Services
Landscape Design
Full landscape design — site survey, drainage plan, planting palette, hardscape layout, and rendered drawings before a single shovel hits the ground. Texas-native, water-wise plans tuned to your sun exposure, soil, and how you actually use the yard.
Pricing varies by site. Final scope, materials, and access influence the all-in number — we'll quote your specific project after a quick conversation.
About our landscape design work
Full landscape design — not a sketch on the back of a quote sheet. We deliver a site survey, drainage plan, planting palette, hardscape layout, irrigation strategy, and rendered drawings before a single shovel hits the ground. The design accounts for sun exposure throughout the year, soil and drainage conditions across the property, view corridors from inside the house, and how you actually use the yard — kids, dogs, entertaining, low-maintenance, or all of the above.\n\nDesigns are Texas-native and water-wise by default. Plant palettes are built from species that survive the August heat dome without putting you on a $400 monthly water bill, and hardscape layouts are sized for real furniture and real circulation — not Pinterest-board geometry that looks tight when it's empty and unusable when it's set up.\n\nDesign-build is our standard workflow. The design fee gets credited toward the installed project when you build with us, which means the drawings stay grounded in real cost and constructability instead of becoming a glossy document nobody can afford to build. Final deliverables include site plan, planting plan, materials list, and 2D or 3D renderings depending on project scope.
What's included
- On-site survey with measurements, sun mapping, and soil checks
- Existing-conditions plan and drainage analysis
- Conceptual layout with hardscape and planting zones
- Texas-native, water-wise planting palette and plant list
- Hardscape, lighting, and irrigation coordination notes
- 2D scaled plans and 3D renderings on larger scopes
- Itemized cost estimate tied directly to the drawings
- Design fee credited toward installation with Canopy
Materials & techniques
Design is grounded in regional reality — clay and caliche soil profiles, 30-plus inches of annual rainfall delivered in a handful of downpours, deer pressure in north and northwest Bexar County, and water restrictions that tighten every summer. Plant palettes pull from proven South Texas and Edwards Plateau species — live oak, cedar elm, cenizo, salvia, gulf muhly, blackfoot daisy, esperanza, Turk's cap — combined with sculptural agaves and yuccas for structure. Hardscape materials are specified by name and source so the budget reflects what actually gets installed. Drainage is engineered into the plan from day one — French drains, dry creek beds, and grading routes mapped before any planting is committed.
How the project runs
- 1
Discovery and site walk
We walk the property with you, document existing trees and structures, note drainage trouble spots and sun exposure, and dig into how you and your household actually use — or want to use — each part of the yard.
- 2
Conceptual design
Initial concept layouts cover hardscape footprints, planting zones, focal points, and circulation. We present 1 or 2 directions, you give feedback, and we narrow to a single direction before detailed drawings start.
- 3
Detailed drawings
Final deliverables include a dimensioned site plan, a planting plan keyed to a specific plant list, hardscape detail callouts, and rendered views. Drainage, irrigation, and lighting are integrated into the plan set.
- 4
Budget and phasing
Every design includes an itemized cost estimate tied to the drawings. If full installation isn't in this year's budget, we phase the project — hardscape and irrigation first, beds and plantings in phase two, lighting in phase three.
- 5
Build handoff
When you build with us, the drawings hand directly to the install crew with the designer staying involved through completion. Plant substitutions, grade adjustments, and field changes are coordinated rather than guessed at.
Frequently asked questions
How much does landscape design cost?
Design fees scale with property size and scope — typical residential designs run from a flat fee for smaller yards up to several thousand dollars for full-property masterplans with 3D renderings. The fee is credited back toward the installed project when you build with us.
Do I have to use Canopy to build the design?
No — the drawings are yours. You can take them to another builder. The design-fee credit only applies if we build the project, which is how most clients move forward because the designer stays involved through construction.
How long does the design process take?
Typical residential designs run 3 to 6 weeks from site walk to final deliverables. Larger or phased projects with engineered drainage, pools, or structures take longer because consultants and permitting timelines stack on top of the design itself.
Can you work with existing trees and beds I want to keep?
Yes — preserving mature trees and successful existing plantings is almost always the right call. We document what stays during the site walk, work it into the design, and add tree-protection specs for the construction phase.
Do you handle the irrigation and lighting design too?
Yes — irrigation zoning and outdoor lighting are integrated into the overall plan so plant water needs, hardscape boundaries, and lighting moments line up. Detailed irrigation and lighting plans are produced by our trade partners and coordinated with our drawings.
Why hire us for landscape design
In-house crew
Design, build, irrigation, and maintenance all run under one roof — no subbing out, no juggling vendors. You get one project manager from sketch through final walk-through.
San Antonio specialists
Built for South-Central Texas — heavy clay, caliche, long dry summers, and flash rain. Our designs and installs are tuned to what survives and looks good locally.
Clear pricing
No surprise line items. We size the work after a quick conversation or site visit and issue a written quote with materials and labor broken out so you can compare apples to apples.
