Round Rock, Texas

Landscaping in Round Rock

Redoing beds, adding plants that handle Texas heat, or fixing a yard that floods? Text me a few photos and what you want. I’ll help you find a local landscaper.

Text Terry about landscaping

OnHand Home is not a landscaper. I help you find one, and you get their business name before you agree to anything. There is no charge for my help. You pay the landscaper for the work.

What the work involves

Landscaping is a wide word. It can mean a design on paper, the work of building it, or both. A design-only company draws a plan. An install company builds one. Some do both. Say which you want before you ask for quotes.

Typical install work includes bed prep, plants, mulch, edging, stone or pavers, drainage, sod, irrigation and outdoor lighting. Many companies do only part of that list and bring in another trade for the rest.

A good quote lists every plant by name and size, every material, and what happens to the old plants and soil. Ask to see the plan before work starts. Ask who picks the plants.

Why Round Rock homeowners hire a landscaper

A bare front yard on a new house
Beds that are overgrown, dead or full of weeds
A lawn you want to shrink to save water and mowing
Water pooling near the foundation or running into the neighbor’s yard
A patio, walkway or retaining wall
Outdoor lighting for paths, trees or the house
Artificial turf for a play area or dog run
A yard that needs a plan, not just a few plants

Choices to settle before you get quotes

These choices change the whole bid. Decide them first, or ask the landscaper to price each option.

Design first or build now? A design lets you shop the same plan to several companies. It costs extra up front. Ask whether the design fee is credited if you hire the same company to build.
Lawn, native plants or rock? The City of Round Rock suggests native plants and cardboard sheet mulching to remove turf. It discourages rock yards, except in shady areas and as accents.
Artificial turf? The City says it does not recommend artificial turf. If you still want it, ask the installer about base prep, drainage and heat in full sun.
Drainage fix or just plants? If water pools by the house, plants will not fix it. Ask about regrading, a drain, or a french drain before you plant over the problem.
One company or several? Lighting, irrigation, hardscape and planting are often separate trades. One lead company can manage them, or you can hire each one.

What changes the price

Two landscapers can quote the same yard very differently. Compare the scope line by line, not just the total.

How many plants, their size at planting, and how many beds
Hardscape such as stone, pavers, edging or a retaining wall
How much old turf, rock and soil has to come out and be hauled away
Grading and drainage work
Irrigation changes, which may need a City permit and a licensed irrigator
Lighting, wiring and a transformer, if you want lights
Whether the quote includes watering during the first weeks, and any plant replacement
Access for equipment, such as a narrow gate

Questions to ask the landscaper

Use these to compare quotes side by side.

Is this a design, an install, or both?The answer sets what you are paying for and who is responsible if the result is wrong.
Can you list each plant by name and size?A vague line such as "shrubs" lets the crew pick the cheapest plant.
Who calls to have underground utilities marked before digging?Texas law requires notice to a notification center before excavation. Ask who makes that call.
Does any of this need an HOA or City approval, and who files it?Round Rock requires a permit to install a lawn irrigation system. Ask about the rest of your job.
Who waters the new plants, and for how long?New plants die when the first weeks go wrong. Know who carries that risk.
Do you replace plants that fail, and for how long?Get any plant replacement terms in writing. Do not accept a verbal promise.
Do you carry liability insurance?Digging can break a sprinkler line or a pipe. Know who pays.

Before anyone digs

Texas law says a person who plans to excavate must notify a notification center. The notice must come no earlier than 14 days before the dig and no later than 48 hours before it, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. Buried gas, electric and other lines are the reason.

Ask your landscaper who makes the call, and wait for the marks before the work starts. Do not dig for a post, tree or bed yourself without checking.

City of Round Rock rebates that touch landscaping

The City lists rebates for a Texas native tree, parkway strip conversion, smart irrigation upgrades to an existing system, and rain barrels or tanks. You need a water bill that comes directly from the City. The native tree rebate needs pre-approval and a planting window. Read the City page before you buy plants.

Round Rock and Texas notes

The City of Round Rock says soil west of IH-35 is shallow, rocky clay, and east of it is deeper clay or clay-loam. It suggests a soil test and lists native plants such as Texas Liatris and Maximilian Sunflower.
Texas requires notice to a notification center before excavation (Utilities Code, section 251.151).
The City requires an Irrigation Permit to install a lawn irrigation system connected to City water.
The City lists water conservation rebates for residents who get a water bill from the City. Ask the landscaper to check eligibility before you start.

What happens after you text

You text meSay what is going on, add a photo if you can, and include your ZIP code. The message is already started for you, and you can change it.
I ask a question or twoI check the details a landscaper will need and confirm you are in our area. We are starting in Round Rock.
I look for a landscaperI check who can take the job. You get the business name before you agree to anything. If I cannot find someone, I tell you.
They quote and do the workThe landscaper confirms the time and the price with you. You pay them for the work. I follow up afterward.

Tell me what is going on.

Text me a short description and your ZIP code. A photo helps.