Highland, Utah
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How to pick a landscape designer for a Highland yard, and what a good design should cover on a big lot with deer, slopes and a water meter.
“They listened to what I wanted done even mid-job.”
“I will be using them for all of my landscape needs, a pleasure to work with!”
Custom Landscape Designers
On a small yard, a design is nice to have. On a Highland lot, it is how you avoid spending money twice. With an acre or close to it, the yard might hold a court, a patio, gardens, a play area and a pasture edge. Each of those needs power, water and drainage routed to it. Without a plan, the yard gets built in pieces and the pieces get dug up.
A good designer for Highland also has to plan for things a pretty drawing can skip. The water meter, now that tiered billing is coming. The deer, which the city's newsletter has called a real problem. The slope rules near the mountain edge and the bench bluffs. And the soil, which can change from sandy to silty in one yard.
Below is what to look for in a designer, the mistakes we see in Highland plans and how J&H handles design. We design and build, so the person who draws the plan is also on the hook for building it. That matters more than it sounds, because a plan nobody has to build can promise things the ground will not allow.
What to look for
Ask if the design can be built over a few years. A good plan shows the full yard and marks which parts come first, with sprinkler mains, conduit and drain lines placed for the whole thing.
Highland gives each lot a yearly irrigation allotment tied to its size. Ask how the design fits within it. Lawn sized to use, beds on drip and smart zoning are the signs of a designer who thought about your bill.
Ask which plants are on the list and why. Highland runs zone 6a to 7a depending on the lot, and deer browse is real. A good designer names plants that handle both and plans protection for young trees.
If your lot has slope, ask how the design handles it. Highland bars development on slopes over 25 percent and caps graded slopes at 3 to 1. A designer who draws a big flat lawn on a steep bank is setting you up for a denial.
What goes wrong in Highland
A plan view with plants and patios but no elevations hides the hard part. Where does the water go? How tall are the walls? On a big Highland lot, those answers can change the price by a lot.
Some plans list the same plants for every yard in the valley. Highland's deer and later spring frosts take some of them out fast. Ask if the list was built for your lot or pulled from a template.
A design from someone who will not build it can include things that cost far more to install than you were told. Ask for a rough build cost with the design, so the plan matches your budget before you fall in love with it.
Why Highland picks J&H
What homeowners say
"We had a really big project (full lot project) and a crazy timeline, and Jackson and his team were awesome. They are very efficient, work hard to get things done quick, and the quality of their work is top-notch. Great company. Great guys. I would highly recommend them for any landscaping needs."
"Jackson and his crew did a phenomenal job on our back yard. I had a vision and they brought it to life. We had them do a retaining wall, grading, underground trampoline, sprinkler system, and sod. They met deadlines, communication was on point, and the whole crew was friendly.…"
"…The job was completed quickly without sacrificing quality, and the results exceeded our expectations. We would absolutely hire this team again and recommend them to anyone looking for landscaping help."
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Your dream yard. Done right. Done on time.
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