San Francisco Landscape & Exterior Design Services

We have a two-step verification process. First, we guide you through a simple "homework" phase where you take photos and measurements using our checklist. It’s easier than it sounds, if you can use a tape measure, you can do it. Second, we cross-reference your data with satellite imagery and San Francisco GIS maps. Finally, our plans always include "field verify" notes, instructing your contractor to double-check critical dimensions before cutting any material. This safeguards the project against minor discrepancies.

Contractors are builders; their goal is to finish the job quickly. Designers are planners; our goal is to maximize value and livability. If you go straight to a contractor, you often get a generic solution based on what materials they have in stock. By hiring us first, you get a "Construction Bible"—a detailed plan that forces contractors to bid on the exact same scope, often saving you money by preventing mid-project "change orders."

Usually, yes. San Francisco is strict. If you are building a retaining wall over 4 feet, adding electrical/gas lines, or significantly changing the grade, you need a permit. Even paving a driveway triggers "permeable surface" regulations. We identify these triggers early and produce the technical drawings required for submission, so you don't get a stop-work order taped to your door.

Absolutely. In fact, we likely have better data than a local walking the site for 10 minutes. We use solar path modeling software to see exactly how the sun hits your yard in December vs. July. We also know the neighborhood zones intimately—we know that a plant thriving in the Mission will rot in the Sunset fog. We specify plant palettes scientifically based on your zip code’s exposure.

You receive a comprehensive "Master Plan" package. This includes 2D CAD technical drawings (Hardscape, Planting, Lighting, and Layout plans), a Material Specification list (telling you exactly which stone or wood to buy), and 3D rendered images so you can visualize the result. This is everything a licensed contractor needs to bid and build the project.

While we are a design-only firm and do not employ laborers, we don't leave you hanging. We can provide a list of vetted San Francisco landscape contractors we have worked with successfully in the past. More importantly, we equip you with a "Bid Leveling" guide so you can interview them confidently and spot red flags in their proposals.

Typically, our design phase takes 3 to 6 weeks, depending on how quickly you provide feedback. However, please note that if your project requires a city permit, the approval timeline is dictated by the San Francisco Planning Department and can take longer. We recommend starting design in the winter so you are ready to build in the spring.

Generally, yes. Because we don't charge for travel time, on-site meetings, or the high overhead of a physical showroom, our design fees are often 20–30% lower than traditional full-service landscape architects in the Bay Area. You are paying for high-level design expertise, not for us to sit in traffic on the 101.

We love slopes. They are a classic San Francisco challenge. For steep grades, we may ask you to hire a local land surveyor to get a topographic map (we can tell you if this is necessary during our initial call). Once we have that data, we can design complex terracing and retaining walls just as effectively as if we were standing there.

Of course. Design is a collaboration. Our process includes a specific "Revision Phase." After we present the initial 3D concept, you give us your honest feedback, what you love, what you hate, and what you want to tweak. We refine the plan until it fits your vision and budget perfectly before finalizing the technical drawings.