Landscape Design & Installation in Prescott, AZ

When a yard needs more than a cleanup

Most people call us when one of a few things is true. A new build was handed over with bare dirt and a builder-grade strip of rock. An older yard has a lawn that drinks water all summer and still looks tired. Plants keep dying every winter, or a monsoon storm sends water toward the house. Or the yard simply doesn't get used, because there's nowhere comfortable to sit and nothing worth looking at.

In Prescott, these problems usually trace back to the same root causes: plants chosen for a warmer climate, irrigation that waters everything on one schedule, and grading that ignores where summer rain actually goes. A proper design fixes the cause, not just the symptom.

What the design includes

Every project starts with a site visit. We measure the lot, note slope, sun and shade through the day, existing trees, views, utilities, and how water moves across the property. Then we draw a scaled plan that shows:

• Planting areas with specific plants, sizes and spacing for mature growth
• Hardscape areas: paths, patios, walls and steps (see hardscaping)
• Grading and drainage: swales, dry creek beds and where downspouts discharge
• Irrigation zones, separated by plant type and water need
• Groundcover: decomposed granite, rock mulch or bark, and where each goes
• Boulders, lighting and focal points

You can install everything at once or phase it. Many clients do the hardscape and irrigation backbone first and plant over two seasons.

Plants that belong at 5,400 feet

Plant choice is where most Prescott landscapes go wrong. The University of Arizona's Yavapai County Extension lists Prescott's average growing season at 153 days, and its freeze records show a meaningful chance of frost into late May (Bulletin #25). Low-desert favorites often can't take that.

We build plant palettes from natives and well-proven adapted plants that handle cold winters, alkaline soil, dry springs and wildlife browse. Near the house, we follow defensible-space guidance: low, well-watered, less flammable plants in the first five feet, with junipers and other fire-prone shrubs kept away from structures (UA Extension). The Yavapai County Master Gardener help desks are a good second opinion on plant choices, and we're happy to adjust a palette around a favorite plant.

What installation involves

1. Utility locate. We request Arizona 811 marking before any digging.
2. Demo and haul-off. Old turf, dead plants and broken edging come out. If you're converting lawn for a city rebate, we photograph and measure first.
3. Grading and drainage. We shape the ground so it falls away from the foundation and moves monsoon runoff into swales or dry creek beds.
4. Hardscape. Paths, patios and walls go in before planting, so heavy equipment never crosses new beds.
5. Irrigation. Drip lines and emitters sized per plant, separate valves for trees and shrubs, and a WaterSense smart timer.
6. Planting. Holes are dug wide, and where we hit caliche we break through it so roots and water can drain.
7. Groundcover and finish. Decomposed granite, rock or mulch, boulders, edging and lighting.

What it costs

Published 2026 cost guides put landscaping at roughly $4.50 to $17 per square foot, and professional design time at about $50 to $150 per hour. Prescott projects land higher in those ranges when there's rock excavation, steep grades, limited equipment access or a lot of boulders and stone. Our Prescott landscaping cost guide lays out the ranges with their sources. Every estimate we give is written and itemized.

Why homeowners choose us

• Designs drawn for your specific lot, not a template
• Honest plant advice for our elevation and wildlife
• Irrigation zoned by plant need, so trees get deep water and beds don't flood
• Drainage planned for monsoon storms, not just a sunny day
• One crew from demo to final walkthrough