Use this checklist before sending any client-facing deliverable. Mark unresolved items clearly. A design can be useful before every item is complete, but it must not be misrepresented as implementation-ready when critical unknowns remain.
| Gate | Yes/No | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ready for concept review | ||
| Ready for implementation planning | ||
| Ready for installation |
- Client name and project type are recorded.
- Client goals are documented in plain language.
- Budget range or budget uncertainty is recorded.
- Timeline is recorded.
- Maintenance capacity is recorded.
- Labor availability is recorded.
- Aesthetic preferences are recorded.
- Food, habitat, privacy, water, soil, access, and educational goals are recorded where relevant.
- Non-negotiables, fears, and constraints are recorded.
- Consent for photos, portfolio use, and documentation is recorded where relevant.
- Property boundary or working design boundary is shown.
- Boundary confidence is stated.
- North arrow is present.
- Scale or measurement basis is stated.
- Structures are shown.
- Driveways, gates, paths, and access points are shown.
- Major existing trees or vegetation areas are shown.
- Water features and visible drainage areas are shown.
- Utilities, septic, wells, easements, and hazards are shown or marked unknown.
- Areas requiring field verification are clearly labeled.
Hard stop: Do not treat screenshots or hand sketches as survey-grade boundaries.
- Water movement is described.
- Soil conditions are described or marked unknown.
- Sun/shade patterns are described or marked unknown.
- Slope/landform is described or marked unknown.
- Wind/microclimate is described or marked unknown.
- Existing vegetation is described.
- Wildlife/pest pressure is described or marked unknown.
- Human use patterns are described.
- Access and maintenance routes are described.
- Risks and opportunities are explicitly separated.
- Water has been analyzed before final planting recommendations.
- Overflow routes are considered for water interventions.
- Soil testing or field soil assessment is recommended where needed.
- Compaction and erosion are considered.
- Mulch, organic matter, living roots, and soil cover are considered.
- Planting zones match likely soil moisture and drainage.
Hard stop: Do not recommend earthworks as implementation-ready without checking utilities, overflow, slope risk, property impacts, and regulatory triggers.
- High-care elements are near frequent human activity.
- Lower-care elements are placed farther away where appropriate.
- Sun, wind, water, views, noise, privacy, wildlife, and access sectors are considered.
- Zone placement matches client routines and maintenance reality.
- Plant choices match sun/shade.
- Plant choices match soil moisture and drainage.
- Plant choices match hardiness and climate.
- Deer/wildlife pressure is considered.
- Mature size and spacing are considered.
- Maintenance burden is realistic.
- Edible/medicinal claims are cautious and verified.
- Locally invasive species are avoided or flagged for verification.
- Toxicity risks to children, pets, livestock, or clients are flagged.
- Native species opportunities are considered.
- Non-native species are justified by function and low risk.
- Local extension, conservation district, native plant society, or government sources are used for uncertain plant risk claims.
Hard stop: Do not recommend potentially invasive or toxic plants without explicit caution and verification.
- Drought resilience is considered.
- Extreme rain and flooding are considered.
- Wind exposure is considered.
- Heat and reflected heat are considered.
- Freeze-thaw and winter instability are considered where relevant.
- Species diversity and redundancy are included.
- Backup watering or establishment watering is addressed.
- Maintenance tasks are listed.
- First-year watering is addressed.
- Mulch and weed management are addressed.
- Pruning or training needs are addressed where relevant.
- Client labor capacity matches design complexity.
- High-maintenance elements are either justified or simplified.
Hard stop: Do not deliver an installation plan without a maintenance plan.
- Materials are listed or estimated.
- Labor phases are described.
- DIY vs contractor tasks are separated.
- Cost ranges are labeled as rough, estimate, quote, or actual.
- Dependencies are identified.
- First-year priorities are separated from optional upgrades.
- Unsupported yield or profit claims are avoided.
Hard stop: Do not imply guaranteed profit, yield, savings, carbon credit, or grant outcomes without evidence.
Flag professional review if any are present:
- Wetland, shoreline, stream, ditch, floodplain, or regulated waterbody work.
- Large swales, ponds, dams, spillways, retaining walls, terraces, or slope stabilization.
- Work near foundations, septic, wells, utilities, easements, driveways, culverts, or public roads.
- Herbicide/pesticide recommendations.
- Livestock, veterinary, food safety, or toxic plant concerns.
- High-risk trees near people, buildings, roads, or utilities.
- Legal, zoning, HOA, grant compliance, or permitting claims.
- All important graph nodes use allowed node types.
- All important graph edges use allowed edge types.
- Required node attributes are present.
- Required edge attributes are present.
- Confidence values are set.
- Verification status is set.
- Source type and source detail are included.
- Unknowns are represented as nodes.
- Critical risks are connected to affected design elements or tasks.
- Versioned export is created after meaningful changes.
- Major decisions have entries in
DESIGN_DECISIONS.md. - Alternatives are recorded where meaningful.
- Risks and unknowns are recorded.
- Implementation implications are recorded.
- Monitoring implications are recorded.
- Graph updates are referenced.
- Executive summary is clear.
- Client goals are restated accurately.
- Design thesis is understandable.
- Assumptions are visible.
- Field-verification needs are visible.
- Risks are not hidden.
- Next steps are practical.
- Tone is professional and client-ready.
Before delivery, confirm:
- The design is labeled correctly as concept, master plan, implementation-ready, or monitoring update.
- No unresolved hard stop is hidden.
- The latest model version is exported.
-
PROJECT_STATE.mdmatches the deliverable. -
CHANGELOG.mdincludes the latest meaningful changes. - Client-facing documents distinguish recommendations from verification needs.
A design may be ready for concept review even when it is not ready for installation. Never collapse those stages.