Everything a landscaper brings, except the crew.
A full design, a line-by-line budget, contractor pricing on stone, soil, mulch and plants, and a weekend-by-weekend schedule with help while you build. You do the work and keep the difference.
The Lawn You Love for Less
Six things most DIY yards are missing.
Most DIY yards go wrong on the plan, the drainage or the math. The DIY Program covers all three before you dig, then stays with you until the last bag of mulch is down.
- Contractor pricing on materialsOur pricing at the stone yards, soil and mulch yards, and nurseries we partner with, plus a direct contact at each one. Outside our partner areas, we find suppliers near you.
- A full budgetEvery plant, yard of soil, ton of stone and roll of edging, counted from your plan and priced at your pricing before you spend a dollar.
- The full designEverything in our Premium design: whole-house plan, elevations, growth views, staking, drip, lighting and HOA sheets, a photo mock-up and one revision round.
- A build scheduleWeekend-by-weekend order of work in four phases, with a shopping list for each phase grouped by store.
- Help while you buildTwo expert reviews by email, illustrated step guides, and a yard assistant that knows your plan.
- Care after it's inPlant cards, a 12-month care calendar, a swap list if a plant is out of stock, and your first year of Yard Care included.
Four phases, one weekend at a time.
Every job in the right order, so you never plant something you'll have to dig up for the drip line.
- Phase 1 · Weekends 1–3
Prep and trees
- Mark beds from your staking sheet
- Cut and remove old sod
- Check grade and drainage at the slab
- Plant trees while the ground is open
- Phase 2 · Weekends 4–6
Beds, edging and drip
- Bed mix and compost tilled in
- Steel edging set to the plan
- Drip mainline and zones laid out
- Sleeves under walks and drives
- Phase 3 · Weekends 7–9
Planting
- Shrubs and screens by letter
- Perennials and grasses
- Emitters set at each plant
- First deep watering
- Phase 4 · Weekends 10–11
Mulch, lights and lawn
- Mulch at 3 inches
- Low-voltage lighting and timer
- Sod where the plan calls for lawn
- Final walk-through photos
A typical whole-house yard. Your schedule is built from your own plan, and each phase comes with a shopping list grouped by store at your pricing.
You're never on your own.
Written answers from our designer for the big decisions, and quick answers any time for the small ones.
Shopping lists by store
Each phase comes with a list grouped by store, so every trip gets everything you need.
Two expert reviews
Send photos and questions by email at any point in your build, and get a written answer from our designer.
Illustrated step guides
Written, drawn guides for every job: edging, drip, planting, mulch and lighting.
Yard assistant
Ask any time, with photos. It has your plan open and knows your local soil and weather.
Most of a landscaper's quote is labor and markup.
Crews, trucks, overhead and a markup on every plant. Do the work yourself, buy at our pricing, and keep the difference.
Example numbers for a typical backyard. Real numbers from our showcase yard coming soon.
Who the DIY Program is for.
A great fit if you
- Just built or bought a home with a bare or tired yard
- Are happy to spend weekends outside
- Want a real plan instead of guessing at the nursery
- Want to know the full cost before you start
Probably not if you
- Want the whole job done for you (we can point you to trades we trust)
- Need major grading, tall retaining walls or a pool built
- Only want a small front bed refreshed (see the Starter design)
About the DIY Program.
Are materials included in the $4,995?
No. You buy materials directly from our partner suppliers at your pricing, so you never pay a markup to us. Your budget tells you the total before you buy anything.
Do I need landscaping experience?
No. The schedule and step guides walk you through each job in order, and you have two expert reviews by email and the yard assistant for questions.
How long does it take?
A typical whole-house yard is about 11 weekends of work. We'll give you a design timeline with your quote, and your schedule moves at your pace.
I already bought a design. Does it count?
Yes. Upgrade within 60 days and the full design price counts toward the DIY Program.
What if I want help with the hard parts?
We'll connect you with trades we trust for grading, tree removal or lighting, and you do the rest.
Will my HOA approve it?
Your plan includes a sheet formatted for HOA submittal.
Ready to start your yard?
Tell us about your yard and we'll reply with a quote and next steps.