Terms & Conditions

Last Updated: June 2026

These Terms & Conditions outline how Holly Sutor Designer works, what clients can expect, and what is needed from clients to support a clear, collaborative, and successful design process.

By requesting a proposal, approving a scope of work, submitting payment, or otherwise engaging design services, you agree to these Terms & Conditions, along with any proposal, invoice, estimate, or written agreement provided for your specific project.

If a project-specific proposal, invoice, or signed agreement includes terms that differ from these general Terms & Conditions, the project-specific terms will control for that project.

Design Services

Holly Sutor Designer provides conceptual exterior, landscape, color, material, and visual design services. Services may include design direction, renderings, paint color direction, material ideas, plant recommendations, sourcing guidance, site visits, Zoom meetings, site plans, and related design support as outlined in the agreed project scope.

Design services are visual, conceptual, and planning-focused. Services do not include architectural, engineering, structural, permitting, construction, grading, drainage, irrigation, electrical, or contractor services unless specifically stated in writing.

Retainers + Engagement of Services

Each project begins with an agreed scope of work and retainer. The proposal, invoice, estimate, or design agreement will outline the scope, payment schedule, included hours or deliverables, and any project-specific terms.

Retainers may be structured in different ways depending on the project.

Scope-Based Retainer

For many projects, the retainer is based on the estimated time, creative development, and deliverables required for the defined scope. This may include research, site review, concept development, renderings, color and material planning, plant direction, sourcing guidance, meetings, revisions, and communication.

Hourly or Open-Ended Retainer

For ongoing collaborations, shopping, sourcing, staging, construction-phase support, or extended design help, hours may be tracked against a retainer. Clients will be notified when remaining time is low before additional work continues under a new retainer or approved hourly billing.

Phased Retainers

Larger projects may be divided into phases. Each phase may have its own retainer, payment schedule, included hours, and deliverables. Work will begin or continue according to the agreed payment schedule for each phase.

Payment Terms

Design retainers and payments are due according to the agreed proposal, invoice, estimate, or written agreement.

Payment is required before work begins or continues for each applicable phase of the project. Some projects may require payment in full before work begins, while larger or phased projects may be divided into scheduled payments.

Design work begins upon the first scheduled call, research session, site visit, sourcing task, rendering development, digital design work, or other project-related work, whichever occurs first.

All fees paid are earned based on work performed, time reserved, and project progress. If a project is canceled or terminated, the client is responsible for fees earned and costs incurred through the termination date, along with any approved outside costs, purchases, or third-party services.

Work beyond the agreed scope requires written approval, additional hourly billing, a new retainer, or a revised agreement.

Hourly Rates

Hourly rates are outlined in the project-specific proposal, invoice, or agreement.

Unless otherwise stated in writing, remote design work may include research, sourcing, renderings, revisions, client feedback, emails, Zoom meetings, design development, and project communication.

Onsite services may include site visits, shopping, showroom visits, nursery visits, contractor walk-throughs, material selection, or other in-person design support. Onsite services may be billed at a different hourly rate than remote design work.

Scope of Work + Deliverables

The agreed proposal, invoice, estimate, or written agreement defines what is included in the project.

Each project concludes when the agreed design services and deliverables have been completed and provided to the client. After final delivery, the project may be archived. Any new design updates, calls, revisions, sourcing, site visits, or additional services requested after completion may require a new retainer or hourly billing agreement.

Time Tracking + Revisions

For projects based on included hours, time is tracked and applied toward meetings, site review, research, sourcing, renderings, design development, revisions, client feedback, communication, and overall project coordination.

Holly will complete as much design development as possible within the agreed scope and contracted hours. Revisions and feedback are included only to the extent they fit within the agreed scope, included revision rounds, or contracted hours.

Additional revisions, alternate concepts, additional sourcing, additional renderings, additional meetings, or continued design support beyond the agreed scope may be billed at the applicable hourly rate with client approval.

Major changes requested after a design direction has been approved may require additional design time, a revised scope, or a new retainer.

Timeline

Project timelines vary based on project size, client responsiveness, decision-making, complexity, revision requests, sourcing needs, payment timing, and overall availability.

Estimated timelines may be provided in the proposal or agreement, but timelines are not guaranteed unless specifically stated in writing.

If a project remains inactive for more than 30 days due to lack of client communication, delayed approvals, or delayed payments, the project may be paused and may require a new timeline, updated pricing, or a new retainer to resume.

Client Responsibilities

Clients are responsible for providing accurate information, clear photographs, measurements if requested, inspiration images, site access when needed, and timely feedback.

Clients are responsible for reviewing and approving all colors, materials, products, plants, finishes, layouts, and design direction prior to purchase, ordering, construction, or installation.

Clients are responsible for hiring qualified contractors, installers, vendors, engineers, architects, electricians, landscape professionals, or other trade professionals as needed.

Timely client participation, including review of materials, completion of requested selections or “homework,” and prompt feedback, is required to maintain project momentum.

Zoom meetings should be attended by computer or tablet when possible for the best review of visual materials.

Renderings + Visualization

Renderings, images, mood boards, and visual concepts are conceptual design tools intended to communicate design direction, style, color, material relationships, scale, and overall aesthetic.

Renderings are not construction drawings, blueprints, permit sets, architectural plans, engineering documents, grading plans, drainage plans, irrigation plans, or electrical plans.

Actual results may vary due to lighting conditions, screen differences, material availability, product substitutions, installation methods, site conditions, contractor execution, and natural plant growth.

Site Plans

When included or ordered separately, site plans are design-intent planning documents. They are an important starting point for contractor review, estimating, bid comparison, and project planning.

A site plan may include general layout direction, approximate square footage measurements, plant counts, light counts, material selections, and design-intent placement of plants, materials, lighting, and exterior elements.

Site plans are intended to make contractor discussions and pricing more consistent. They are not construction drawings, grading plans, drainage plans, lighting or electrical plans, irrigation plans, permit sets, or engineering documents.

All final field measurements, square footage calculations, quantities, installation methods, construction details, drainage, grading, electrical requirements, code compliance, and permit requirements must be verified by the appropriate contractor, installer, electrician, landscape professional, or trade professional prior to purchasing, ordering, installation, or construction.

Measurements + Site Verification

Any measurements, square footage estimates, quantities, or counts provided by Holly Sutor Designer are for design communication, planning, and estimating purposes only unless otherwise stated in writing.

All dimensions, quantities, site conditions, and installation requirements must be verified by the client’s contractor, installer, vendor, supplier, or appropriate trade professional before purchasing materials, ordering products, or beginning construction.

Holly Sutor Designer is not responsible for measurement discrepancies, field conditions, construction feasibility, material takeoffs, installation requirements, or quantity changes.

Colors, Materials + Products

Colors, finishes, materials, and products shown in renderings, digital boards, or sourcing lists are approximate representations.

Variations may occur due to lighting conditions, screen or printer calibration, paint batches, manufacturing variations, material texture, sheen, surrounding colors, and environmental conditions.

Clients are responsible for reviewing, sampling, testing, and approving all physical colors, finishes, materials, plants, and products onsite before purchasing, ordering, installation, or construction.

Product recommendations are based on availability at the time of sourcing. Holly Sutor Designer is not responsible for discontinued items, out-of-stock items, price changes, vendor delays, shipping issues, product substitutions, or manufacturer changes.

Landscape + Plant Recommendations

Landscape renderings and plant recommendations are intended to illustrate general plant style, color, texture, scale, placement, and overall design direction.

Plant lists, legends, and plant counts are design-intent guidelines and may need to be adjusted based on nursery availability, microclimate, soil conditions, irrigation, maintenance preferences, contractor recommendations, and final field conditions.

Renderings may show plants at a mature size, in bloom, or at an idealized stage for visual effect. Actual plant size, bloom cycles, growth rate, and appearance will vary seasonally and over time.

Holly Sutor Designer is not responsible for plant survival, substitutions, irrigation performance, pest issues, maintenance, soil conditions, installation practices, or long-term landscape health.

Independent Designer Status

Holly Sutor Designer operates as an independent residential designer. Services are limited to conceptual design, aesthetic guidance, visual planning, sourcing direction, and related design support unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Holly Sutor Designer is not a licensed contractor, architect, engineer, landscape architect, electrician, plumber, or construction manager.

Holly Sutor Designer does not assume responsibility for construction means, methods, structural integrity, safety practices, sequencing of trades, jobsite supervision, contractor performance, or installation results.

Permits, Codes, HOA + Construction Responsibility

Clients are responsible for confirming compliance with all local building codes, zoning regulations, HOA requirements, setback requirements, fire regulations, permitting requirements, and any other applicable rules or approvals.

Clients are responsible for securing necessary permits, HOA approvals, engineering, architectural review, or other professional approvals before ordering, construction, or installation.

Holly Sutor Designer may use reasonable judgment to flag potential concerns, but is not responsible for determining whether a project requires permits, HOA approval, zoning approval, engineering, architectural review, or other formal approvals.

Contractor Communication

Unless separately contracted, communication occurs directly with the client and not with contractors or trades.

Contractor walk-throughs, construction-phase check-ins, material reviews, site meetings, or additional contractor communication may be available as an optional service and billed at the applicable onsite or hourly rate.

Holly Sutor Designer does not provide construction management or jobsite supervision unless specifically agreed in writing.

Contractors, Vendors + Third Parties

Holly Sutor Designer may recommend contractors, vendors, suppliers, products, or trade professionals as a courtesy.

Recommendations do not guarantee pricing, availability, timelines, workmanship, product performance, installation quality, or final results.

All agreements, warranties, schedules, payments, and disputes with contractors, vendors, suppliers, installers, or other third parties are solely between the client and those parties.

Holly Sutor Designer is not responsible for construction errors, installation issues, cost changes, delays, contractor decisions, vendor issues, product defects, or on-site decisions made by the client, contractors, vendors, installers, or trade professionals.

No Guarantee of Construction Outcome

Final built results depend on contractor execution, material availability, site conditions, regulatory approvals, budget decisions, and client selections.

Holly Sutor Designer does not guarantee specific construction outcomes, timelines, costs, bids, product availability, contractor availability, resale value, or return on investment.

Research + Product Availability

Products, materials, plants, fixtures, furniture, décor, and finishes shown in renderings, sourcing lists, or design documents may be conceptual or subject to availability.

Additional sourcing beyond the agreed scope may be billed separately.

Holly Sutor Designer is not responsible for discontinued items, supplier delays, inventory changes, price changes, shipping issues, or vendor substitutions.

Intellectual Property + Use of Design Documents

All renderings, visuals, designs, layouts, sourcing lists, site plans, documents, images, and creative materials remain the intellectual property of Holly Sutor Designer.

Upon full payment of all outstanding fees, clients are granted a limited, non-exclusive license to use the completed design materials solely for the personal project and property for which they were created.

Designs and documents may not be resold, reproduced, transferred to another property, used for another project, or distributed for commercial use without written permission.

Portfolio + Marketing Use

Holly Sutor Designer may use project visuals, including before-and-after imagery, renderings, site images, and completed project photos, for portfolio, website, social media, and marketing purposes.

Clients may request in writing that certain identifying information, addresses, or private details be excluded from public use.

Warranty Disclaimer

Design services and materials are provided “as is” without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, construction outcome, product performance, or contractor performance.

Limitation of Liability + Indemnification

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Holly Sutor Designer’s liability is limited to the total amount paid by the client for the applicable design services.

Clients agree to indemnify and hold harmless Holly Sutor Designer from claims, damages, losses, expenses, or disputes arising from use of the design services, design implementation, contractor performance, construction decisions, vendor issues, product failures, permitting issues, site conditions, or third-party actions.

Right to Pause, Refuse, or Terminate Service

Holly Sutor Designer reserves the right to pause, refuse, or terminate services if payments are not made, requested decisions are delayed, the project moves outside the agreed scope, communication becomes unproductive, or circumstances arise that prevent services from being provided in a professional manner.

If services are terminated, the client is responsible for fees earned and costs incurred through the termination date. Any unearned balance, if applicable, will be handled according to the project-specific agreement and applicable law.

Force Majeure

Holly Sutor Designer is not responsible for delays or failure to perform caused by circumstances beyond reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, weather events, illness, power outages, internet interruptions, labor disputes, supplier delays, government actions, or other events outside reasonable control.

Governing Law

These Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of the State of California. Any disputes shall be resolved in San Diego County, California, unless otherwise required by law.

Updates to Terms

These Terms & Conditions may be updated periodically. The terms in effect at the time of proposal approval, payment, or signed agreement will generally apply to that project unless updated in writing.

Continued engagement of services after updated terms are posted or provided constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms & Conditions.