Design & project management · Nashville, TN
One point of contact, from the first sketch to the last sweep
Permits, designers and every contractor on the property, run by Gary McCann so you have one number to call.
What project management means here
The family’s promise on the old site is “one point of contact from day one.” On a big remodel that means Gary does the coordinating a homeowner would otherwise be stuck with. In the old site’s words: “We’ll handle the permits, oversee all the contractors.” The trades a project needs answer to him, and he answers to you.
A design, yours or ours
Some customers arrive with drawings from a landscape architect. Others bring a photo, a rough idea, or just a list of what is wrong with the yard. If you have a plan, Gary builds from it. If not, he works with a designer from his network to draw one, so the bid is written for a project you have already seen on paper.
A bid you can read
The bid comes after the design and covers demolition, materials and labor. One client wrote on Houzz in March 2021 that the final bill landed near the bid, and the only changes were upgrades they chose themselves. That is what a complete bid is for: no surprises that were not your own choice.
Whole-property remodels
At the large end, the old site describes “complex remodels of entire properties.” On a whole property the order matters, and it runs in 3 stages: grading and drainage first, then walls and hardscape, then lawn and planting, so finished work is not driven over by the next trade. Each of the other 5 services has its own page, from paver driveways to pool decks. Gary runs them in sequence on properties across Nashville, Williamson County and the rest of the 30 miles around the city.
From the portfolio
Whole yards, from above
Answers
Design & Project Management: questions people ask
What does a project manager do on a backyard remodel?
Runs everything that is not the digging and building itself: the permits, the schedule, and every other contractor who works on the property, start to finish. In the family’s words, “We’ll handle the permits, oversee all the contractors,” so you have one point of contact from day one.
Do I need a design before I call?
No. If you already have a plan from a landscape architect or designer, Gary builds from it. If you do not, he brings in a designer from his network to draw one with you. Either way the design comes before the bid, so the price is for the exact project you approved.
Who pulls the permits for a hardscape project?
We do. Pulling the permits is part of the project management the family offers, and it means the person who will answer to the inspector is the one filing the paperwork. Gary tells you at the walk-through which parts of your project need one, so nothing stalls halfway through.
How do I compare bids from hardscape contractors?
Look at what each bid lists, not only the total. A good one spells out demolition, materials and labor so you can see what you are paying for. Toni Y wrote on Houzz that Gary’s was the most detailed and complete of every bid they collected.
How long does a whole-yard remodel take?
It depends on the size of the project and how many trades are involved, so Gary sets the timeline with you before work begins and holds to it. Evgenia Ermolina, whose backyard got pavers, a deck, lawn and lighting, wrote that the work was finished within the timeline agreed at the start.