Homeowner guide
What does the landscape design process look like?
Short answer
A good landscape design starts with a visit to your property to look at slope, soil, drainage and how you want to use the space. From there you settle on the layout and materials, get a written scope and price, and then the yard is built. With Golden Hills, Alonso, the owner, does the visit and estimate himself and stays on the job while it's built.
1. Start with how you want to use the yard
Think about what you want to do outside: eat, relax, let kids or pets play, park, or simply need less upkeep. Photos of yards you like help, even rough ones from your phone.
2. A visit to the property
Design on paper can miss what the site tells you. Walking the yard shows the slope, where water goes, the soil, access for equipment, and what has to be removed first. In much of the East Bay, clay soil and hillside lots shape the design as much as taste does.
3. Layout and materials
Next comes where each piece goes and what it's made of: paver patios and walkways, stamped concrete, retaining walls and steps, turf, rock and planting areas, lighting. Choosing materials together keeps the yard looking like one design instead of separate projects.
4. Plan drainage and base before the surface
What's under the surface decides how long it lasts. Grading away from the house, drains where water collects and proper base under pavers and walls should be part of the design, not an afterthought.
5. A written scope and price
Before work starts you should have the scope, materials and price in writing. If your HOA or city needs to review the plans, find out at this stage.
6. Building it
See real examples of design-and-build jobs on our Real Jobs page, including the Walnut Creek backyard and the Vallejo transformation video. Each one is shown with photos of the actual work.