The Plan
The order we are building it in, and why.
Thirty-five tasks from a scruffy lawn to a finished garden. Every one says what it waits on and why it waits, because in a build the ordering mistakes are the expensive ones. Nothing here is a schedule — it is what can be done, and what cannot be done yet.
- 35
- tasks
- 3
- ready now
- 32
- waiting on something
- 0
- finished
Ready now
Everything else is waiting on one of these. That is not a design flourish — it is the honest state of the project, and it is why the measuring day matters more than it sounds.
Measure the perimeter and take both diagonals
Four sides do not fix a plot this shape. The plan shows 19.80m on the west boundary and an irregular east side; without the diagonals the corners can flex while every written number stays the same.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Tape A to B, B to the south-east corner, and every run on the drawing
- Take both diagonals and write them on the sheet before leaving the garden
- Note anything that disagrees with the drawing rather than correcting it on the spot
- Photograph the completed sheet
Establish a datum and record levels across the plot
The plan has every width and not one height. Levels decide drainage, steps, pavilion floor height and whether the terrace is legal against the house. They are invisible in plan view and everything downstream depends on them.
What this actually involves (5 steps)
- Choose a datum that will still exist at the end and mark it permanently
- Record spot heights on a grid across the lawn and at every corner
- Record the threshold height at the kitchen door and the orangery
- Record the damp proof course height on the house wall
- Write every reading against its position on the plan
Register the viewpoints and shoot the before set
Every render-versus-reality comparison on this project depends on being able to stand in exactly the same place in a year. V01, V02 and V05 are on the plan; they need marking on the ground.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Mark each viewpoint position so it can be found again
- Record the height and direction for each
- Shoot the full set on the same day in even light
- Note the lens or zoom used so it can be repeated
Measure what is actually there
Nothing else can be trusted until this is done. Every task below waits on it.
Measure the perimeter and take both diagonals
Four sides do not fix a plot this shape. The plan shows 19.80m on the west boundary and an irregular east side; without the diagonals the corners can flex while every written number stays the same.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Tape A to B, B to the south-east corner, and every run on the drawing
- Take both diagonals and write them on the sheet before leaving the garden
- Note anything that disagrees with the drawing rather than correcting it on the spot
- Photograph the completed sheet
Establish a datum and record levels across the plot
The plan has every width and not one height. Levels decide drainage, steps, pavilion floor height and whether the terrace is legal against the house. They are invisible in plan view and everything downstream depends on them.
What this actually involves (5 steps)
- Choose a datum that will still exist at the end and mark it permanently
- Record spot heights on a grid across the lawn and at every corner
- Record the threshold height at the kitchen door and the orangery
- Record the damp proof course height on the house wall
- Write every reading against its position on the plan
Find and record every drain, cover and service
D1 and D2 sit in the middle of the existing terrace, and the plan does not say whether either is connected or a soakaway. Anything paved over here cannot be undone cheaply.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Lift D1 and D2 and photograph what is underneath each
- Trace and record where every run goes and whether it is foul or surface water
- Record cover levels and invert depths against the datum
- Mark any cable, water or gas run you can identify
Waiting on TSK-001 measure the perimeter and take both diagonals
Register the viewpoints and shoot the before set
Every render-versus-reality comparison on this project depends on being able to stand in exactly the same place in a year. V01, V02 and V05 are on the plan; they need marking on the ground.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Mark each viewpoint position so it can be found again
- Record the height and direction for each
- Shoot the full set on the same day in even light
- Note the lens or zoom used so it can be repeated
Record the pear tree and check for protection
T1 is retained and it is the anchor of the whole central area. If it is protected, or sits in a conservation area, that changes what can be built near it and what can be pruned.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Measure trunk girth, canopy spread and approximate height
- Photograph the whole tree and any damage or deadwood
- Check with the council for a TPO and for conservation area status
- Record the root protection area on the plan
Waiting on TSK-001 measure the perimeter and take both diagonals
Assess soil and drainage in every border
The plan already names Miscanthus, Echinacea and Gaura in S04. None of that is a decision until the soil and the winter wet are known, and the borders differ from each other.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Dig an inspection hole in S04, S06 and S07
- Record soil type and depth in each
- Run a percolation test where anything will need to drain
- Note where water sits after rain
Waiting on TSK-002 establish a datum and record levels across the plot
Record sun and shade through a full day
The pavilion faces back towards the house and the borders run north to south down both sides. Where the sun actually falls settles seating position and planting, and guesses about aspect are how planting schemes fail.
What this actually involves (3 steps)
- Photograph from every registered viewpoint on the hour through one clear day
- Note which borders are in shade and when
- Note where the evening sun lands, since that is when the pavilion gets used
Waiting on TSK-004 register the viewpoints and shoot the before set
Make the plan true
Turn a drawing of measurements into a measured drawing, and check it against the rules before spending.
- TSK-008A day
Redraw the plan to the measured dimensions
The current plan is a drawing of measurements rather than a measured drawing. Until it is redrawn to true geometry, nothing can be set out or quoted from it.
What this actually involves (5 steps)
- Rebuild the outline from the taped dimensions and both diagonals
- Place the garage, orangery and house openings from measured positions
- Add levels and the datum to the drawing
- Mark D1, D2 and every service run
- Label which numbers are measured and which are still assumed
Waiting on TSK-001 measure the perimeter and take both diagonals,TSK-002 establish a datum and record levels across the plot,TSK-003 find and record every drain, cover and service
Check the design against permitted development and building rules
The pavilion, any change in ground level and the extent of hard surface all have limits written in heights and areas. Those cannot be checked without real levels, which is why this waits.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Check the pavilion height and position against permitted development limits
- Check the terrace level against the damp proof course clearance
- Check whether any level change needs consent
- Write down what was checked, against which rule, and on what date
Waiting on TSK-002 establish a datum and record levels across the plot,TSK-008 redraw the plan to the measured dimensions
- TSK-010An hourS05
Confirm machine and material access
Everything arrives and leaves through the private access area beside the garage. If the pavilion or the terrace blocks that route before the heavy work is finished, the rest of the build is done by wheelbarrow.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Measure the narrowest point on the access route
- Work out the largest machine that can reach the central area
- Identify the point in the sequence where the route gets blocked by our own work
- Decide what has to happen before that point
Waiting on TSK-001 measure the perimeter and take both diagonals
- TSK-011Several days
Freeze the layout to buildable geometry
The design has been explored in renders that carry no real dimensions. Fixing the geometry in a modelling tool, and restyling only from a fixed camera, is the step that makes the images honest.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Build the layout to true dimensions in a modelling tool
- Export a grey view from each registered viewpoint
- Restyle with AI without letting it move anything
- Run a tape check on three dimensions in every output
Waiting on TSK-008 redraw the plan to the measured dimensions,TSK-009 check the design against permitted development and building rules,TSK-010 confirm machine and material access
Clear and prepare
Strip it back and set the site up to be worked on. The point of no return.
Clear the garden
Nothing can be set out over existing planting and surfaces, and the honest state of the ground is not known until it is stripped.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Lift and heel in anything being kept before clearance starts
- Clear borders, redundant structures and surfaces
- Keep the pear tree root area protected throughout
- Photograph the cleared plot from every registered viewpoint
Waiting on TSK-011 freeze the layout to buildable geometry
Decide what stays, what moves and what goes
Once machinery is running everything looks like rubbish. Deciding beforehand is the only way anything survives.
What this actually involves (3 steps)
- List what is being retained and why
- List what is worth lifting and where it will be heeled in
- Write down what is being lost, so it is a decision rather than an accident
Waiting on TSK-005 record the pear tree and check for protection,TSK-006 assess soil and drainage in every border
Prepare the surfaces and sub-base areas
What is under the existing terrace and where the pavilion will stand is unknown until it is opened up, and it changes both the cost and the sequence.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Break out what is not being kept
- Establish what the existing terrace is built on
- Strip to formation level where new surfaces are going
- Record what was found against what the plan assumed
Waiting on TSK-012 clear the garden
- TSK-015Half a day
Set up site logistics
Skip position, materials store, water, power and where spoil goes decide how hard every single day afterwards is.
What this actually involves (3 steps)
- Fix the skip and materials positions so they do not block access
- Sort water and power to the working area
- Decide where spoil goes and how it leaves
Waiting on TSK-010 confirm machine and material access
Cost it properly
Real quantities off real dimensions, and quotes from a specification rather than a render.
- TSK-016A day
Take quantities off the measured plan
Every cost estimate produced so far came from a plan with no verified dimensions. This replaces all of it.
What this actually involves (3 steps)
- Measure areas and lengths off the frozen geometry
- Schedule paving, sub-base, edging, timber and planting by quantity
- Note which quantities are firm and which depend on what is found on site
Waiting on TSK-011 freeze the layout to buildable geometry
- TSK-017Several days
Write the dimensioned specification, section by section
A render cannot be quoted from and cannot be checked against. A written specification can be handed to every trade and used to argue afterwards.
What this actually involves (3 steps)
- Write the spec for each section with dimensions, materials, falls and finishes
- State what is fixed and what is a preference
- Include the questions each trade needs answered before quoting
Waiting on TSK-011 freeze the layout to buildable geometry
- TSK-018Several days
Get quotes for the work we are not doing ourselves
Quotes from the same written specification are comparable. Quotes from a conversation are not.
What this actually involves (3 steps)
- Send the same specification to every trade
- Ask each what they have assumed that is not written down
- Record every quote against the spec version it answered
Waiting on TSK-017 write the dimensioned specification, section by section
- TSK-019Half a day
Build the budget and set the contingency
The whole proposition of this project is that it costs less than a designer plus a full build. That claim needs a real starting number to be measured against.
What this actually involves (3 steps)
- Combine quantities, quotes and our own labour into one budget
- Set an explicit contingency and say what it is for
- Publish the starting number so the final one can be compared to it
Waiting on TSK-016 take quantities off the measured plan,TSK-018 get quotes for the work we are not doing ourselves
Design each section
Design each section properly before anything is built. Cheap to change on screen, expensive in concrete.
- TSK-020Several daysS10
Design the pavilion properly
It is the centrepiece, it is the only new structure, and it is 5.00m deep against the garage. Everything else in the garden composes around it, so it gets designed first and in the most detail.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Fix footprint, height, roof and opening positions to real dimensions
- Work out the view from inside looking back to the house, not just towards it
- Decide cladding, seating, television position and the louvre roof detail
- Produce a grey view and a restyled render from V05
Waiting on TSK-011 freeze the layout to buildable geometry
Design each remaining section to the same standard
A section designed in isolation looks fine and fights its neighbours. Doing them all before building anything is far cheaper than discovering it in concrete.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Terrace, lawn shape, both side borders and the rear border
- Check every section against the brief rather than against taste
- Check each one reads properly from the viewpoint it is seen from
- Keep the geometry frozen; restyle only
Waiting on TSK-020 design the pavilion properly
- TSK-022Half a day
Review every mockup against the brief and the budget
The brief is the spec. A beautiful section that does not answer it is the most expensive kind of mistake, because it looks like success.
What this actually involves (3 steps)
- Check each section against the written brief line by line
- Price anything that has changed since the budget was set
- Record what was rejected and why
Waiting on TSK-021 design each remaining section to the same standard,TSK-019 build the budget and set the contingency
Build it
The pavilion first, because it is the centrepiece and everything else composes around it.
- TSK-023Half a day· Needs a dry day
Set out the whole garden on the ground
Pegs and string, everything at once, before anything is dug. It is the last cheap opportunity to find out the design does not work.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Set out the pavilion footprint, terrace edge and lawn shape
- Check both diagonals on every rectangle before fixing anything
- Live with it for a few days and view it from inside the house
- Photograph the set-out from every registered viewpoint
Waiting on TSK-014 prepare the surfaces and sub-base areas,TSK-022 review every mockup against the brief and the budget
Pavilion foundations
Foundations come before any surrounding surface, because the machine and the concrete need access that the finished terrace would remove. Getting this order wrong is the classic expensive mistake.
Not a DIY job. Structural. A pavilion this size against an existing garage wall needs foundations designed and signed off by somebody accountable, not sized from an AI answer.
What this actually involves (3 steps)
- Confirm the foundation design with the professional
- Check position and levels against the set-out before pouring
- Photograph everything before it is covered
Waiting on TSK-023 set out the whole garden on the ground
Drainage runs and connections
Where water goes has to be settled before anything is laid over it, and D1 and D2 determine what is even possible. This is the most commonly paved-over regret in domestic gardens.
Not a DIY job. Surface and foul water connections are regulated and getting a fall wrong sends water at the house. Not a DIY guess.
What this actually involves (3 steps)
- Agree the drainage strategy with the professional
- Set falls away from the house and the orangery threshold
- Record every run and invert on the plan before backfilling
Waiting on TSK-003 find and record every drain, cover and service,TSK-023 set out the whole garden on the ground
- TSK-026A day· Needs a dry day
Lay every duct and buried route
Duct is cheap and digging up a finished terrace is not. This includes routes we are not sure we want yet, because that is exactly the decision people regret.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Duct power to the pavilion and to lighting positions in every border
- Duct water to wherever irrigation might go
- Add at least one spare route and record where it runs
- Photograph and dimension every run before backfilling
Waiting on TSK-025 drainage runs and connections
- TSK-027Several days· Needs a dry spellS10
Build the pavilion
The centrepiece and the reason the whole design exists. Everything else is composed around the view of it and the view from it.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Frame, roof and the motorised louvre detail
- Cladding and the television wall
- Check the finished dimensions against the specification and record the drift
- Shoot from V05 for the comparison
Waiting on TSK-024 pavilion foundations,TSK-026 lay every duct and buried route
Lay the terrace and main surfaces
After the pavilion and after everything buried, so nothing is broken out again. The damp proof course clearance against the house is the constraint that decides the finished level.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Check the finished level against the damp proof course before laying anything
- Set the falls to the drainage that is already in
- Keep D1 and D2 accessible
- Record the finished levels against the datum
Waiting on TSK-026 lay every duct and buried route,TSK-027 build the pavilion
Paths, steps and edges
The connective work that makes the whole thing read as designed rather than as a set of separate projects. Routinely underestimated.
What this actually involves (3 steps)
- Lay the curved path linking terrace, lawn and pavilion
- Form the lawn edge so it can be mown against
- Check every fall and junction
Waiting on TSK-028 lay the terrace and main surfaces
- TSK-030 ProfessionalA day
Electrical work and lighting
The ducting is already in and the positions are already decided. What remains is regulated work that gets signed off by somebody qualified.
Not a DIY job. Outdoor electrical installation is notifiable work under Part P. Our job is the plan and the questions, not the wiring.
What this actually involves (3 steps)
- Hand over the lighting plan and duct positions
- Ask what has been assumed that is not on the drawing
- Keep the certificate with the project record
Waiting on TSK-026 lay every duct and buried route,TSK-027 build the pavilion
Plant it
Bones first, then the layer that makes it look finished.
Prepare the soil in every bed
Construction traffic wrecks soil, so this happens after the building work and not before. It is the step almost everyone skips and then blames the plants.
What this actually involves (3 steps)
- Relieve compaction across every border
- Improve according to what the soil assessment actually found
- Set the finished soil levels against the new hard surfaces
Waiting on TSK-006 assess soil and drainage in every border,TSK-029 paths, steps and edges
Structural planting
The bones. Trees, hedging and key shrubs set the structure that everything else fills in around, and they have a planting window.
What this actually involves (3 steps)
- Set out every position and view it from the house before digging
- Plant the structure and stake where needed
- Prune and reshape the pear tree as planned
Waiting on TSK-031 prepare the soil in every bed
Perennials, grasses and the lawn
The layer that makes it look finished, and the one that can wait a season if the money runs short.
What this actually involves (3 steps)
- Plant the border schemes worked out from the soil and aspect surveys
- Lay or sow the organic lawn in S03
- Record what was actually planted against what was specified
Waiting on TSK-032 structural planting
Check it against what we were promised
Same viewpoints, render beside reality, every difference written down.
- TSK-034Half a day· Needs a dry day
Re-shoot every viewpoint and record the drift
This is the whole proposition. Same positions as the before set, render beside reality, and every difference written down including the unflattering ones.
What this actually involves (3 steps)
- Shoot every registered viewpoint at the same height and lens as the before set
- Put each render beside its photograph
- Write down every difference and why it happened
Waiting on TSK-033 perennials, grasses and the lawn
- TSK-035Half a day
Reconcile what it actually cost
The claim this project makes is that a garden can be designed, planned and built with AI instead of a designer's fee. That claim is settled here, whichever way it falls.
What this actually involves (4 steps)
- Total every cost including our own hours
- Compare against the budget set at the start
- Compare against what a designer plus a full build would have cost
- Publish it either way
Waiting on TSK-034 re-shoot every viewpoint and record the drift
This plan will change
It is a first honest draft, written before the measuring day. When reality disagrees with it — and it will — the task changes and the reason gets written down rather than quietly corrected. Where a task has been done, what actually happened appears underneath it, including the parts that did not go to plan.