Who Can Design for WELO Projects?

By Lori Palmquist

I was asked by a landscape designer a few days ago which certifications are available to be able to design and sign off on MWELO* projects in California. Since I’ve been asked this a few times, I decided to turn my reply into a blog post. Here’s the skinny on this, as I see it:

The only people who are allowed by MWELO to “prepare/sign plans” are licensed persons. In the landscape trade, this means licensed landscape architects and licensed landscape contractors. The license ensures accountability, minimum guarantees and warranties in place, and the proper insurance in place. This also extends to licensed building architects and civil engineers.

I believe the California Business and Professions code is the driving force behind these requirements. For preparing irrigation plans, they also allow certified irrigation designers to create and sign off on the irrigation portion of the landscape documentation package. That’s MY inroad to being able to be involved in WELO plans because I’m a certified irrigation designer through the Irrigation Association.

Landscape professionals who have acquired the certification of either CLIA, QWEL, WWLP, or CLCA Water Management Certification are allowed to audit the landscape and irrigation system after the project has been installed. They're brought in to verify that the landscape and irrigation have been installed as designed, and that the irrigation truly does achieve the minimum allowable efficiencies. This person who comes in “after the fact” isn't allowed to be involved in the design process of the project and must be an outside “third party.”

The above is the letter of the ordinance itself. That said, I know there are some local agencies (cities, counties, and water districts) who are enforcing MWELO and are quite lax as to observing the letter of the ordinance. Some of the local agencies just want to see it done right, regardless of the qualifications, certifications, or licenses involved. Other local agencies strictly adhere to the letter and require the documentation to be created and submitted by licensed persons.

I’ve seen the full range myself in the past 10 years that I’ve been creating WELO irrigation designs. In addition to the “licensed person” requirement, there is wording that says “… or any other person authorized to design a landscape.” This is the loophole that some cities have used to not enforce licensed persons creating and submitting MWELO documentation. It’s also the loophole that APLD members have used to advocate that unlicensed landscape designers be able to design landscapes for MWELO projects. See code Section 492.6.(b)(14).

Let’s boil this down to what all this means for landscape designers. The lowest hanging fruit for you, if you currently aren't a licensed landscape professional, is to create your landscape plans for WELO projects under the license of the building architect involved in designing the building for the project. I know several landscape designers who have taken this route.

The next way in degree of time, difficulty, and expense would be for you to get your C-27 landscape contractor’s license. And the last would be to become a licensed landscape architect. If you don’t do any of the above to get yourself qualified to prepare/sign plans for MWELO projects, what I would suggest is that when a prospective WELO project comes along, you find out from the agency that’s enforcing it (city, county, or water district) what the required qualifications are for the people involved in creating and signing the plans. 

Another thing I’ve seen landscape designers do is just create the plans and submit them. If the plan checker sees the plans have been created and submitted competently, and the plans and documentation meet the requirements, they may just go ahead and approve the plan set package and send it through to the next step without question as to the qualifications of the submitter. If they do kick it back asking for the seal or signature of a licensed person, the architect could be brought in at that point to sign off on the plans.

So, to address the question as to what certification, if any, will give a landscape professional the qualifications needed to create and sign off on MWELO projects, the answer is there is no certification currently that fits that bill. Getting an auditor’s certification won't do it. But becoming a licensed landscape professional will. If you want a sure-fire way to be qualified to do MWELO work, the easiest way would be to get your C-27 contractor’s license. There are correspondence courses that provide study materials to prepare for the C-27 exam.

I hope this explanation helps interested people in sorting out and navigating these questions about qualifications.

 * MWELO - Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance