San Carlos · Landscape design-build
Landscape Design & Build in San Carlos, CA
Make your front yard, backyard and outdoor gathering spaces work together. Sequoia Outdoor designs and builds San Carlos landscapes that coordinate planting, patios, paths, lawn areas, lighting and the practical details beneath the surface.
Start with what you want to change, what is worth keeping, and how you want to use your yard. From a garden refresh to a larger renovation, the goal is a clear plan that fits your property and priorities.
Construction projects start at $25,000. Design services are quoted separately. The consultation and the presentation that follows it are both free.
San Carlos snapshot
Service area
San Carlos, Peninsula & South Bay
Documented San Carlos work
3 published case studies, plus 5 photographed builds
Construction project minimum
$25,000
Verified reviews
80 review listings and recommendations across six platforms as of 2026-08-30
Three San Carlos Landscapes, Three Different Renovation Priorities
A landscape renovation does not have to follow one formula. These San Carlos projects show different approaches to renewing a garden, coordinating front and back yards, and updating a backyard gathering space.
Planting-led garden renewalDesigner-Led Planting and Hardscape Refresh
A whole-property renewal combining a substantial planting program, flagstone, artificial turf, refreshed edging, soil preparation and drip irrigation. The published case study describes the design coordination that came before installation and the renewed connections between the property’s outdoor areas.
Sequoia did not build every existing deck, pergola or wall visible in the photographs.
Coordinated front and backFront-and-Back Paver Driveway, Walkway and Turf Yard
New driveway and walkway paving, backyard artificial turf, planting, drainage and lighting coordinated across the property. Some existing pavers were cleaned and re-jointed, and functioning lighting fixtures were reused rather than replaced.
Renovation does not have to mean replacing everything. What can be kept is decided on the property.
Backyard gathering spaceTurf Lawn, Paver Patio and Raised Fire Pit
A backyard renovation combining a paver patio, artificial turf, planting-bed improvements, drainage and lighting, together with updates to an existing fire-pit and seating area.
The fire feature was an update to an existing installation, not a new one built from scratch.
About the figures. Published ranges are rounded from signed proposals for the documented scopes. They are not verified final expenditures, citywide averages, or quotes for another property.
Additional Project Photos
Five further San Carlos builds, photographed on site. These have no written case study, so no scope, budget or completion detail is quoted for them. Each is a separate property; we checked the photographs against each other before publishing the count. Browse every documented Sequoia project.
A published project in Belmont
Belmont borders San Carlos and is a separate city with its own requirements. This project is named for the city it was built in, and its range is rounded from that project’s signed proposal.
BelmontA Landscape Plan That Works With Your Property
Five things worth settling before materials are chosen. Not every San Carlos property is a hillside estate, and a straightforward yard renovation does not need the process a complicated site does.
Connect the front entry, backyard and side yards
A coordinated plan considers how you move through the property and where you actually spend time. Entry paths, outdoor seating, planting beds, lawn areas and side-yard access should support one another rather than compete. Decide which spaces need a complete change and which need a focused update; that sets priorities before materials and individual features take over the conversation.
Evaluate what can stay
Existing paving, lighting, planting and outdoor structures may still have a useful role in the new design. Assess their condition and their fit with the proposed layout before deciding what comes out. The front-and-back-yard project above did exactly that: some existing pavers were cleaned and re-jointed and working light fixtures were reused alongside the new work. Reuse is not always possible and it is not automatically cheaper, because matching, lifting and re-setting existing material has its own cost. It is a decision made on the property, not a rule.
Plan level changes and drainage together
Where a yard changes elevation, settle the relationships between doors, patios, steps, paths and planting areas early, and review the existing runoff routes and drainage connections alongside the layout rather than after it. Where retaining structures or substantial earthwork are proposed, identify the professional input and approvals needed before construction decisions are locked. A retaining wall is a structure, not a slope-stability guarantee, and an existing drain connection is not automatically sized for the additional runoff a new patio sends to it.
Account for protected trees
Existing trees affect shade, planting choices, access and excavation. San Carlos Municipal Code 18.18.070 protects both heritage and significant trees: heritage covers indigenous species at a diameter measured 54 inches above grade, including coast live, valley, blue and interior live oak, buckeye and madrone at 9 inches, California bay laurel at 11 inches and redwood at 15 inches, while a significant tree is any tree of 11 inches diameter or more. No protected tree may be removed, pruned or materially altered without a permit, although trimming that removes less than a quarter of the tree is allowed without one. The clause that catches construction is 18.18.070(D)(5): any construction activity within an area ten times the diameter of a protected tree requires a tree protection plan to be submitted and implemented. That means the protection zone belongs on the drawing before the paving and trenching locations are fixed. Not every tree is protected and not every project needs a plan; we are not certified arborists, so where an assessment is required it comes from a private arborist and belongs in the scope with a named responsible party. San Carlos tree regulations.
Coordinate planting and irrigation, and check what counts
Choose planting for exposure, mature size, maintenance appetite and water need, and plan the irrigation around the planting rather than treating it as a finishing item. One San Carlos rule is worth knowing before a layout is settled, because it surprises people: where a project triggers the City’s required landscape area, 18.18.060(A)(2) says ground cover in that area shall be of live plant material and that non-plant materials may not be used to meet the minimum planting area requirement, 18.18.060(A)(1) caps paved and gravelled surfaces at 10 percent of the required area, and 18.18.060(A)(3) caps lawn at 25 percent. Chapter 18.18 does not mention artificial turf anywhere, so it should not be assumed to satisfy a required planting area. The chapter applies to new development and additions, which means a straightforward backyard renovation on an existing house may not trigger it at all. Confirm whether it applies to your scope, and confirm the current state and city water requirements, rather than carrying another city’s thresholds across. San Carlos landscaping regulations, Chapter 18.18.
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 City before construction. Local guidance reviewed 4 September 2026. City of San Carlos permit resources.
Considering a Lawn-to-Garden Conversion?
Before removing an existing lawn, check your water provider’s current program requirements. Most of San Carlos is served by California Water Service, and its Lawn-to-Garden program has conditions that decide the answer before the amount does.
- Pre-approval comes before the work. Cal Water states that pre-approval is required prior to beginning your project, so the rebate step sits ahead of demolition in the schedule rather than alongside it.
- Artificial turf does not qualify. Cal Water excludes it from this rebate. Synthetic turf can still be the right surface for a dog run, a play area or a shaded strip where grass will not hold; it is simply not a rebate route, and none of the three San Carlos projects above was a rebate project.
- The planting requirement is specific. Cal Water asks for three approved plants per 100 square feet converted, so the planting plan and the rebate application are the same conversation.
- We do not publish the rate. The per-square-foot amount, the available funding and the approved plant list are held in Cal Water’s own portal and change; confirm the current figure for your address rather than budgeting from a number on a contractor’s website.
- Smart Landscape Tune-Up is not everywhere. Cal Water offers the free irrigation evaluation to eligible residential customers in select service areas, so check availability at your address.
Rebate eligibility is a separate question from permitting and landscape-code compliance; a project can qualify for one and still need the other. Cal Water conservation programs. Program terms reviewed 4 September 2026. Sequoia is not a program administrator and cannot approve or guarantee a rebate.
Landscape Design and Construction Services
Each linked page carries the scope it covers, its pricing floor and the completed projects behind it. How the design phase itself works is on the main landscape design page. Mowing, cleaning and ongoing garden maintenance are not services we sell.
Backyard renovation
Layouts connecting seating, planting, lawn and circulation, drawn as one scheme.
Front-yard design
Entries, planting and paths planned together as one arrival rather than three jobs.
Patios and paths
Surfaces and transitions suited to the outdoor uses proposed, with elevations and drainage settled first.
Retaining walls
Grade changes evaluated alongside drainage and structural requirements rather than after them.
Artificial turf
A surface option evaluated for the intended use and the site, with the code question above checked first.
Outdoor living and lighting
Gathering spaces and lighting integrated into the broader plan, with utilities routed during base work.
Budget and design fees
What Should You Budget for Your San Carlos Landscape?
Construction and design are contracted separately, so they are quoted separately and shown separately here.
Sequoia Outdoor’s construction project minimum is $25,000. That is a starting qualification, not the typical cost of a complete yard renovation. Your proposal depends on the work required: access, demolition, site preparation, drainage, materials, planting, structures and design documentation.
Design is contracted separately. Concept plans start at $1,000, with additional deliverables priced according to the scope, and the fee rises with the complexity of the property. Each design package includes two rounds of small revisions; revisions beyond those, and changes to the design layout or planting plan, are billed hourly at the rate stated in your design agreement. 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. These figures match the main landscape design page.
Three documented San Carlos projects$50,000 to $100,000The three case studies above, each rounded from its own signed proposal. Three projects, not a San Carlos average, and not a quote for another property.
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.
Per-square-foot rates live on the service page for each scope, where their inclusions and exclusions are stated. What 16 signed proposals cost shows the full spread across the Peninsula and South Bay.
Pricing reviewed 4 September 2026.
From Initial Consultation to Construction
- 01
Goals and investment
Intended uses, priorities and an approximate investment range, discussed before anything is measured.
- 02
Review the property
Existing features, access, levels, utilities and the conditions that will shape the layout.
- 03
Agree the design scope
Deliverables, fees and the revision allowance agreed before design work begins. No plans, engineering or renderings are produced before that point.
- 04
Develop the proposal
Construction scope, materials, exclusions and responsibilities set out in writing.
- 05
Resolve approvals and selections
Applicable approvals, specialist input and material selections settled before mobilization.
- 06
Confirm the schedule
The construction schedule documented, and the work proceeds under the agreement.
The scheduled completion date is confirmed after the preconstruction walkthrough, not at the initial consultation. Schedule credits depend on eligibility and the signed terms rather than covering every delay. Read the schedule-credit terms.
San Carlos landscape design and build FAQs
Do you handle both landscape design and construction in San Carlos?
Yes. Sequoia Outdoor provides landscape design and construction in San Carlos. Design deliverables and construction work are scoped 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 additional deliverables quoted for the project.
What do I actually receive from the design phase?
A scaled plan of the finished property, dimensioned and called out, is the core deliverable. 3D renderings, fuller documentation and any specialist input are options quoted against the scope rather than automatic inclusions, and the package states its deliverables and its revision allowance before you commit.
Can you improve my yard without replacing everything?
Potentially. Existing features should be assessed for condition and for fit with the new design. One published San Carlos project retained and refreshed selected pavers and reused functioning lighting fixtures alongside the new work. Reuse is not automatic and it is not automatically cheaper; it is a decision made on the property.
Can a project address slopes or different yard levels?
Changes in elevation can be handled as part of the layout, including paths, steps, planting and retaining structures where appropriate. Site conditions decide the design, engineering, drainage and review requirements, so those are identified before construction decisions are finalized.
Will my project need permits?
That depends on the property and the proposed scope. Confirm requirements for structures, grading, utilities, tree impacts and other regulated work before construction. A building-permit exemption does not necessarily remove other approvals.
Does artificial turf qualify for Cal Water’s lawn-to-garden rebate?
No. Cal Water excludes artificial turf from that program. Qualifying lawn-to-garden projects need pre-approval before work begins and must meet the program’s planting and other requirements. Separately, where a San Carlos project triggers the City’s required landscape area, the code asks for live plant material in that area, so turf should not be assumed to satisfy it.
Can I see completed San Carlos projects?
Yes. Three San Carlos projects are published as full case studies with photographs, project descriptions and proposal-based investment ranges, and five further San Carlos builds are shown as photographs.
The three San Carlos case studies · San Carlos landscaping regulations · Cal Water conservation programs
Serving San Carlos and the surrounding Peninsula
Sequoia Outdoor serves San Carlos from its Peninsula and South Bay operation; there is no San Carlos office. One thing worth checking before you assume which agency reviews your project: San Mateo County names both Palomar Park and Devonshire Canyon as unincorporated communities rather than neighborhoods inside the city, so a San Carlos mailing address does not settle jurisdiction. Confirm it for your parcel. County jurisdiction reference.
Let’s Plan Your San Carlos Landscape
Tell us what you would like to change, which existing features you hope to keep, and your approximate construction budget. We will begin with an initial consultation and discuss the appropriate next steps.
Construction projects start at $25,000. Design services are quoted separately.