Landscape design in Colorado Springs has to work with clay soil, strong sun, wind, and a short list of plants that will still be alive in August. Affordable Services Inc. has planned and built yards here since 1996. We are family owned and operated, and the estimate is free. This page is part of our landscaping services in Colorado Springs.
What a Design Visit Covers
A design visit is a walk of your yard, not a stack of drawings you have to decode. We look at where the sun hits in the afternoon, which way the ground falls, and where water stands after a storm. We ask what you want the yard to do: a place to sit, a play area, a garden, a cleaner front walk, or less lawn to water.
You will see the same crew that would build the work. That matters, because a plan that ignores how a wall gets built, or where a patio needs a base, turns into a change order later. We would rather say on the visit that a slope needs a retaining wall before the beds go in.
If you have been thinking about the yard for a while, bring that with you. Photos, a rough sketch, or a list of what you dislike are enough. You do not need a finished idea. Our notes on designing outdoor spaces that work year round and winter landscaping consultations cover the same kind of planning.
How We Plan the Yard
Four things shape almost every plan we draw for a Colorado Springs lot.
Sun
South and west sides cook thin plantings. North sides stay cooler and can stay wet. We put seating, lawn, and shrubs where the sun actually falls, not where a catalog photo put them. A pergola or a tree is part of the plan when the only flat spot is in full sun all afternoon.
Slope
A slope is not a flaw. It tells us where a wall, a step, or a grade change belongs. Soil that wants to move toward the house or the sidewalk gets held before we plant on it. Flat areas become the patio, the lawn, or the play space.
Drainage
Clay soil holds water. A beautiful bed on a low spot becomes a mud pit. If the yard drains toward the foundation, the design includes a grade change or a tie-in to our drainage work. We do not plant first and hope the water figures itself out.
Water use
The thirsty part of the yard should be small. Lawn goes where you will walk on it. The rest can be drought-tolerant planting, rock, or mulch. Irrigation, if you want it, is planned with the beds, not added as an afterthought. See sod and irrigation if a lawn is part of the plan.
Phased Plans
A full yard does not have to be built in one season. We write the plan so each piece can stand alone:
- Fix water and grade so the new work has a dry base.
- Build the hard parts: walls, patio, walks, and edging.
- Plant, mulch, and add irrigation or a lawn.
- Add the fence, deck, or pergola when you are ready for that side of the project.
Phasing is how we keep landscaping affordable. You pay for the phase you choose. The later phases stay on the plan so the first phase does not block them. Homeowners who want to think it through before spring can start with meeting a landscape crew before the season.
How Pricing Is Discussed
We do not publish design prices. At the free estimate we walk the yard, agree on the scope, and give you a price for that scope. If you want a smaller first phase, we price that. If you want the whole plan, we price that. You decide before any work starts.
What changes a price from one house to the next is the slope, the access, how much soil has to move, and whether walls or drainage are part of it. Two front yards on the same street can be different jobs. That is why the number comes after the visit, not from a menu.
Design and the Rest of the Yard
A design often bumps into work that is not "landscaping" on a business card. A wet corner is a drainage job. A view into the neighbor's yard is a fence. A place to sit may be a deck. We plan those together so the beds are not torn up twice. The overview of everything we build is on the landscaping page.
Related reading: getting a landscape ready for spring and low-maintenance landscaping.
Landscape Design Questions
Do I need a separate landscape designer?
No. We design the yard and install the work. On the free estimate visit we look at the lot with you and put the plan together. You do not hire a second company to draw it.
What happens on a landscape design visit?
We walk the yard, note sun, slope, and where water sits, and talk about how you use the space. Then we outline what to build now and what can wait. The visit is part of the free estimate.
Can the design be built in stages?
Yes. A phased plan is how a lot of Colorado Springs yards get finished. Drainage or a wall might come first, then a patio, then planting. Each phase stands on its own.
Will you tell me what landscape design costs?
We talk through the work and the price at the free estimate, after we have seen the yard. We do not publish a design fee, because lots and wish lists are different.
Can you design just the front yard or just the backyard?
Yes. Many plans cover one side of the house. Tell us which area matters and we will design that, and we will flag anything next to it, such as drainage, that should be handled at the same time.
When should I start a design in Colorado Springs?
Winter and late fall are good times to plan, so the work can start when the ground is ready. Spring is when most planting goes in. Walls and patios can go in through fall.
Request a Landscape Design Estimate
Call 719-572-1768 and we will set a time to walk the yard. The estimate is free. If you are ready to talk through a front yard, a backyard, or the whole property, start with our affordable landscaping in Colorado Springs.