Need more landscape sales — not more payroll?
You build it. We help you win it. Landforms Design Inc gets landscape, hardscape, and outdoor living contractors jobs — backed by a designer with 40+ consecutive years of experience, a horticulture degree, and a proven track record. Even on the low end, a full-time designer runs $75k–$150k a year — more than most contractors can afford to carry on staff. Sometimes we bring you a project we've already designed and sold. Sometimes you already have the customer and just need our design help to close it.
Not a name and phone number. A designed, qualified project.
Traditional lead-generation companies send a contractor a contact form and hope the homeowner is serious. Landforms works three ways instead: (1) we find and design the project ourselves and hand you a homeowner who's ready to build, (2) the homeowner already has a design — from our PlotVisionAI platform, another designer, or their own plans — and we simply match them with a qualified contractor, or (3) you already have the customer, and you just need our design and presentation help to close the sale. In every case, we don't install and we don't supply materials — that side of the job is always yours.
No Long-Term Contract
Accept or decline individual opportunities as they come. Each accepted project has its own short, project-specific commission agreement — nothing ongoing to manage.
Every Visit Has a Minimum Design Fee
Site visits and concept work are never done on speculation — every visit carries a minimum design fee, billed to whoever requests it, usually the homeowner, sometimes you. The commission is separate, and only comes due if the project sells.
Paid Only When You Win
10% is the normal target commission on the accepted contract amount — separate from the design fee, and only due if you get the job. Larger or lighter-touch projects can land lower, with the rate agreed before you start.
Control Construction
The construction contract is directly between you and the homeowner. You set the price, collect payments, run the job site, and carry the warranty.
Priced Before It's Pitched
Every concept comes with real numbers behind it — and when the scope calls for it, we line up contractor bids to nail down a real budget before we ever present pricing to the homeowner. You're bidding into a real project, not chasing a guess.
Protected Add-On Work
Approved additions, upgrades, and change orders on a Landforms-originated project are protected for 18 months — and we'll help design and sell those too.
42+ Years, 1,500+ Projects
Darin Chamberlin has been in landscape sales and design since 1984 — 1,500+ projects designed, sold, or contractor-matched nationwide, including 300+ Backyard Sports Center™ builds, since founding Landforms Design Inc in 1995.
An experienced outside design and sales department
One homeowner. One project. One clear agreement. Here's exactly how a project moves from first conversation to your crew breaking ground.
1. Meet & Design
Landforms meets the homeowner, walks the property, and establishes goals and budget expectations before drawing a single line. A minimum design fee applies to the visit, so the time is never speculative.
2. Visualize & Price
A professional concept comes first — sketches, traditional 2D plans, 3D design, or AI-assisted imaging, whatever the project calls for. When the scope calls for it, we also line up contractor bids before ever presenting numbers to the homeowner — so nobody's guessing at budget.
3. Present & Sell
Landforms presents the concept — backed by real pricing, not a guess — and closes the homeowner on moving forward before you're ever asked for a construction commitment.
4. Hand Off to a Qualified Builder
A vetted contractor is recommended for the build. The homeowner keeps the design regardless of who builds it.
5. You Build, You Bill
The construction contract is directly between you and the homeowner. You price it, collect payment, and run the job.
6. One Commission, Done
You disclose the accepted contract amount and payments received — Landforms never needs your costs, payroll, or profit.
We can skip straight to the match
Not every homeowner starts from a blank page. Some come to us with a design already done — through our PlotVisionAI visualization platform, from another designer, or on their own — and simply want help finding a qualified contractor to build it. In those cases we skip steps 1–3 and go straight to matching you with a ready, sold homeowner on the same commission terms.
Use us as your design department
Some contractors bring us their own customer instead of the other way around. No lead exchange needed — you get the concept design, presentation, and pricing support of a designer with 40+ years of experience and a horticulture degree, without carrying one on payroll (even on the low end, $75k–$150k a year — more than most contractors can afford full-time). A minimum design fee covers the visit and concept work itself, plus the same simple commission on the win — so you're never speculating on our time, and we're never speculating on your sale.
Representative work & concept designs
A look at the kind of design presentations and finished projects that help homeowners say yes — and give you something real to price and build.
Backyard Sports Center™ pickleball court — Landforms Design Inc project
Concept design & layout board — client presentation example
Representative patio & fire pit outdoor living design
Representative patio, pergola & fire feature design
Representative entry retaining wall & step lighting design
Representative garden pathway lighting design
Representative path lighting fixture detail
Darin Chamberlin
Owner & Lead Designer, Landforms Design Inc
Darin has been in landscape sales and design since 1984 — 42+ years — and founded Landforms Design Inc independently in February 1995. Across that career he's designed, sold, or contractor-matched 1,500+ projects nationwide, including 300+ Backyard Sports Center™ builds, and has now stepped back from installation entirely to focus full-time on design and lead generation for contractor partners.
Darin is a licensed FAA Drone Pilot who works across sketches, traditional 2D plans, 3D design — including the Uvision 3D Landscape Creator — and AI-assisted imaging, choosing whatever format best fits each project. That range gives contractor partners accurate site data and client-ready presentations, however the concept is built. As Landforms works with contractors across the country, not every lead is designed by Darin personally — some homeowners arrive already designed through our PlotVisionAI platform or their own plans — but every partnership is built on the same design-and-sales standard he's practiced for over four decades.
His best-known body of work includes the 300+ Backyard Sports Center™ builds he's designed and delivered nationwide, along with a feature on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Read Darin's full story on the About page →
Contractor partnership FAQ
Is this a long-term contract?
No. Contractors can accept or decline individual opportunities. Each accepted project has its own short project-specific commission agreement. If you become too busy for new opportunities, just say so.
Who signs the construction contract?
The installing contractor signs directly with the homeowner, sets the price, collects deposits and progress payments, controls construction, carries required insurance, and is responsible for permits, scheduling, workmanship, and warranty.
How does Landforms know what commission is due?
The project agreement requires the contractor to disclose the accepted contract amount, approved change orders, and payments received for that Landforms-generated project. We don't need access to your costs, payroll, or profit.
What happens when the homeowner adds work?
If Landforms helped originate the relationship, agreed terms can include approved additions, upgrades, change orders, and related phases for an 18-month protection period. We're also available to help design and sell those additions.
Is there a design fee, separate from the commission?
Yes. Every site visit and concept carries a minimum design fee — billed to whoever requests it, usually the homeowner, sometimes you if you're the one bringing us in. It covers our time and expertise regardless of outcome. The 10% commission is separate, only comes due if the project sells, and covers our ongoing involvement through the build — presentation support, plant and material questions, change-order help — so nobody's nickel-and-dimed visit by visit.
Can a contractor credit the design fee back to the homeowner?
Yes, if you choose. Some contractors use all or part of the homeowner's Landforms design fee as a construction credit or closing incentive. Any credit is offered by the contractor and isn't guaranteed by Landforms.
Does Landforms act as the general contractor?
No. This model is independent design and sales support. Landforms doesn't employ your crews, buy construction materials, control means and methods, collect construction money, or pay the installer.
What if the homeowner already has a design?
Not every project starts from scratch with us. As a nationwide design & lead-generation partner, some homeowners come to Landforms with a design already in hand — from our PlotVisionAI platform, another designer, or their own plans — and simply need a qualified contractor to build it. In those cases our role shifts from design-and-sell to contractor-matching, on the same commission terms.
Contractors are independent businesses and control their own pricing, contracting, construction operations, insurance, permits, scheduling, and warranties. Project-specific terms should be documented in writing and reviewed by your own legal/tax advisors before use.
Sample agreements, so you know what to expect
Every project gets a proposal scoped to the specific job, but these samples show how we typically structure the homeowner design agreement and the per-project contractor commission agreement.
Sample Design Services Agreement
Outlines how we scope and price a landscape/hardscape design engagement, including 3D renderings, fees, and design ownership.
Download Sample PDFSample Project Commission Agreement
Shows how the per-project commission rate, disclosure requirements, 18-month protection period, and independent-contractor terms are typically structured.
Download Sample PDFThese are sample documents provided for discussion purposes only — not binding contracts and not legal advice. Every project receives a final agreement scoped to its specific work, and we recommend having your own counsel review any contract before signing.
Let's test the model on one job
Tell us about your company and we'll follow up to discuss how a Landforms-designed, Landforms-sold project could land on your schedule.
Thanks — We've Got It
We'll be in touch within one business day to discuss your project.
No pitch deck required. Let's see if one job works.
If you're a qualified landscape, hardscape, concrete, pool, Backyard Sports Center™, or outdoor-living contractor and want to test the model, start with a single Landforms project. Review the scope, agree on the commission, and decide if it fits your company. If it works, we do another. If you're full, pass.
Let's Work Together