LiveWell Outdoors has earned its Landscape Architect Business certification in Maryland, making us one of the few design-build firms in the state to hold this formal credential at the company level.
This milestone builds directly on Justin Banford's individual PLA designation, which he earned earlier this year as LiveWell's Vice President and lead landscape architect. Justin is one of fewer than 22,000 licensed Professional Landscape Architects in the country.
The firm certification formalizes what that license means at the company level: LiveWell Outdoors now operates as a state-recognized landscape architect business, a distinction that carries weight when permitted drawings, licensed site plans, and credentialed execution are part of the project.
In Maryland, firms that offer landscape architecture services under the firm name, rather than as individual practitioners only, are required to hold a Maryland landscape architect firm permit issued through the state's Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing.
The permit requires the firm to be in good standing with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation and to have a licensed Professional Landscape Architect on staff responsible for the work performed under the firm's name.
Earning this certification means that when LiveWell Outdoors takes on a landscape architecture scope of work, including site design, grading plans, drainage, and planting design, that work is covered by a state-licensed firm with a credentialed professional responsible for its accuracy and execution.
That is a meaningful distinction from firms that offer design services without formal licensure at either the individual or the company level.
Most homeowners don’t ask their outdoor design-build firm whether it holds a landscape architect firm permit. The question rarely comes up until a project involves drawings that call for a licensed professional's involvement.
Depending on your area and the scope of work, elements like grading, drainage plans, and site design may involve requirements that benefit from a licensed landscape architect's oversight. Having licensed landscape architecture expertise helps us account for those requirements early and ensure your project proceeds smoothly.
LiveWell clients have always worked with a team that carries deep experience in landscape design and construction. This certification means that experience is now backed by formal state recognition at both the individual and firm level.
The Landscape Architect Business certification is one part of how LiveWell Outdoors continues to formalize the standard we hold ourselves to across every project.
Our design and build process has always been built around a single-source approach: one team, one vision, one accountable partner from the first design consultation through final installation. The firm certification adds a layer of professional accountability that clients deserve to know is in place before the first shovel hits the ground.
If you are planning an outdoor living project, you deserve a team whose credentials hold up as well as the work does. Browse our portfolio or schedule a consultation to talk through what your project could look like.
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