Residential landscaping in Austin, for the people who own the house and the people who manage it
Fewer than half of Austin's homes are owner-occupied. The service is built for both halves: the owner who wants a backyard worth sitting in and a front yard the neighbors notice, and the property manager who wants the yard handled without a conversation.
For homeowners, residential landscaping usually begins with one of three projects. A front-yard makeover, which replaces a tired builder lawn with beds, stone and a smaller lawn, often as a xeriscape conversion. A backyard project, which is a patio, a fire pit, lighting and shade, built for how the household actually uses the space. Or a fix: a slope that washes out, a side yard that floods, a dead lawn under a live oak. Each starts with a walk-through, is drawn up if it needs drawing, priced on paper, and installed in the right season.
For property managers and landlords, the need is different: a yard that passes the showing, keeps the HOA quiet and does not generate calls. The service is a set mowing day, bed care on a schedule, a photo after each visit, tree inspections so a limb does not become a liability, and quick turnarounds between tenants: a cleanup, a mulch refresh, a sod patch where the dog lived. One monthly price, no contract, and tenants do not need to be home.
The common thread is the yard itself. Austin yards are Blackland clay or limestone, shaded by protected live oaks, watered on an assigned day, and asked to survive a summer that would kill a Midwestern lawn. The plants, the grass, the irrigation and the stone are chosen for that, and the city's rules on trees, walls and water are followed because the alternative is expensive. The other pages cover each service; this one is the place to start when the whole yard is the question.
What the crew brings to it
Front yards
Builder lawns converted to beds, stone and a smaller lawn, with the HOA submittal handled.
Backyards
Patios, fire pits, lighting, shade and the planting around them, built for how the space is used.
Fixes
Washouts, flooding side yards, dead shade lawns and overgrown corners diagnosed and solved.
Rentals
A set day, a photo after each visit, a monthly price, and fast turnarounds between tenants.
Trees looked after
Inspections and pruning in the oak-wilt window, so a limb does not become a claim.
The right season
Planting and sod in the cool months, stone work before the heat, maintenance year-round.
Residential landscaping around Austin: 2026 prices
| Job | Range | Depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-through and written estimate | Free | Any project |
| Monthly maintenance, mow and beds | $150 – $300 | Lot size, bed area |
| Front-yard makeover | $5,000 – $15,000 | Turf removal, beds, stone, drip, plants |
| Backyard patio and planting project | $8,000 – $30,000+ | Patio size, lighting, plants |
| Drainage fix, French drain or regrading | $1,500 – $5,000 | Length, depth, outlet |
| Tenant turnover cleanup | $250 – $800 | Condition, mulch, sod patch |
| Tree inspection, per property | $100 – $200 | Credited to any tree work |
| Sod patch, per pallet | $250 – $600 | Grass type |
Ranges for Austin and the surrounding Williamson and Hays County towns in 2026, to help you plan. The written estimate after the walk-through is the price; it is itemized, free, and good for 30 days.
On the job
Questions about residential landscaping
Where do I start with a yard that needs everything?
With the walk-through. A plan for the whole yard, even if it is installed over three seasons, costs less and looks better than three unrelated projects.
Can a property manager book for several properties?
Yes. One contact, one monthly invoice, a photo report per property, and the same crew on the same day each week.
What about the strip between the sidewalk and the street?
It is the hardest ground in the yard: compacted, hot, often with utilities under it. Decomposed granite with a few natives, or a tough Bermuda, beats a strip of dead St. Augustine.
My side yard floods every storm. Can that be fixed?
Usually: regrading to a swale, a French drain to the street or a dry well, or a dry creek bed that moves the water and looks intentional. The walk-through happens after a rain if possible.
Do you handle HOA paperwork?
Yes. Front-yard changes in Cedar Park, Leander, Round Rock, Pflugerville and the gated communities go through architectural review, and the submittal is part of the quote.
Is there a contract for maintenance?
No. Month to month, stopped with a week's notice.