When to Start Planning a Landscape Project

If you want your landscape project built this summer, you should have started planning last fall. That’s not a guilt trip — it’s the reality of how design-build timelines work in the Seattle area. The homeowners who end up happiest with their finished landscapes are almost always the ones who started the conversation 4-6 months before they expected construction to begin. The ones who call in May hoping to be done by July are usually disappointed — not because we can’t help, but because the best design, the best material availability, and the best crew scheduling happen when there’s lead time to work with.

Here’s the actual timeline of a residential landscape project in the greater Seattle area, from the moment you pick up the phone to the day we walk you through the finished property.

How long does each phase actually take?

Most homeowners think of a landscape project as “the construction part.” But construction is only one phase of a process that involves design, engineering, permitting, material procurement, and scheduling — each with its own timeline that doesn’t compress well.

Phase 1: Consultation and site evaluation (1-2 weeks)

This is the initial meeting — we walk your property together, discuss your vision, your budget range, how your family uses the outdoor space, and what you’d like to change. On most Greater Seattle properties, we’re also evaluating drainage patterns, soil conditions, sun exposure, existing vegetation worth preserving, and access for equipment.

The consultation itself takes 60-90 minutes. The time between your first call and the consultation date depends on the season — during our busiest months (March through June), the wait can be 2-3 weeks. In winter, we can usually schedule within a week.

Phase 2: Design development (3-6 weeks)

After the site evaluation, our design team develops the concept — plant selections, hardscape layout, grading plan, drainage strategy, lighting, irrigation. This isn’t a sketch on a napkin. It’s a detailed plan that accounts for how the property will look and function in every season, how water moves across the site, how plants will grow over 5-10 years, and how the budget maps to each element.

Design development takes 3-6 weeks depending on project complexity. A focused patio-and-planting project might need 3 weeks. A full property renovation with retaining walls, multiple outdoor rooms, and phased construction could take 6 weeks or more. This phase includes at least one design review meeting where we present the concept, get your feedback, and revise.

Rushing this phase produces inferior designs. We’ve been called in to fix projects — our own and other companies’ — where the design didn’t account for how a property’s mature Douglas fir canopy would shade a patio by 2:00 PM, or where a retaining wall was sized for aesthetics rather than the actual soil pressure it would face. Those mistakes trace back to compressed design timelines.

Phase 3: Engineering and permitting (2-8 weeks)

Not every project requires this phase, but many in the Seattle area do:

• Retaining walls over 4 feet: Require structural and sometimes geotechnical engineering, plus a building permit. Engineering takes 2-4 weeks. Permitting varies by jurisdiction — Bellevue typically processes in 4-6 weeks, Kirkland in 3-5 weeks, unincorporated King County in 4-8 weeks.
• Work within shoreline management zones: Common in Kenmore, Kirkland, and Mercer Island. Adds significant review time.
• Significant tree removal: Requires a clearing permit in most Greater Seattle cities. Bellevue’s tree preservation code is particularly strict.
• Structures (pergolas, covered patios, outdoor kitchens): Require building permits in most jurisdictions.

If your project triggers permitting, this phase runs concurrently with material procurement but can’t overlap with construction. The permit must be in hand before work begins.

Phase 4: Material procurement (2-4 weeks)

Pavers, natural stone, boulders, specialty plants, lighting fixtures, irrigation components — these need to be ordered, often from multiple suppliers. Standard materials are usually available within 1-2 weeks. Specialty items — a specific natural stone, large-caliper specimen trees, custom metalwork — can take 3-6 weeks.

We start procurement during the design phase for long-lead items, but final ordering happens once the design is approved and the budget is confirmed. Starting too early risks ordering materials for a design that changes.

Phase 5: Construction (2-8 weeks)

The part most people think of as “the project.” Duration depends entirely on scope:

Weather affects this timeline. We build through light rain — this is Seattle, and if we stopped for drizzle, we’d never finish anything. But heavy rain delays concrete pours, grading work, and soil amendment. A typical spring project might lose 3-5 days to weather over its duration.

Phase 6: Planting and finishing (1-2 weeks)

Planting is the final construction activity. It happens after all hardscape, drainage, and irrigation are complete — because foot traffic, equipment, and soil disturbance during construction damage newly installed plants. We’ve learned this the hard way: planting before construction is finished means replanting after construction is finished.

What does the real-world timeline look like?

Here’s what a typical project timeline actually looks like, mapped against the calendar:

Scenario: Full backyard renovation, targeting summer completion

Total: 7-8 months from first call to completion.

That timeline surprises most people. But it’s realistic for a project in the $40,000–$100,000+ range. Smaller projects — a patio replacement, a planting refresh, a drainage fix — can move faster (3-4 months total). Larger projects with engineering requirements can take longer.

Why does starting in winter produce better results?

The conventional wisdom is that landscaping is a spring and summer activity. The reality in Seattle is that the best projects start their planning phase in November through February — for several reasons:

1. Designer availability. Our design team’s workload peaks from March through June, when every homeowner who waited until spring calls at once. In winter, we have more bandwidth for your project, which means faster turnaround, more creative attention, and fewer competing deadlines.

2. Better site evaluation. Walking a property in December tells us things we can’t see in July. We see where water collects, where drainage fails, which areas stay in shadow all day, and which plants are struggling. A dry-season site visit misses half the story on most Greater Seattle properties.

3. You’re first in line for spring construction. Projects designed and permitted by February go into our spring construction queue ahead of projects that are still in design. The difference can be two months of scheduling priority.

4. Plant availability. Specialty specimen trees, large-caliper maples, mature evergreen screening — these are sourced from wholesale nurseries that fill orders on a first-come basis. Ordering in January means access to the best inventory. Ordering in May means choosing from what’s left.

5. No rushed decisions. Winter planning gives you time to live with the design concept, make revisions, and feel confident before construction starts. When the timeline is compressed, design decisions get made under pressure — and those are the decisions homeowners regret.

What if you're already behind?

If it’s March and you haven’t started planning, you’re not out of the game — but the window for summer completion is closing. Here’s what’s still realistic:

March start → August-September completion: Possible for straightforward projects without significant permitting requirements. Design through April, procurement in May, construction June-August.

April start → September-October completion: Construction may push into early fall, which is actually fine for planting — fall is the best planting season in the Pacific Northwest because the soil is still warm, rain handles the watering, and roots establish through winter before the first summer stress.

May-June start → You’re designing for fall construction. And that’s not a bad thing. Fall and early winter construction is underutilized in Seattle. Hardscape work — patios, retaining walls, drainage — can proceed through November and into December in most years. Planting in October and November is ideal. The projects that look best by the following summer are often the ones planted in fall.

July or later → You’re planning for next year. Use the summer to evaluate your property, research ideas, and interview companies. Start the design process in the fall for spring construction.

How do you avoid the most common timing mistakes?

Three patterns we see repeatedly:

Waiting for “the right time” that never comes. January feels too early, March feels busy, May feels late, and suddenly it’s August and another year has passed. The right time to start is whenever you’re thinking about it — because the planning phase takes longer than you expect.

Assuming construction can start immediately. We occasionally get calls from homeowners who want construction to begin next week. Even if our schedule allowed it (it usually doesn’t during peak season), skipping the design phase produces projects that don’t account for site conditions, water behavior, and long-term plant growth. Speed without planning is how problems get built into landscapes.

Planning around a specific event. “We need the yard done for our daughter’s graduation party in June.” Event-driven timelines can work, but only if the planning starts far enough in advance. We can reverse-engineer a timeline from your target date — but if the math doesn’t work, we’ll tell you honestly rather than promising something we can’t deliver responsibly.

If you’re thinking about a landscape project — even vaguely — the best next step is a conversation. We can map a realistic timeline to your goals and your property, and you’ll know exactly when each phase needs to start. No commitment required, just clarity.

The Bottom Line

Three patterns we see repeatedly:

Waiting for “the right time” that never comes. January feels too early, March feels busy, May feels late, and suddenly it’s August and another year has passed. The right time to start is whenever you’re thinking about it — because the planning phase takes longer than you expect.

Assuming construction can start immediately. We occasionally get calls from homeowners who want construction to begin next week. Even if our schedule allowed it (it usually doesn’t during peak season), skipping the design phase produces projects that don’t account for site conditions, water behavior, and long-term plant growth. Speed without planning is how problems get built into landscapes.

Planning around a specific event. “We need the yard done for our daughter’s graduation party in June.” Event-driven timelines can work, but only if the planning starts far enough in advance. We can reverse-engineer a timeline from your target date — but if the math doesn’t work, we’ll tell you honestly rather than promising something we can’t deliver responsibly.

If you’re thinking about a landscape project — even vaguely — the best next step is a conversation. We can map a realistic timeline to your goals and your property, and you’ll know exactly when each phase needs to start. No commitment required, just clarity.