★★★★★
Adam was great with the entire process from design to final touches. No complaints. The company did a great job from design to irrigation and lighting.
New Construction Landscaping
New Construction Landscaping in the Twin Cities
A new house comes with a beautiful interior and a yard that is dirt, a thin layer of sod and whatever the builder's allowance covered. We design and build the complete landscape around new construction, from final grade and drainage to the patio, plantings, lawn and lighting, so the outside catches up with the inside in the first season.
New Builds · Builder Allowances · Final Grade to Finished Yard
Builders are good at houses. Their landscape allowance is usually enough for rough grade, sod and a few foundation shrubs, and the result is a yard that looks unfinished next to the home. The time to plan the real landscape is before the sod goes down, while the grades can still be set, the drainage can still be built in and the patio can be tied to the house the way it should be. <a href="/projects/lake-elmo-new-construction/">From the Ground Up</a> in Lake Elmo is the straightforward version: grading, plantings and hardscape that made a new build feel like home, for about $75,000.
At the other end, <a href="/projects/lake-elmo-landscape/">The Crown Jewel</a> in Lake Elmo was a complete new-construction estate landscape with a pool and outdoor living, and <a href="/projects/scandia-prairie-escape/">Life on the Prairie</a> in Scandia started from a design meeting at the newly finished home's kitchen table, went to a full plan set with 3D renderings, and was completed in time for a 250-guest wedding on the property. Different budgets, same approach: one plan for the whole lot, built in phases if that is what the budget needs.
Our Work
New Builds We Have Finished
Lake Elmo and Scandia. Tap any photo to see it full size.
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What a New Construction Landscape Includes
- Final grade and drainage so water leaves the foundation
- Patio, walkways, stoop and steps tied to the house
- Trees, foundation plantings and beds sized to grow in
- Sod or seed, irrigation and edging
- Retaining walls where the lot grades require them
- Landscape lighting and the finishing details
Why It Matters
Why the First Year Is the Right Time
The builder's crew leaves the lot at rough grade with the soil compacted by equipment. Everything you want later, a patio off the kitchen, a pool, a fire pit, a dry basement, is cheaper and better if the grades, sleeves, conduit and drainage are set now instead of dug up through a finished lawn in three years. Many Twin Cities cities also require ground cover or hold a landscape escrow until the yard is finished, so there is usually a deadline anyway. One plan for the whole lot, built in one season or phased, beats a yard assembled piece by piece.
How We Work
How We Work With a New Build
Plan Before Sod
Ideally we meet while the house is being finished, with the site plan and survey, so the landscape plan sets the final grades and the patio location.
3D Design
The whole lot in 3D: patio, beds, trees, lawn, lighting, and where a future pool or pergola would go, so the first phase does not block the second.
Grade and Drain
Final grading away from the foundation, drain tile and downspout extensions where they are needed, and conduit and sleeves for lighting and irrigation.
Hardscape and Plantings
Patio, walks, stoop and walls first, then trees, shrubs and perennials chosen for the exposure and sized to fill in.
Lawn, Lighting and Walkthrough
Sod or seed, irrigation, lighting, and a walkthrough on the first-year watering that new plantings need.
Scope Options
From the Essentials to the Whole Estate
The Essentials
Final grade, drainage, foundation plantings, a few trees, lawn and a simple patio. The Lake Elmo project above is this scope at about $75,000.
Outdoor Living
A patio sized for dining and lounging, a fire feature, lighting and layered plantings, built in the first season.
Pool and Backyard
A pool, deck, fence and the landscape around it, designed with the house so the equipment, grades and setbacks all work.
Estate Scale
Driveway and motor court, walls, pool, outdoor kitchen, pergola and full plantings, like The Crown Jewel in Lake Elmo.
Phased Over Time
The full design now, the essentials this year, the patio or pool next. We plan the phases so nothing gets torn out.
Builder and Architect Coordination
We work from the site plan and with your builder on grades, utilities and the schedule so the landscape goes in as the house wraps up.
Related Specialties
Related Work
Landscape Design
3D design so you see the whole property before anything is built.
Learn more →Pool Landscaping and Pool Decks
Everything around the pool, finished the same season the pool goes in: deck, fence, grading, plantings and lighting.
Learn more →Paver Driveways
Driveways and motor courts in pavers, built on a deeper base than a patio so they carry vehicles through freeze-thaw.
Learn more → What Affects the Cost
What New Construction Landscaping Costs
The essentials for a new build, grading, plantings, lawn and a modest patio, start around $75,000: From the Ground Up in Lake Elmo was that scope. A full landscape with a larger patio, fire feature, walls and plantings, like Life on the Prairie in Scandia at about $140,000, lands in the $100,000 to $300,000 range we see for complete backyards. An estate with a pool and outdoor living, like The Crown Jewel at about $689,000, is its own category.
A builder's landscape allowance usually covers only a fraction of this; ask what yours includes so the allowance pays for grading and sod and the real plan starts from there.
- Grading and drainageCompacted new-build lots and walkout grades can need significant earthwork and drain tile.
- Lot sizeMore lawn, more beds and longer walks and drives on larger lots.
- Hardscape scopeA simple patio versus a patio, walls, fire feature and steps.
- Plant sizeLarger trees and shrubs cost more but look finished sooner.
Reviews
What Homeowners Say About Our New Construction Landscaping Work
Real Google reviews. Read more reviews.
★★★★★
Incredible company to work with. Exceeded all of our expectations. Great design and perfect follow through. Everything done extremely well and on time. Can't say enough good things about them. We would use them again in a heartbeat.
See It in Action
Related Projects
FAQ
Common New Construction Landscaping Questions
When should I plan landscaping for a new construction home?
Before the sod goes down, ideally while the house is being finished. That lets the landscape plan set the final grades, build in drainage, and run conduit and sleeves for lighting and irrigation before the lawn is in. If the house is already done, the first year is still the best time; our timeline guide explains when to start for a given season.
What does a builder's landscape allowance usually cover?
Typically rough or final grade, sod and a few foundation shrubs. It rarely covers a patio, trees of any size, drainage work, lighting or a real planting plan. Ask your builder exactly what is included so the allowance pays for the basics and the landscape plan picks up from there.
How much does landscaping a new construction home cost?
The essentials, grading, plantings, lawn and a modest patio, start around $75,000. A complete landscape with a larger patio, fire feature and walls lands in the $100,000 to $300,000 range for most Twin Cities homes. An estate with a pool and outdoor living is higher. See our full backyard cost guide.
Do cities require landscaping on a new home?
Many Twin Cities cities require ground cover within a set time after occupancy or hold a landscape escrow until the yard is finished, and some have tree or screening requirements for new lots. Requirements vary by city, so we check yours and design to it.
Can the landscape be phased?
Yes, and it often should be. We design the whole lot now and build the essentials first, then the patio, pool or outdoor living in later seasons, with the grades, sleeves and conduit for the later phases already in place.
Do you work with builders and architects?
Yes. We work from the site plan and survey, coordinate grades and utilities with the builder, and have built from other designers' plans as well as our own 3D designs. The Crown Jewel in Lake Elmo was designed by TVLS and built by our team.
Why Schifsky
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 Quote- 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.
Service Area
Serving the Twin Cities & Western Wisconsin
Start Your Project
Ready to Get Started?
Thank you - request received!
A member of the Schifsky design team will reach out within one business day.
Prefer to talk now? Call 651-439-0603