How We Build: Our Landscape Construction Standards
Built on experience and designed to last. Here's exactly how we build concrete, pavers, walls, decks, drainage, irrigation, lighting, lawns, and turf, so you know what you're getting before the first shovel hits the ground.
What Goes Into Every Project
A landscape is only as good as what's underneath it. Two bids can look the same on paper and be built very differently. Here are the standards we build to, in plain language, so you can compare apples to apples.
Scope First
Every standard on this page applies to the items in your signed proposal, so you know exactly what you are getting.
Built Correctly
Methods are chosen for long-term function, safety, drainage, and durability, not just how it looks on day one.
Clear Follow-Up
We check back after completion, including irrigation and plant care, to make sure your project is off to a strong start.
Client Care
If an issue ever comes up, tell us. We will do our best to be fair and make it right, even when something falls outside a written warranty.
Hardscape, Walls & Decks
Concrete
- Minimum 3½" thickness with 3/8" rebar on an approximately 2-foot grid, overlapped and tied
- About a 6-sack mix per yard for added strength, poured over compacted base rock
- Where new concrete meets existing, we add expansion joints and drill in rebar dowels about every 3 feet to reduce shifting between sections
- House, fences, and nearby surfaces are masked to prevent splash staining
Good to know: All concrete can develop hairline cracks and color variation as it cures. Our warranty covers excessive settling or raising of the slab.
Pavers
- Installed over properly compacted base rock and bedding sand
- Polymeric joint sand where appropriate to lock pavers in and resist weeds
- Edge restraint installed to hold borders straight
- Pattern, color blend, and border details confirmed before we start
Moss Rock Retaining Walls
- About 90% of the walls we build are natural moss rock
- Base stones are buried about half their height or more to anchor the wall
- Each stone is set to lock with the stones around it, leaning slightly into the hill
- Water drains naturally through the gaps, which reduces the need for extra drain rock and pipe and takes pressure off the wall
Brick & Block
- Built on a reinforced concrete footing sized for the wall or feature
- Mortared joints throughout
- Building block is filled with concrete and reinforced vertically and horizontally
- Brick ribbons in concrete are tooled at the joints to reduce flaking
Redwood Decks
- Select grade or better redwood on all visible boards
- Pressure-treated Douglas fir framing to resist decay, with supports about every 3 feet under 2x6 decking
- Galvanized hardware, and deck boards screwed down (not nailed)
- Finished with a 2x6 fascia; decks more than 18" above grade get a redwood safety railing
Good to know: Real wood naturally checks, shifts, and changes color over time. Stain and sealer are available as an upgrade.
Arbors & Pergolas
- Framing, posts, footings, and hardware sized for your design and site
- Material, size, spacing, and finish confirmed in your written proposal
- Stain, paint, lighting, and shade accessories available as add-ons
Drainage, Irrigation & Lighting
Drainage
- Minimum 3" drain pipe with a target slope of at least 1% to the discharge point
- Catch basins placed throughout, with soil and concrete sloped toward them
- Downspouts tied in when included
- Grates matched to the area: surface grates in lawns, atrium grates in planters, brass grates with removable screws in concrete
- French drains and drain rock behind walls or in problem areas when needed
Good to know: Good drainage manages water, but no system can promise zero puddling in a major storm.
Sprinklers & Drip Irrigation
- Schedule 40 PVC on new installations, with components from proven manufacturers
- Designed to run at about 80% of available capacity, so it still works when water pressure drops
- Pop-up heads near walkways to prevent trip hazards
- Heads spaced about 10–12 feet apart for overlapping coverage, with separate zones for sun, shade, and different plantings
- Timer set at completion, and we show you how to run it
Low-Voltage Lighting
- Commercial-grade 12-volt components, with metal fixtures preferred over plastic
- Metal transformer with a timer, sized to run at no more than about 80% capacity
- 12/2 low-voltage wire with sealed, waterproof connections
- Pre-wiring under new concrete and lawns so future lights don't mean digging later
Water Features
- Basin, pump, liner, stone, and access planned around your design
- Pumps covered by the manufacturer warranty plus our workmanship terms
- We walk you through water level, cleaning, and seasonal care
Soil, Lawns, Plants & Turf
Soil Preparation
- Rototilled about 6" deep, with extra loosening where the ground is hard
- 2" of soil conditioner blended into the native soil where specified
- Rocks and debris removed, then graded evenly for drainage
- Weed pre-treatment available before new lawns go in
Lawns & Sod
- Prepared soil is water-rolled to set the grade
- Starter fertilizer applied before the sod goes down
- Dwarf fescue sod laid with tight, staggered seams like brickwork
- Watered thoroughly and rolled again for good root contact
Plants & Trees
- Organic conditioner blended into the planting holes
- Fertilizer tablets for a strong first growing season
- Trees staked and tied
- Care and watering instructions provided
Bark & Decorative Rock
- About 2" of shredded bark on slopes and small bark on flat areas
- Pre-emergent weed control where appropriate
- We generally don't use weed fabric under bark: it gets slippery and keeps the bark from feeding the soil as it breaks down
- Rock, gravel, and decomposed granite installed over prepared grades, with fabric or stabilizer when specified
Synthetic Turf
- At least 2" of compacted base rock, with fines for final leveling
- 6" nails about every 6" around the edges and every 12–24" in the field
- Green sand infill, or odor-control infill for pets
- Quality turf such as Global Syn-Turf or comparable
Good to know: Turf seams are somewhat visible, and turf can get hot in direct or reflected sun.
Putting Greens
- Built over a prepared base with your choice of cups, fringe, breaks, and contours
- Ball speed and slopes set to your preference
- Occasional brushing and infill keep it rolling true
We Don't Disappear After the Last Day
We check in on your project after completion at the intervals set in your agreement, including irrigation timers and plant care, to make sure everything is off to a good start.
And any time you have a question, call or email. We're happy to help.
Our Warranty
Hardscape and construction: concrete, pavers, walls, decks, drainage, irrigation, and lighting (parts and workmanship).
Plants and trees we supply and install. Plants depend on proper watering and care after installation.
Natural materials behave naturally: concrete can show hairline cracks, wood checks and weathers, stone varies in color, and turf seams are somewhat visible. Those aren't workmanship defects. Your proposal spells out exactly what's covered for your project.
Please note: These are our general standards and apply to items included in your signed proposal. Site conditions, access, HOA or city requirements, and material availability can affect final methods. Permits, HOA approvals, engineering, and electrical work are separate unless included in your proposal, and we're happy to help with HOA submittals and permits.