Landscape design-build in Los Gatos, California
Landscape Design & Build in Los Gatos, CA
Los Gatos sits at the southern end of the area Sequoia Outdoor works from its base in San Mateo, and our project records show three completed Los Gatos construction projects since 2023, the most recent finished in May 2026. The one photographed below is a timber pergola over a paver patio with a paver walkway, flagstone stepping stones and new planting, finished in March 2025. We design and build the whole yard as one coordinated project: pavers, walls and steps, decks and pergolas, outdoor kitchens, planting, drainage and lighting.
Two Los Gatos questions come before any drawing. The first is whether the property is actually in the Town: a number of Los Gatos mailing addresses sit in unincorporated Santa Clara County, where the County, not the Town, issues the permits. The second is the trees. The Town regulates removal and some pruning by species and size, and a hillside lot brings the Hillside Development Standards and Guidelines with it. Whether you want a focused improvement or a full outdoor living build, the process begins with the site, your priorities and a realistic scope.
Construction projects start at $25,000. Design is quoted separately. Qualifying design fees may be credited toward construction.
Los Gatos snapshot
Service area
Los Gatos, South Bay & Peninsula
Completed Los Gatos construction projects since 2023
3, from company project records
Documented Los Gatos work
1 photographed build; written case studies pending
Construction project minimum
$25,000
Review footprint
80 review listings and recommendations across six platforms as of 2026-08-30
One Los Gatos Build, Photographed on Site
Three Los Gatos construction projects are in our records. This is the one with finished photographs, shown with the completion month and the project size the record gives. The other two, from September 2023 and May 2026, have no published photographs: the September 2023 record holds survey shots of the property as we found it rather than finished work. Nothing here has a written case study yet, so no scope beyond the photographs and no price is quoted for it; the pricing section below gives what our records show, and the case studies nearby carry published ranges because they have write-ups.
Why there is no Los Gatos range here. A published range on this site is the sum of a written-up project’s cost rows, rounded from its signed proposal. None of the three Los Gatos projects has a write-up yet. Browse every documented Sequoia project.
Three published case studies in San Jose, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills
These are the nearest Sequoia projects with a full write-up. Each town has its own tree, grading and permit rules, and each range is the sum of that project’s published cost rows, rounded from its signed proposal: not Los Gatos pricing and not a quote for another property. See the full case-study library.
San JoseA San Jose Backyard Rebuilt Around Turf, Pavers, Planting, and Gathering Space
Pavers, steps and hardscape, artificial turf, planting and a pool-deck surround across the back yard, completed October 2023.
Los AltosBelgard Pool Deck, Turf Lawn and Drought-Friendly Planting in Los Altos
A Belgard pool deck, a 384 sq ft synthetic turf lawn, drought-friendly planting and drainage, completed October 2024.
Los Altos HillsPaver Terrace, Pet Turf Dog Run and DG Courtyard in Los Altos Hills
A Belgard paver terrace and walkway, a decomposed-granite dog run with pet turf and a pea-gravel courtyard, completed June 2026.
Planning a Landscape Around Your Los Gatos Property
Six things worth settling before materials are chosen. The jurisdiction question comes first, because it decides which of the rest apply.
Species and size decide whether you need a permit
Los Gatos regulates tree removal and some pruning, and the Town’s code works the opposite way round from most: instead of listing what is protected, it lists what is not. A fruit or nut tree under 18 inches in diameter, 57 inches around, may be removed or severely pruned without Town approval, as may any of a named list, black acacia, tulip tree, tree of heaven, blue gum and red gum eucalyptus, other eucalyptus in the hillsides only, palms other than Phoenix canariensis, and privet, under 24 inches in diameter, 75 inches around. Removal or maintenance carried out to implement and maintain Defensible Space under the Town’s fire chapter is also excepted, with carve-outs. Anything outside those exceptions needs a permit, so on most lots the mature tree next to the patio is in scope. A removal permit comes with a condition of two or more replacement trees of a species and size the Town designates, using its Tree Canopy-Replacement Standard, at the applicant’s cost, approved by the Town Arborist; natives are strongly encouraged and most fruit and nut trees, palms and nuisance species are not accepted as replacements. Permits run 90 days and the replacements go in before they expire. We do not employ a certified arborist; where an assessment is required it comes from a private arborist. Private trees, the tree protection code and the tree permit portal.
A Los Gatos address is not always in Los Gatos
This one is worth settling before anything else, because it decides who reviews the work. A property can carry a Los Gatos mailing address and still sit in an unincorporated part of Santa Clara County, never annexed into the Town. Where that is the case the Town says so plainly: planning, development review and building permits are all provided by the County instead, and the Town’s own tree, fence and hillside rules are not the ones that apply. The addresses this catches are usually on the edges and in the hills. Confirm the jurisdiction for your address first; a design drawn to the wrong rulebook is the most expensive kind of rework. The Town’s own answer.
Six feet of wood is one thing, a masonry wall is another
In Los Gatos a wood fence up to 6 feet in height generally needs no building permit, but a property line wall built of concrete masonry units, precast panels or covered in stucco does, and the Town states that permits are generally required for walls. That is the line a landscape plan crosses without noticing: swapping a fence for a low masonry wall along the same line changes the permit position. Corner lots carry a further constraint, the Fence Sight Triangle and Traffic View Area, which limits height and sets back what can be built near the corner so the intersection stays visible, and more fencing limitations sit in the zoning code. A detached tool or storage shed, playhouse or similar of 120 square feet or less is exempt as an accessory structure. Town permit and fence FAQs.
The hillside rulebook is a separate document
Much of Los Gatos climbs, and hillside properties are governed by the Town’s Hillside Development Standards and Guidelines, a standalone document with its own appendices covering site planning, development intensity and site elements. It reaches landscape work directly: hillside tree replacement is set by its Appendix A and the hillsides section of the tree code rather than by the ordinary replacement standard, and the Town’s simpler single-family replacement option is available only to lots under 10,000 square feet that are not subject to the HDS&G. On a sloped lot the walls that hold the grade and the drain lines behind them come before any finish. Substantial grading, drainage changes, walls or structures may need review or professional input. We design and build landscapes; we do not provide geotechnical engineering, and where that expertise is needed it comes from a licensed professional named in the scope. The Hillside Development Standards and Guidelines.
San Jose Water, and a county rebate programme
Los Gatos is served by San Jose Water rather than a Town utility, and what comes out of the tap depends on where in town you are: San Jose Water delivers a mix of groundwater, surface water purchased through the Santa Clara Valley Water District, and locally treated surface water, and it puts parts of Los Gatos and Saratoga, in its Santa Cruz Mountain District, on the locally treated supply. Landscape rebates for the county are administered by Valley Water, not by the Town or the water company, and the programmes and their funding change from year to year, so the rebate is worth checking at the point the planting plan is decided rather than assumed at the start. We install both planted landscapes and artificial turf, and rebate programmes commonly treat the two differently. San Jose Water sources and Valley Water rebates.
Which reviews a landscape project actually triggers
Which permits a Los Gatos landscape project needs depends on the scope and on the jurisdiction. A masonry or stucco property line wall, a deck or pergola, gas and electrical for an outdoor kitchen, a drainage connection and a regulated tree can each involve a different review, and an exemption from one does not remove another: a shed under 120 square feet still sits inside the tree rules if it goes in next to a protected tree. On a hillside lot the Hillside Development Standards and Guidelines apply on top. If the property turns out to be unincorporated, the whole set comes from Santa Clara County instead. Confirm the set for your address before construction. Town FAQs and the Town’s tree pages.
Requirements depend on the property and the proposed work, and not every item above applies to every project. Confirm what applies to your address with the Town, or with Santa Clara County if the property is unincorporated, before construction. Local guidance reviewed 6 September 2026 on losgatosca.gov, library.municode.com (Los Gatos Town Code), sjwater.com and valleywater.org.
One coordinated plan for the entire outdoor space
Each linked page carries the scope it covers, its pricing floor and the completed projects behind it. Mowing, cleaning and ongoing garden maintenance are not services we sell.
Design, backyard and front yard
How the design phase works and what it costs, then gathering spaces, planting, lawn areas and circulation drawn as one scheme rather than a list of features.
Pavers: driveways, patios, walkways and pool decks
Base, drainage and levels settled before the pattern is chosen. A driveway approach or a drain to the gutter is an encroachment and needs a City permit.
Retaining walls and steps
Level changes evaluated alongside drainage and structural requirements rather than after them, and around any protected tree’s roots.
Outdoor kitchens, bars and fire
Cooking, serving and fire features placed within the layout, with gas and electrical routed during base work.
Lighting, shade and water
Evening use, shade and sound considered as part of the plan, not added at the end.
Artificial turf
Where a low-water lawn makes sense and where it does not, including rebate eligibility.
Budget and design fees
What does a Los Gatos landscape project cost?
Construction and design are contracted separately, so they are quoted separately and shown separately here.
Sequoia Outdoor offers a free initial one-hour onsite consultation, and the presentation that follows it is free as well. Concept plans start at $1,000, and more detailed design work is quoted according to the project. Construction projects have a $25,000 minimum, and qualifying design fees may be credited toward construction: if you enter into a construction contract with us within 30 days of your final design being delivered, an amount equal to the design fee is deducted from that contract.
All 3 completed Los Gatos construction projects since 2023About $28,000, about $66,000 and about $89,000From our own project records, so this includes the focused jobs that never get a case study. The three were completed in September 2023, March 2025 and May 2026. Three projects is not a base for an average, so none is given. The construction minimum is $25,000.
The three published case studies nearby$95,540 to $165,000A Los Altos pool deck and turf lawn at $95,540 to $105,300, a Los Altos Hills paver terrace and dog run at $98,100 to $115,200 and a San Jose backyard at $145,000 to $165,000, each range the sum of its own published cost rows. Not Los Gatos pricing and not quotes for another property.
The eventual price depends on scope, access, grading, drainage, materials, structures, utilities, planting, approvals and other property-specific requirements. In Los Gatos the two items most likely to move a budget are a hillside lot, where the walls and the drainage can cost as much as the finishes, and a regulated tree, which adds replacement trees and Town Arborist approval to any removal.
Ask for the split before you commit. A proposal should separate design services, construction, specialist work such as arborist input or engineering, and anything excluded. If those sit in one number, you cannot tell what a change to one of them costs.
What 16 signed proposals cost shows the full spread across the Peninsula and South Bay.
Pricing reviewed 6 September 2026.
From first visit to completed landscape
- 01
Initial consultation
The property, your priorities, intended use, timing and investment expectations.
- 02
Site discovery
Access, grade, drainage, existing trees, utilities, structures and the other visible constraints.
- 03
Concept and design
Layout, features, materials and planting direction, to the design scope you selected.
- 04
Scope and construction proposal
The work Sequoia will perform, with assumptions, allowances and exclusions identified.
- 05
Approvals and preparation
Which City or County, fire, utility, engineering, arborist or other approvals may apply, and which of those services are inside the scope. Sequoia does not perform every specialty itself.
- 06
Construction and walkthrough
The approved scope coordinated, progress communicated, and the finished work reviewed with you.
The scheduled completion date is confirmed after the preconstruction walkthrough, not at the initial consultation. Schedule credits apply only to qualifying company-controlled delays and remain subject to the signed agreement and its exclusions. Read the schedule-credit terms.
Every claim here links to the thing that backs it
Sequoia Outdoor’s website currently reports 80 review listings and recommendations across six platforms as of 2026-08-30. That is a count of listings and recommendations, not of customers and not of Los Gatos projects. Read the review archive. The license is CSLB #1099847, verifiable on the state board’s register. The project count and figures on this page come from our own project records and are stated as such. The on-time schedule credit is subject to its complete published terms.
Los Gatos landscape design and build FAQs
Does Sequoia Outdoor work in Los Gatos?
Yes. Sequoia Outdoor is based in San Mateo and serves Los Gatos from there. Our project records show three completed Los Gatos construction projects since 2023, the most recent finished in May 2026, and one of them is photographed on this page. Design deliverables and construction work are defined and priced through their respective agreements.
Is the initial consultation free?
Yes, and so is the presentation that follows it. The initial one-hour on-site visit and the live walkthrough of your options and pricing are both free. Design work is separate, with concept plans starting at $1,000 and further deliverables quoted for the project.
What does a landscape project in Los Gatos cost?
The three completed Los Gatos construction projects in our records signed at about $28,000, about $66,000 and about $89,000, completed in September 2023, March 2025 and May 2026. Three projects is not a base for an average. The three published case studies nearby, in Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and San Jose, run $95,540 to $165,000, each the sum of its own cost rows. Construction projects start at $25,000.
Is my Los Gatos property actually in the Town of Los Gatos?
Not necessarily, and it is worth checking first. The Town states that a property can have a Los Gatos mailing address while sitting in an unincorporated part of Santa Clara County that was never annexed. Where that is the case, planning, development review and building permits all come from the County, and the Town’s tree, fence and hillside rules are not the ones that apply to your project.
Which trees need a permit in Los Gatos?
The Town lists the exceptions rather than the protections. A fruit or nut tree under 18 inches in diameter (57 inches around) can be removed or severely pruned without Town approval, as can a named list including black acacia, tulip tree, tree of heaven, blue gum and red gum eucalyptus, palms other than Phoenix canariensis and privet, under 24 inches in diameter (75 inches around). Work to implement and maintain Defensible Space is also excepted, with carve-outs. Anything else needs a permit.
What happens if a tree has to come out?
A removal permit carries a condition of two or more replacement trees, of a species and size the Town designates using its Tree Canopy-Replacement Standard, planted at the applicant’s cost and approved by the Town Arborist. Natives are strongly encouraged, and most fruit and nut trees, palms and nuisance species are not accepted as replacements. Permits are valid for 90 days and the replacement trees go in before they expire. On a hillside lot the replacement standard comes from the Hillside Development Standards and Guidelines instead.
Do I need a permit for a Los Gatos fence or garden wall?
A wood fence up to 6 feet in height generally does not need a building permit. A property line wall built of concrete masonry units, precast panels or covered in stucco does, and the Town says permits are generally required for walls. On a corner lot the Fence Sight Triangle and Traffic View Area limit height and setback near the intersection. Swapping a fence for a low masonry wall on the same line changes the permit position.
What is different about a hillside property in Los Gatos?
Hillside properties are governed by the Town’s Hillside Development Standards and Guidelines, a separate document with its own appendices covering site planning, development intensity and site elements. It sets the hillside tree replacement standard, and the Town’s simpler single-family replacement option is only available to lots under 10,000 square feet that are not subject to it. On a slope the retaining walls and the drainage behind them come before any finish and often before any structure.
Who supplies the water, and are there rebates?
San Jose Water serves Los Gatos, delivering a mix of groundwater, surface water purchased through the Santa Clara Valley Water District, and locally treated surface water; parts of Los Gatos and Saratoga are on the locally treated supply. Landscape rebates for the county are administered by Valley Water, and the programmes and their funding change by year, so confirm what is open before the planting plan assumes one.
Does Sequoia guarantee the completion date?
Sequoia publishes an On-Time Schedule Credit policy. The scheduled completion date is confirmed after the preconstruction walkthrough, not at the first consultation. Credits apply only to qualifying company-controlled delays and remain subject to the signed agreement, its exclusions and the complete published terms.
The Saratoga page · Los Gatos private trees · Town permit FAQs · Hillside standards · Case studies · On-Time Schedule Credit terms
Los Gatos and the Towns Around It
Three things are worth confirming for your own address before design begins, because each changes who reviews the work and what it costs: whether the property is inside the Town or in unincorporated Santa Clara County, whether any tree near the work falls outside the Town’s exception list, and whether the lot is subject to the Hillside Development Standards and Guidelines.
Let’s Plan Your Los Gatos Landscape
Tell us what you want to change, how you hope to use the space, and the investment range you are considering. We will visit the property, discuss the appropriate design scope and explain the next step.
Construction projects start at $25,000. Design is quoted separately.