Yards in this region live under water half the year, and the prettiest planting plan won't survive ground that never drains. Tell us what you want done and we'll match your landscaping services Portland metro project to crews who start with grading and water, then make it beautiful.
Soggy lawns, standing puddles by the patio, and water tracking toward a crawlspace are the most common yard complaints across the metro, and they're almost all grading problems. French drains, dry wells, regraded swales, and downspout extensions carried well away from the foundation are the tools. A landscaper who quotes plants and bark before looking at where your roof water lands is quoting the fun part only.
Our climate is genuinely two climates: saturated from October to June, then eight to ten weeks with almost no rain. Plants that suit both — many natives, established shrubs with deep roots, and thoughtful mulch — need far less irrigation than a lawn does. Ask for a plan that groups plants by water need so you're not running a whole system for a few thirsty beds.
Patios, paths, retaining walls, and steps are what make a yard usable in a climate where grass is mush half the year. Permeable pavers and gravel paths handle our rainfall better than a solid slab tipped the wrong way. Retaining walls over a certain height are engineered, permitted work in metro jurisdictions, so get that scoped rather than assumed.
Describe the project once and we match it with vetted local pros who actually do this work — you choose who to hire, or nobody at all.
Much of the valley floor across the metro is dense clay-heavy soil that drains slowly and compacts under equipment. That's why so many yards puddle after the first serious autumn rain and why amending beds properly matters more here than in sandy regions. Good crews plan soil work and avoid running machinery over saturated ground in winter.
Tree removal permits, stormwater and impervious-surface limits, and retaining wall thresholds are set by individual cities across the metro, with counties governing unincorporated addresses. Portland, Lake Oswego, Beaverton, and Milwaukie all treat protected trees differently, and some have specific stormwater requirements for added hardscape. Confirm the rules for your address before a saw comes out.
Recent summers have brought serious heat events, and new planting installed in July needs irrigation to survive its first season. Autumn is the better planting window in this region — winter rain establishes roots for free. Some metro water providers also encourage or require conservation measures during dry spells, so ask how the design handles a hot, dry August.
Routine maintenance visits commonly run $50 to $120 depending on lot size and frequency. Clean-up and refresh projects — bed edging, bark, new shrubs, minor grading — often land between $2,000 and $8,000. Paver patios typically run $20 to $40 per square foot installed, and irrigation systems for an average yard commonly fall between $3,500 and $8,000. Full design-build transformations with hardscape, drainage, lighting, and planting routinely reach $30,000 and beyond. Drainage work done properly is rarely the cheap line item, and it is rarely the one to cut.
We'd spent two years fighting a swampy back corner. The crew regraded it, ran a drain to daylight, and it's stayed usable through two wet winters.
They planned the planting so almost everything is on the same watering zone, and talked me out of expanding the lawn. Way less work than the yard we had.
Base prep took two of the four days, which the crew said is where most patios fail. Two winters on and there are no dips or rocking stones anywhere.
Usually a combination of compacted heavy soil, a grade that slopes toward the house rather than away, and roof water discharging right at the foundation. Fixing it means regrading, extending downspouts, and sometimes a drain line to daylight. It's less glamorous than planting but it's what makes everything else last.
Autumn, by a wide margin. Planting between October and early spring lets winter rain establish roots without irrigation, so plants go into their first dry summer far better prepared. Spring planting works but needs watering discipline through August.
Often yes, and the rules are set city by city across the metro rather than regionally. Several jurisdictions protect trees above a certain trunk diameter and require permits, replanting, or both. Check with your own city before scheduling removal — the fines are not trivial.
It depends how you use it. A lawn is the highest-water, highest-maintenance surface in a metro yard and it looks worst exactly when you'd most want to use it. Many homeowners here shrink the lawn to a usable play area and convert the rest to planted beds and hardscape.
Pruning, hardscape prep, and drainage work continue year-round in this region, weather permitting. Heavy machinery on saturated clay causes compaction, so good crews schedule around it. Winter is often a good time to get a design done for a spring build.
Describe the yard, the problems, and what you'd like it to become. We'll connect you with licensed landscaping crews working your area, free of charge.
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