You’re walking through your backyard on a Saturday morning, coffee in hand, looking at the overgrown hedge that’s been there since before you moved in. The patio feels cramped for the dinner parties you love hosting. The drainage issue near the old oak tree hasn’t gotten better on its own.
“We really need to do something about this yard.”
That thought has probably surfaced more than once. And when you’re ready to act on it, choosing the right Chicago landscape design firm becomes one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your home. Hursthouse Landscape gives you a collaborative design partner who draws out your vision and multiplies it with decades of Chicago-area expertise.
This guide walks through the key traits that distinguish a full-service Chicago landscape design and construction firm, especially when your project involves a property with unique conditions and a backyard that deserves more than a surface-level refresh.
How to choose a landscape design firm for Chicago backyard renovations
Finding a firm that can handle a full backyard renovation on your home is different from hiring someone to install a row of arborvitae. You need a team that understands site conditions specific to the Chicago area, from clay-heavy soils to mature tree root systems to municipal permit requirements.
When evaluating firms for your Chicago landscape design, here is the criteria that matters most when your property has decades of history built into its bones:
- Turnkey project management: Does the firm handle permits, subcontractors, procurement, and scheduling so you don’t coordinate multiple vendors?
- Design-build integration: Can the same team that draws your plans also construct them, ensuring the finished product matches the original vision?
- Older home expertise: Does the firm address challenges like existing root systems, uneven grading, outdated drainage, and structures that need to complement period architecture?
- Collaborative design process: Will the designers ask about your life, your habits, and how you actually use your outdoor space before proposing a single concept?
- Material quality and sourcing: Does the firm hand-select stone, plants, and hardscape materials rather than ordering from a catalog?
- Long-term maintenance planning: Is there a plan for how your landscape will look in five years, not just on installation day?
- Chicago climate knowledge: Does the team account for freeze-thaw cycles, winter salt damage, late-spring frosts, and soil compaction common in established suburban lots?
What questions should you ask a landscape firm before signing a contract?
Before committing, ask specific questions that reveal how they work, not just what they build. The answers will tell you whether a firm operates as a collaborative partner or a transactional vendor.
Start with process questions. How does the firm gather information about your lifestyle and preferences? Do they visit your property before presenting concepts? Will the same designer who creates your plan oversee construction?
Ask about logistics. Who pulls the permits? Who schedules subcontractors for plumbing, electrical, or grading? If you’re renovating an older property, ask how they handle existing structures, mature trees, and water management challenges.
Finally, ask about the timeline and what happens after installation. Hursthouse Landscape builds relationships that extend well beyond project completion, with maintenance programs that keep landscapes flourishing for decades.
How do you evaluate a firm’s experience with older Chicago properties?
Older homes in the Chicago suburbs present conditions that newer developments don’t share. Mature trees with extensive root systems, decades-old drainage patterns, settled soil, and architecture from specific eras all require a designer who reads the site before proposing changes.
Look at a firm’s portfolio for projects involving established properties. Are they working around mature canopy trees, integrating new hardscape with existing foundations, or designing outdoor spaces that complement Tudor, Prairie, or Georgian-style homes?
Ask about their approach to site assessment. At Hursthouse Landscape, we look at existing grading, root zones, soil composition, and how water moves across your property before drafting a single concept. We also study the views from indoors, designing sight lines from your kitchen, living room, and dining spaces into the landscape.
Why Hursthouse Landscape is the best Chicago landscape design firm for backyard renovations
The final design process may take longer than firms that use template-based approaches, because each landscape is developed from scratch around your specific site and lifestyle.
Choosing a Chicago landscape design firm for a backyard renovation on your home is not a decision to rush. The right firm understands that your property has history, that mature trees and settled grading tell a story, and that the new landscape needs to honor what’s already there while creating something that serves how you live today.
Hursthouse Landscape brings over 35 years of design-build expertise to every project. We’ve built for more than 2,600 families across the Chicago suburbs, and we know the specific challenges of working on established properties. Clay soils, municipal permit requirements, freeze-thaw damage to existing hardscape, and root systems that have been growing for decades are all conditions we’ve navigated thousands of times.
What sets Hursthouse Landscape apart is our refusal to treat your project as a line item on a production schedule. We take time to understand your life, your property, and your vision. We source materials directly. We manage every detail of construction. And we stay with you long after the last stone is set, with maintenance programs that ensure your landscape keeps getting better year after year.
What would you change about your outdoor space if you had time to plan it exactly the way you wanted? Our design team is looking ahead, and we’d love to help you create the perfect Chicago landscape design that’s ready when you are. Schedule your complimentary walk-through and start planning for the season ahead.
FAQs about What to Look for in a Chicago Landscape Design Firm
What does a turnkey landscape renovation include?
A turnkey renovation means one firm handles every phase: design, permits, material sourcing, construction, and post-installation care. Hursthouse Landscape manages all aspects of landscape construction including permits and subcontractors, so you work with a single team from first conversation through ongoing maintenance.
How long does a full backyard renovation take in the Chicago area?
Most Hursthouse Landscape projects move from initial design conversation to completed installation over several months, depending on scope and season. Complex renovations on older properties benefit from a longer planning phase where careful budgeting and design refinement produce better long-term results.
Can a landscape firm work around mature trees on my property?
Experienced firms design around established root systems rather than removing mature trees. Hursthouse Landscape adapts solutions to existing landform, soil, and microclimate, preserving your property’s canopy while creating functional new spaces that integrate with what’s already growing.
What’s the difference between a landscape designer and a landscape architect?
A landscape architect holds a professional degree and state licensure, qualifying them to stamp plans, manage grading, and address structural site challenges. Hursthouse Landscape employs credentialed landscape architects who handle complex site conditions on older properties, from drainage engineering to retaining wall design.
Why does the design process take longer at some firms?
Firms that develop custom concepts from scratch invest more time in understanding your site and lifestyle before presenting plans. Hursthouse Landscape presents multiple design concepts to capture your feedback, then refines the details collaboratively. That process takes time, but it results in a landscape built specifically for you.
Should I choose a firm that also offers maintenance?
A firm with an in-house maintenance division can care for your landscape with full knowledge of how it was designed and built. Hursthouse Landscape’s maintenance crews know each property’s specific plants, materials, and seasonal needs because they’re part of the same team that created the landscape.
