Landscaping

Full landscape design and installation — beds, trees, sod, and native plantings tuned to Houston.

Typical timeline: 2–4 weeks

A landscape isn't a shopping trip to a big-box nursery. We design planting plans around your sun exposure, soil type, drainage, and how much time you actually want to spend maintaining it. Native and adapted species (live oak, magnolia, muhly grass, lantana, salvia) thrive on Houston rainfall and don't need constant coddling. We install trees on properly staked root balls, prep beds with 4–6" of compost-amended soil, and lay sod on a fresh, level base. Every install includes a 90-day plant establishment warranty.

Materials

What we install vs. what corner-cutters use.

Bed prep

What we install

4–6" compost-amended soil tilled 8" deep.

Common shortcut

Bag of topsoil dumped on top of clay.

Why it matters: Roots can't penetrate unamended clay; plants stall.

Sod

What we install

St. Augustine Palmetto or Zoysia Empire on 2" fresh topsoil.

Common shortcut

Sod dropped on hard-pan clay.

Why it matters: Deep planting and volcano mulch girdle and kill trees within 2–3 years.

Process

A predictable path — with real durations.

Design

1–2 weeks

Site visit, sun/soil assessment, planting plan with mature sizes.

Prep

2–3 days

Bed shaping, soil amendment, edging install.

Trees & shrubs

1–2 days

Layout on-site for approval, plant, mulch, water in.

Sod & seed

1–2 days

Grade, sod, roll, water.

Walkthrough

1 hour

Watering schedule, plant care, warranty details.

Why us

Why homeowners pick Modern Builders for landscaping.

We start with soil. Houston gumbo clay is brutal on plants — we amend every bed with 4–6" of composted mulch tilled in, not just a bag of Miracle-Gro tossed in the hole. Trees are planted at grade (not deep), staked for one growing season, and mulched in a wide ring — never volcano-mulched against the trunk. That's why our trees survive and the trees planted deep by low-grade crews die in year two. Every plan considers mature size, so your foundation plantings aren't touching the eaves in five years.

FAQs

Answers before you ask.

Do you handle irrigation too?+

Yes — see our Sprinkler System page. We coordinate landscaping and irrigation on the same schedule.

What's the plant warranty?+

90 days on installed plants when watered per our schedule. Trees larger than 3" caliper get a 1-year warranty.

Native vs ornamental plants?+

Natives need less water and no chemicals. Ornamentals give more color options. Most plans mix both.

Can you work around my existing yard?+

Absolutely — most projects are re-designs of existing yards, not scorched-earth rebuilds.

Get a quote — we do it right.

Fixed-price proposals, real timelines, no corners cut. Tell us about your landscaping project.

Request your quote