Landscape Installation in Colorado Springs, CO

What a landscape installation covers

Check the quote against this list, piece by piece:

• Planting beds: new flower beds, shrub beds and garden installation, with edging and mulch.
• Tree planting and shrub planting.
• Sod installation or a new lawn installation by seed, including soil work before it goes down.
• Rock landscaping, gravel areas and mulch installation to replace thirsty lawn.
• Xeriscape installation and other drought tolerant landscaping.
• Yard grading, yard drainage work, French drain installation, downspout lines and landscape curbing.
• Sprinkler system installation and drip irrigation installation.
• Landscape lighting and hardscape tie-ins, such as patios, walls and fire features.
• Yard cleanup before the build: removing old sod, brush, stumps, rock and debris.

If you want a drawn plan before anyone digs, read about landscape design in Colorado Springs. This page covers the whole installation.

How much does landscape installation cost in Colorado Springs?

The figures below come from one Colorado aggregator, one installer's sod guide and local companies' own price lists. Use them to spot a quote far out of line. The real price is a written quote for your yard. Fisk Lawnscapes, a local company, lists two to four weeks for a typical project.

Colorado and Colorado Springs signals

The last three rows are what individual companies say they charge, not the market. Sources: AskDoss Research, Lawn by Season, Springs Landscaping and Fisk Lawnscapes.

Landscaping cost and what moves it: yard size, plant size, soil preparation, hardscape, irrigation, access

• Yard size. The per-square-foot rates above scale with area, so get the square footage on the quote.
• Plant size. A quote that lists plants only as "shrubs" or "trees" cannot be priced. Each plant needs a size.
• Soil preparation. If both Lawn by Season line items apply, old-grass removal and grading add $0.90 to $4.00 per sq ft (arithmetic on the two ranges), or $1,800 to $8,000 on 2,000 sq ft, on top of the sod price.
• Hardscape. A retaining wall over 4 feet adds a PPRBD permit (permits section).
• Irrigation. Ask for zones, drip lines and the controller as separate lines.
• Access. Ask whether gate width or slope changes the hours when labor is billed by the hour.

Front yard vs backyard landscaping

The page found no dated Colorado Springs price split between the two yards. Ask each company to price them as separate lines so you can phase the work and compare each line with the ranges above. SB23-178 treats the yards differently for detached homes (HOA section below).

Plant beds, gardens, shrubs and trees

Plant bed and garden installation: bed layout, edging, soil preparation, plant selection and massing, mulch

1. Bed layout. Ask the company to mark the bed outline before digging. Change it then, not after the soil is turned.
2. Clearing and soil preparation. Clearing steps are in the xeriscape checklist below and compost amounts in the plants section. CSU Extension's Retrofit Your Yard sheet (reviewed August 2025) adds that most drought-tolerant plants prefer lean soil.
3. Edging. The quote should name the edging material and say whether landscape curbing is included.
4. Plant selection and massing. The planting plan lists each plant by name, size and spacing, and how many go in each group. CSU Extension says not to put plants with different water needs in one irrigation zone.
5. Mulch. The cover goes on each bed at a stated depth, and new plants get a written watering plan.
6. Shrub planting and tree planting. The quote should list each tree and shrub with its size at planting. The page found no sourced Colorado Springs price or planting-season rule for them. In Colorado Springs, tree service is one of the business types on the City Clerk's list that need a City business license, so ask who removes a stump or an old tree in the way.

Mulch installation and rock landscaping

CSU Extension's Retrofit Your Yard sheet says gravel mulch can be beneficial for many native and drought-tolerant plants, while organic mulch such as wood chips retains moisture and eases compaction. It advises skipping weed barrier fabric in planted beds. For rock areas, the quote should say what goes under the rock and how the edges are held.

Sod installation and new lawn installation

A new lawn comes from sod, seed or hydroseed, so get each priced. The hydroseeding page compares the methods. Sod installation cost is in the table above. That guide bills old-grass removal and grading on top, so ask sod installers whether they are in the price.

Soil prep and grass type

CSU Extension's lawn renovation guide (published 2004, reviewed March 2014, and it warns some content may be dated) says sod should not be laid on heavily compacted soil or on top of an existing lawn or thatch layer. The quote should say how the old lawn comes out and how the soil is loosened.

CSU Extension separates cool-season grasses such as bluegrass, ryegrass and fescues from warm-season grasses such as buffalograss and blue grama. Its buffalograss guide, reviewed August 2025, says buffalograss is standard up to about 6,500 feet and is a poor fit for heavy shade, very sandy soils and constant traffic. Ask which grass the company proposes for your site and why.

Watering a new lawn under CSU rules

Colorado Springs Utilities offers a free establishment permit for customers who water new grass or landscape plants with overhead sprinklers more often than the normal rules allow. It is valid for four to six weeks. CSU requires soil-preparation proof for new sod or non-native grass seed, but not for native grass, overseeding, flowers, shrubs or trees. Ask who applies. See the CSU establishment permit page.

Xeriscaping, rock and gravel landscaping and turf conversions

Ask each company to price the conversion and your current lawn upkeep separately, and to write drought tolerant landscaping out by plant name.

Xeriscape installation: what is in the scope

CSU Extension's Retrofit Your Yard sheet gives five steps. Use them as a checklist against a quote:

1. Remove existing plants, mulch and landscape fabric, and make sure turf and weeds are fully dead or removed.
2. Evaluate and amend the soil as needed, and avoid working wet soil.
3. Modify or install irrigation for the new plantings, and plan how existing trees will be watered.
4. Install plants, then wean them from supplemental water only once they are established.
5. Mulch to reduce evaporation and compaction.

A quote that says only "xeriscape package" cannot be compared with another. Ask xeriscape contractors for a plant list by name and size.

Turf conversions: rules, rebates and artificial turf

HB25-1113, effective August 6, 2025, requires each local government with land use planning and zoning authority to adopt rules on turf installation for residential property in new development and redevelopment, due on or before January 1, 2028. The City's Landscape Program page links a Landscape Policy Manual, 2026 edition, but does not summarize a residential turf limit, so check the manual for your lot type.

CSU's Native Grass Lawn Program for homes is free materials, not a per-square-foot payment: high-efficiency sprinkler nozzles worth up to $100 and native grass seed worth up to $150. Registration for 2026 closed at capacity. For businesses, CSU's business irrigation page lists a native grass rebate of $0.50 per square foot. Programs change, so check the CSU rebate page before you plan around one.

For a non-living lawn option, see the artificial turf page. CSU Extension's PlantTalk says it becomes quite warm on a sunny day.

Drainage and grading: standing water, French drains, catch basins, downspout lines

Raise any standing water, or water that runs toward the house, at the first site visit. The price point to hold against a quote is AskDoss's $1,500 to $5,000 in Colorado for a French drain or grading. Ask landscape drainage contractors which fix they propose for each problem: grading, a French drain, a catch basin or a downspout line. Have them show where the water will exit and price each item as its own line.

Size the fix to the storm, not the year. NWS Pueblo's 2025 climate summary for Colorado Springs lists 16.28 inches of precipitation against a normal of 15.91, with hail reported on 5 days.

The City requires a Grading and Erosion Control permit before clearing, grading, excavation or filling on a site that disturbs one acre or more, and for work in an open drainage channel or on a permanent control measure.

Irrigation for new landscapes: sprinkler zones, drip lines, establishment watering

Before you sign, ask irrigation installers for the number of zones, the type of head or drip line on each zone and where the controller goes. Ask also for a controller walk-through at the end and a written starting schedule that fits the rules below. CSU Extension says to modify sprinklers to water only turf and not hardscape.

Care after installation: weekly and seasonal maintenance, seasonal color

The first-season job is water. Newly planted xeric plants still need regular water until they are established, and a new overhead-sprinkler lawn can run on the establishment permit. The page found no sourced maintenance price or seasonal-color list. Sprinkler turn-on and blowout visits are in the cost table. Get mowing and pruning quoted as a line separate from the installation.

Establishment watering and the rules that shape a Colorado Springs irrigation plan

• CSU's Water Wise Rules allow watering up to three days a week on days you choose.
• From May 1 to October 15, water before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
• Fix a leaking sprinkler system within 10 days.
• Trees, shrubs and gardens can be watered outside the three-day limit by drip irrigation, a hose with a shut-off nozzle or a handheld container.
• Violations may carry a $100 fine, though CSU says education comes first.

CSU's Water Shortage Preparation page says the city has been in the preliminary stage of its water shortage ordinance since a Utilities Board vote on March 18, 2026. The stage can change, so read the current Water Wise Rules before you set a controller schedule.

The landscaping process, from site visit to final walkthrough

1. Site visit. Ask what the visit covers and whether it is free or carries a design fee.
2. Design and plan. Ask for a sketch or a scaled plan, and for how the design is charged (one company's percentage pricing is in the cost table).
3. Itemized estimate. One line and one price for every piece, with exclusions in writing.
4. Agreement and schedule. Scope, payment schedule, any deposit and the start and finish dates go in the contract.
5. Permits and utility locates. Settle who handles permits and who calls 811 (permits section).
6. Installation. Get the order of work in writing.
7. Final walkthrough. Walk the yard against the scope, learn the controller and get watering instructions in writing.

Best time of year to landscape and year-round work

How long does a landscaping project take?

Fisk Lawnscapes lists two to four weeks for a typical project and says it can be booked six to twelve weeks out in the busy season. Those are one company's numbers, so get start and finish dates in writing. For a job with drainage, walls, irrigation and planting, ask how permits and inspections affect the dates.

Seasons, seed windows and year-round work in Colorado Springs

NWS Pueblo's freeze data gives Colorado Springs a mean last spring freeze of May 8 and a mean first fall freeze around October 1 to 2. CSU Extension's lawn guide, reviewed March 2014, says cool-season grasses can be seeded March through September and names mid-August to mid-September as the preferred window along the Front Range. Warm-season grasses such as buffalograss go in April through July. For winter or midsummer work, ask the company what it will build or plant then.

How to choose a landscape installation company and compare quotes

Get an itemized, written quote

Ask three companies to price the same list of items. The quote should show the area in square feet, each plant by name and size, the soil work, the irrigation zones, the drainage fix, who removes debris and what is excluded. Compare by line, not by the total. Any plant warranty belongs in the contract: what is covered, for how long and who waters.

Ask about licenses, permits and insurance

PPRBD's license list has no landscape or irrigation category, and it places retaining walls under its Building Contractor D (Specialty) license. The City Clerk's business licensing page lists concrete contractors, excavation and tree service among the business types that need a City license, but not landscaping or irrigation. It says businesses not listed may require other state or local approvals. So ask each company which licenses it holds for your scope, and ask to see them and a current certificate of insurance.

In-house crews vs subcontractors, and how to choose a landscaper

Ask which parts of your job, such as irrigation, concrete or tree work, the company's own employees do and which it subcontracts, and who is responsible for the whole job. PPRBD says a contractor must be licensed and registered with it to pull a permit, so ask whose license a permit would go under.

Residential vs commercial landscaping and maintenance programs

Colorado's SB24-005 says that on and after January 1, 2026, local governments may not allow installation of nonfunctional turf on commercial, institutional or industrial property, common interest community property and certain rights-of-way. The bill summary does not define nonfunctional turf, so a business owner should ask the company to check the site.

For plan review, the City's Landscape Program page links landscape checklists and landscape and irrigation affidavits. For a maintenance program, ask for the visit schedule and the price per visit in writing. Ask any company for its hourly or per-visit rate in writing (one posted rate is in the cost table).

Permits, HOA approval and calling 811

Call 811 before you dig

Colorado 811 says you are legally required to contact Colorado 811 at least three business days before you dig, whatever the project size, and to wait at least three full business days after submitting the request. Start at colorado811.org.

Walls, fences and the building department

The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD) issues building permits for Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Fountain, Woodland Park and Manitou Springs, and also serves Monument and a few other communities. Its "Work Exempt from Permit" list names retaining walls not more than 4 feet high, measured from the lower grade to the upper grade. PPRBD's homeowner page says a permit is required for retaining walls taller than 4 feet, and that fences under 7 feet generally need no PPRBD permit. A fence 6 feet or taller in Colorado Springs needs zoning approval. The list does not name patios, grading or landscaping, so ask PPRBD about anything not listed.

PPRBD also says a contractor cannot pull a permit unless the license is in good standing, and that homeowners can pull a permit only for their own primary residence. Read the PPRBD exempt-work list and the homeowner permit page.

Landscape lighting, decks and outdoor living add-ons

The only sourced lighting fact the page has is that PPRBD's design criteria sheet (updated 06/30/2026) lists the 2023 National Electrical Code among the codes adopted where it works. It gives no lighting price or permit rule, so ask the company and PPRBD whether lighting wiring needs an electrical permit and who pulls it. PPRBD's exempt-work list covers private sidewalks, driveways and platforms on grade, and detached decks up to 30 inches above grade and 200 sq ft or less that do not serve the required egress door. Ask PPRBD about a pergola or other structure.

HOA approval and SB23-178

An HOA can have its own landscape rules. Submit your plan before work starts and keep the approval letter. Approval is the HOA's decision, and no company can promise it.

Colorado's SB23-178 (signed May 17, 2023, effective August 7, 2023) limits what HOA design guidelines can say, but only for single-family detached homes. It does not apply to attached homes that share a wall or to condominiums. For detached homes, an HOA may not:

• prohibit nonvegetative (artificial) turf in the backyard;
• unreasonably require hardscape on more than 20 percent of the landscaped area;
• deny an option of at least 80 percent drought tolerant plantings;
• prohibit vegetable gardens in front, back or side yards.

An owner who believes a rule breaks the law must give 45 days to cure before suing, and recovery is the greater of $500 or actual damages. Read the bill summary, and talk to an attorney about a dispute.

Plants that survive the local climate and soil

CSU Extension says many Colorado soils are alkaline, with a pH of 7.0 to 8.3 caused by high calcium carbonate, also called free lime. Because of that free lime, elemental sulfur is not effective in many Colorado soils, so ask why a plan that lowers the pH with sulfur would work.

For clay or compacted soil, CSU Extension's soil amendment guide says a one-time lawn amendment is 1 to 2 inches of compost incorporated to 6 inches, and first-time flower or vegetable beds take 3 to 4 inches incorporated to 8 to 12 inches. Anything less on compacted, clayey soils may result in shallow rooting.

Questions to ask about each plant:

• Is it suited to alkaline soil and to the site's sun and wind?
• Is it suited to your elevation? CSU Extension lists pinyon pine, for example, at 4,500 to 8,000 feet and one-seeded juniper at 5,000 to 7,000 feet.
• How big will it be in ten years, and does it share a zone with plants that need more or less water?

Plant lists to check a proposal against

CSU Extension El Paso County keeps a Native Plant Demonstration Garden. Its pages give no zone or elevation, so match any pick to your site with the questions above.

• Very low water bed, best for full sun: 26 plants, including Apache plume, prickly pear, Great Plains yucca and little bluestem (El Paso County Extension).
• Low maintenance, low water shrub bed: golden currant, Boulder raspberry and creeping mahonia (El Paso County Extension).
• Trees (Pueblo County Extension): Rocky Mountain juniper, pinon pine and Gambel oak.

Colorado Springs Utilities runs a Water Wise plants section with a "Find a plant" tool at csu.org/water-wise-plants. Plant Select offers free waterwise designs at plantselect.org.

Areas we serve

• Colorado Springs
• Fountain
• Monument
• Woodland Park
• Manitou Springs

Colorado Springs Landscaping Pros connects Colorado Springs homeowners and businesses with independent local landscaping companies. Building permits in Fountain and Manitou Springs run through PPRBD. Monument's permits page lists a separate fence permit and tree removal permit, and Woodland Park has a ZDP application for fences, dumpster enclosures and retaining walls. Check each town's web page for current rules. See also the contact page.

Frequently asked questions