Landscapers in Lake Elmo, MN | Design & Build | Schifsky
Landscape Design & Build · Serving Lake Elmo, MN

Landscapers in Lake Elmo, MN

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Pools · Paver Patios · Pergolas · Outdoor Kitchens · Retaining Walls
Landscape Design & Build · Serving Lake Elmo, MN

Working in Lake Elmo

Lake Elmo is home for us. From the Old Village to the large lots and newer developments spreading across town, we’ve designed and built landscapes throughout Lake Elmo - including full design-build projects like our Lake Elmo Landscape build.

Our family-owned team has spent 37+ years building patios, pools, pergolas, outdoor kitchens, fire features, retaining walls and complete landscapes across the Twin Cities. Every Lake Elmo project is designed in 3D first and built by one accountable crew - on schedule and clearly communicated.

Lake Elmo is home. Our office and design showroom are at 3520 Lavern Ave N, and the city around it mixes the Old Village, large rural lots, lakes like Lake Elmo, Lake Jane and Olson Lake, and the newer neighborhoods that have filled in along I-94 and Manning Avenue. That spread means we build everything here, from estate pools to new-construction landscapes on a blank lot.

Three Lake Elmo projects are on this page: The Crown Jewel, where we installed the outdoor living, plantings and artificial turf around a new estate home; From the Ground Up, a full landscape around a brand-new build; and The 45th Patio and Showroom, the paver patio outside our own front door that you can walk on when you visit. The showroom is open year-round by appointment, and winter is the best time to plan a spring build.

Our Work

Backyards We Have Built Across the Twin Cities

Pergola lounge, plantings and turf we installed around a pool behind a Lake Elmo estate at dusk Rectangular pool with tanning ledge and louvered pergola in Woodbury Natural stone outdoor fireplace with lounge seating in Hugo Modern pool and paver terrace behind a contemporary Shakopee home Aerial view of a pool, patio and plantings in Maple Plain Aerial view of a pool, patio and putting green in Woodbury Linear fire table with built-in bench seating in Woodbury Pergola lounge and fire feature lit at night in Lake Elmo Terraced natural stone retaining walls on a White Bear Lake shoreline lot Aerial view of a pool and patio on a golf course lot in Hudson, WI Fire pit patio with Adirondack chairs in Scandia Paver patio and stoop behind a Stillwater home

See the full portfolio

Project Stories

Three Lake Elmo Projects, Start to Finish

The Crown Jewel: outdoor living, plantings & artificial turf installation in Lake Elmo, MN, view 1
The Crown Jewel: outdoor living, plantings & artificial turf installation in Lake Elmo, MN, view 2 The Crown Jewel: outdoor living, plantings & artificial turf installation in Lake Elmo, MN, view 3
Lake Elmo, MN

The Crown Jewel

Outdoor living, plantings and artificial turf installed around a new Lake Elmo estate, from a landscape design by TVLS.

About this project

Our part of this new-construction estate was the installation. The landscape was designed by TVLS and the pool was built by another contractor; Schifsky Companies built the landscape and outdoor living around it: the lounge and fire feature areas, the paver and artificial turf surfaces that run between the pool and the lawn, and the plantings that settle the house into its wooded Lake Elmo lot. Every detail in the plan was carried through, and the result is one of the most photographed backyards we have worked on.

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The 45th Patio & Showroom: patio, outdoor living & landscape design in Lake Elmo, MN, view 1
The 45th Patio & Showroom: patio, outdoor living & landscape design in Lake Elmo, MN, view 2 The 45th Patio & Showroom: patio, outdoor living & landscape design in Lake Elmo, MN, view 3
Lake Elmo, MN · $108K complete project

The 45th Patio & Showroom

Our downtown Lake Elmo office and showroom, a paver patio and gathering space designed with TVLS.

About this project

This is home base, and the name is literal: the property sits right on the 45th parallel, the line exactly halfway between the equator and the North Pole, and that is where The 45th gets its name. We reimagined our downtown Lake Elmo property into a modern office and showroom that puts our craftsmanship on display, wrapped in a paver patio, layered plantings, and fresh landscape so clients can walk through the quality before we ever break ground. It is built to give back, too: the gravel lot is set up for two future food-truck spots, and the lawn is planned as an open community space right in the center of downtown. We partnered with TVLS to design the whole project with us.

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From the Ground Up: landscape design in Lake Elmo, MN, view 1
From the Ground Up: landscape design in Lake Elmo, MN, view 2 From the Ground Up: landscape design in Lake Elmo, MN, view 3
Lake Elmo, MN · $75K complete project

From the Ground Up

A complete new-construction landscape built from a blank slate in Lake Elmo.

About this project

New construction leaves you with a beautiful house and a blank, muddy yard. For this Lake Elmo home we designed and built the complete landscape from the ground up - grading, plantings and hardscape, plus the finishing touches that finally make a new build feel like home.

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What We Build in Lake Elmo

What We Design and Build in Lake Elmo

The same seven services we offer across the Twin Cities, shown on backyards we have built. Tap any photo to see it full size.

Terraced natural stone retaining walls in Birchwood Village Boulder and block retaining walls with steps in Dellwood Block retaining walls and plantings in Woodbury

Retaining Walls, Grading and Drainage in Lake Elmo

Our closest completed retaining wall project to Lake Elmo is Terraced on White Bear Lake in Birchwood Village, MN, about 6 miles away.

Block, natural stone and boulder walls that hold the grade and make a sloped lot usable, with the drainage behind them that keeps them standing straight. If you are replacing a rotting timber or railroad-tie wall, the demolition and haul-off are part of the job. Standing water, a soggy lawn or water against the foundation gets the same treatment: diagnose where the water comes from, then regrade, drain tile or French drain it. Engineering requirements vary by city; we check yours during the assessment.

Retaining wall service Yard drainage: standing water, French drains and regrading

Landscape DesignSwimming PoolsPaver Patios & HardscapeRetaining WallsOutdoor Living & KitchensAluminum PergolasLandscape Drainage

Planning and Investment

What a Backyard Costs in Lake Elmo

We price by scope, not by city. These are the ranges we quote across the Twin Cities, with our Lake Elmo work as reference points. Every figure is a complete-project total unless noted.

Paver patio $15,000 to $30,000 Paver patio cost guide
Complete backyard transformation $100,000 to $300,000 The 45th Patio & Showroom · $108KFrom the Ground Up · $75K
Pool plus complete backyard $200,000 to $430,000+ Minnesota pool cost guide
Free consultationAt your home or in the Lake Elmo showroom. We talk scope and give you an honest range.
Design feeCharged when you move into 3D design; explained up front and credited toward your installation when you build with us.
Firm, itemized quoteOnce the design and materials are set, so the number you sign is the number you build to.

Financing is available for qualified projects. See financing options

Plan Before You Build

Planning Guides for Lake Elmo Homeowners

Costs, rules, timing and ideas from our guides, written by our owner from real Twin Cities projects.

Guide

How Much Does a Paver Patio Cost in Lake Elmo, MN?

A paver patio in Lake Elmo, MN typically costs $45 to $62 per square foot, or roughly $15,000 to $30,000 for a backyard patio. Here is the 2...

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Guide

When Should You Start a Backyard Project in Minnesota? The Month-by-Month Timeline

Design in winter, build from late April through October, and know how long a patio, a pool backyard or a full landscape really takes. A mont...

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Guide

Walkout Backyard Ideas: How to Turn a Sloped Minnesota Lot Into a Yard You Actually Use

Most Twin Cities suburbs are built on walkout lots: a deck up top, a slope, and a lower yard nobody uses. Here is how terraces, walls, steps...

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Guide

What Does a Full Backyard Landscape Project Cost in the Twin Cities?

A full backyard landscape project in the Twin Cities typically runs from about $45,000 for a focused makeover to $300,000+ for a luxury esta...

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Guide

Can I Put a Pool in My Yard? Minnesota Pool Permits, Fences, Setbacks and Other Rules Explained

Before you price a pool, find out whether your lot can take one. A plain-English guide to the permit, fence, setback, impervious-surface, we...

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Guide

How to Choose a Landscape Contractor in the Twin Cities: Questions to Ask, Red Flags, and What a Good Quote Looks Like

A practical hiring guide for Minneapolis, St. Paul and suburban homeowners: how to check a Minnesota contractor's license and insurance, the...

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See all guides

Reviews

What Homeowners Say

Real Google reviews from homeowners we have built for. Read more reviews.

We worked with Adam from start to finish, beginning in the fall to design a large patio, fire pit area, and improved landscaping in our backyard. … His 3D design brought the project to life and made us confident in our decisions. When the work started this summer, the team stayed on schedule, and worked efficiently while delivering a beautiful result.

Lauren Hood Google review · Jul 2026
East Metro

Also Serving the Neighbors

GrantStillwaterMahtomediHudsonWoodburyAfton All service areas

Lake Elmo Landscaping FAQ

Common Questions from Lake Elmo Homeowners

Are you really based in Lake Elmo?
Yes - our shop is right here at 3520 Lavern Ave N. We’re your hometown landscapers, and you’ll see our work all over Lake Elmo.
What does a landscape project cost here?
We price by scope, not by city. Across the Twin Cities a focused paver patio typically runs $15,000 to $30,000, a complete backyard transformation $100,000 to $300,000, and a pool-plus-landscape project $200,000 to $430,000 or more. See our full backyard cost guide for the breakdown. You get an honest range at your free consultation and a firm quote once design and materials are set.
Do you offer 3D design, and are you licensed and insured?
Yes to both. Every project starts with realistic 3D design so you can see it before we build, and Schifsky Companies is fully licensed and insured - family-owned for 37+ years.
Why Lake Elmo Homeowners Choose Us

The Schifsky Difference

Family-owned for 37+ years, we design and build your project with one accountable team, so the people who plan it are the people who build it, start to finish.

Get a Free Lake Elmo Consultation
  • 37+ Years, Family-OwnedNearly four decades building Twin Cities outdoor spaces - still run by the same family.
  • True Design-BuildOne accountable team from first sketch to final walkthrough - no finger-pointing between trades.
  • See It in 3D FirstWe design your project in realistic 3D so you can refine it before we ever break ground.
  • Built for Minnesota WintersProper base prep, drainage, and craftsmanship engineered to handle our freeze-thaw cycles.
Serving Lake Elmo

Let’s Build Your Lake Elmo Outdoor Space

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4.9 on Google Licensed & Insured Family-Owned 37 Yrs

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