It is select timbers. Rather than pay to redo it the same way we want to replace it.

2/23/2009 10:30:20 PM

^you would need a PE/RLA to sign-off on this.

No offense to stan, I'm sure he does great work, but he isn't an RLA, so he is limited on what he can do. Thus redesigning/relandscaping this wall would be out of his scope.

(what are all the non-RLA limitations anyway. never did figure that out)



[Edited on February 24, 2009 at 8:11 AM. Reason : .]

2/24/2009 8:07:29 AM

I'm not sure what the limits are for an LA-designed wall. I do know that all of my former supervisors insisted on consulting with a structural engineer on virtually every wall.

There's no way I would touch a retaining wall that is holding up a street. I would be shy about doing one along a driveway, even. Its not that I can't do it. Heck, I didn't leave much for my structural consultants to add after I designed a wall. I just have no desire to expose myself to that kind of liability.

Quote :

"It is a rental property so we want sturdy and cheap."

Unless you want it to collapse again, don't insist on the job being cheap. Retaining walls are very expensive. A cheap wall is worthless and will collapse again. You're better off sucking it up and paying to have the job done correctly.

[Edited on February 25, 2009 at 1:36 PM. Reason : .]

2/25/2009 1:30:33 PM

For the record, I would design low freestanding walls (<24") or low retaining walls (<24") as part of a larger design. The stipulation is that I would not produce construction drawings. I would make it clear in writing that the contractor is responsible for properly sizing footings and reinforcements. I would also make darn sure that the contractor knows what he's doing.

2/25/2009 2:02:16 PM

We got a quote for both a new and a repair so I do know the numbers we are talking about. Since it is a rental, we probably end up just replacing the current wood/bolted one.

The roof needs to be done this year also.

The wall is actually 3 layers of stepped walls. So the bottom is obviously the biggest and it isn't higher than 3 feet.

[Edited on February 25, 2009 at 6:46 PM. Reason : ]

2/25/2009 6:45:35 PM

^I'm glad to hear that you have a good idea of what it will cost. Some people get quite surprised when they see an estimate for a wall.

If its under 4', you technically don't have to get a structural engineer involved, but I should still step back from this one. It sounds like you have things under control. If you need my services for anything else, I would be more than glad to help you out.

2/26/2009 12:11:15 PM

bump

3/3/2009 9:51:16 AM

PM sent

3/3/2009 4:07:08 PM

Thanks for all the inquiries, but I'm currently packing my bags and leaving Raleigh for a permanent job about 3 hours away. I'm currently wrapping up my last design for a Raleigh homeowner.

3/21/2009 10:09:07 AM