Designing Florida outdoor escapes since 2021. Serving Manatee + Pinellas counties. Free site visit · goldenescapes941@gmail.com · (941) 201-9483
Six services · project-based pricing

Every service, in detail.

Below: how each service runs, what a typical project looks like, the warranty terms, and when to call us. Real timelines, real ranges, in writing after the site visit.

Service 01

Landscape design & install

Most projects start as either a refresh of a tired yard or a full tear-out renovation. Every plan begins with the same on-location site visit — measurements, light, drainage, irrigation read — before a single plant or paver is specified. Renderings on request for the larger renovations.

What's included

  • On-location site visit with measurements + photos
  • Soil, sun, and drainage assessment
  • Planting plan keyed to Florida natives and your wishlist
  • 2D plan with material schedule + plant list
  • 3D rendering on larger projects or by request
  • Permitting where the project requires it

How it goes

  1. Initial phone call to confirm fit and book the site visit
  2. On-site walkthrough — measurements, photos, wishlist notes
  3. Design and estimate back in 2 days (7–10 for full renovations)
  4. Schedule and deposit, materials sourced, crew assigned
  5. Install with a final walk-through and clean-up
Project mechanics · design & installQuoted at site visit
Refresh: planting refresh, mulch, edgeExisting yard, focused refresh, no hardscape
Mid-renovation: planting + selective hardscapeNew beds, walkways, accent lighting, partial irrigation
Full renovation: complete tear-out + redesignHardscape, irrigation, lighting, planting, sod — all-in
Design fee · credited to build if you hire usScales with scope and whether you want 3D renderings
Warranty

Plant + workmanship warranty

1-year warranty on installed plants that fail to establish (excluding storm and neglect). Workmanship warranty on hardscape and installations runs 2 years.

When to call

Worth a site visit when…

  • You're tired of patching a yard that never lands
  • You're selling and want curb appeal before listing
  • You're building new construction and starting bare
  • Storm damage left you starting over
Service 02

Pavers & hardscape

Driveways, patios, walkways, pool decks, retaining walls, and the edge work that ties them together. We install travertine, brick, and concrete pavers sealed to outlast Florida summers, with a base prep that accounts for our sandy soil and seasonal rains.

What's included

  • Excavation, base prep, and compacted aggregate
  • Travertine, brick, or concrete paver install
  • Polymeric sand joints + paver sealing
  • Stone or concrete edge restraint
  • Drainage routing where the grade requires it
  • Retaining walls and seat-walls where the design calls for them

How it goes

  1. Site visit to confirm scope, grade, and material
  2. Permit if the city requires it (driveway aprons, ROW work)
  3. Excavate, lay base, screed sand bed
  4. Set pavers, cut edges, polymeric sand, compact
  5. Seal and final walk-through
Project mechanics · pavers & hardscapeQuoted at site visit
Walkway or accent path~150 sq ft, paver and base
Patio install~400–600 sq ft, travertine or paver
Driveway replacementDemo + base + paver, permitted
Pool deck + walkway comboCoordinated finish around the pool
Reseal & re-sand existing paver workExisting pavers, no excavation
Warranty

Hardscape warranty

2-year workmanship warranty on all paver installs. Manufacturer warranty on the pavers themselves runs 25–lifetime depending on product line.

When to call

Talk to us before you talk to a concrete crew

  • Cracking or settled pavers more than 1/2″
  • Pool deck slippery or showing efflorescence
  • Driveway entrance damaged by tree roots
  • You're considering a flagstone or travertine install
Service 03

Irrigation systems

New systems and retrofits across both counties. We design zones around the planting plan — not the other way around — so beds, sod, and trees each get the right water at the right times. Smart controllers and low-flow rotators standard on new builds.

What's included

  • Zone layout matched to planting plan + sun exposure
  • Smart Wi-Fi controllers (Hunter or Rain Bird)
  • MP rotator heads + low-flow drip for beds
  • Rain and freeze sensors per local code
  • Backflow preventer install + city inspection
  • Existing system retrofits and zone audits

How it goes

  1. Walk the yard, mark zones, locate existing valves
  2. Pull permit and schedule the city backflow inspection
  3. Trench, lay pipe, set heads and drip
  4. Tune each zone for coverage and runtime
  5. Program controller, walk you through the app
Project mechanics · irrigationQuoted at site visit
Single-zone retrofit or repairHeads, controller swap, leak repair
Whole-yard retrofitNew heads + smart controller, existing pipe
New install, typical residential lot4–6 zones, permit, inspection
New install, large lot or estate8+ zones, drip in beds, pump
Annual tune-upCoverage check, head adjustment, controller reprogram
Warranty

Irrigation warranty

1-year warranty on labor for all new installs. Manufacturer warranties pass through on heads, valves, and controllers (typically 2–5 years).

When to call

Don't wait if…

  • Beds are drying out while sod stays wet
  • Water bill jumped without an obvious reason
  • Heads aren't popping up or are spraying past the bed
  • You're installing new landscaping and the system was last touched 10+ years ago
Service 04

Outdoor lighting

Path lighting, uplights for palms and feature trees, downlights in mature canopies, dock and pool perimeter, and the low-voltage transformers sized so you can add to the system later without ripping it back out. Warm 2700K LED standard; brass or cast aluminum fixtures.

What's included

  • Lighting plan keyed to the planting and hardscape
  • Brass or cast-aluminum fixtures, not plastic
  • Transformer sized 30% over current draw for expansion
  • Direct-burial wire with proper junction housings
  • Photocell + smart timer on the transformer
  • Dock and pier lighting where applicable

How it goes

  1. Site walk at dusk to mark fixture locations
  2. Plan with wattage budget and transformer sizing
  3. Trench wire, set fixtures, hook transformer
  4. Adjust aim at night before we leave
  5. Walk you through the timer and any smart controls
Project mechanics · outdoor lightingQuoted at site visit
Starter set: path + 2–3 uplightsSingle transformer, ~6–8 fixtures
Full front yard lightingPath, uplights, accent, ~12–18 fixtures
Whole-property lightingFront, back, dock, accent — 20+ fixtures
Add-on zone to existing systemSame transformer, new run
Warranty

Lighting warranty

2-year workmanship warranty. Fixture manufacturer warranties: 10–25 years on brass, lifetime on transformers from our supplier.

When to call

Lighting talks before you commit when…

  • You just finished a planting project and want to keep showing it off after dark
  • You have a dock and the pier ends in dark
  • You're selling and listing photos need dusk shots
  • You're tired of replacing plastic big-box fixtures every two years
Service 05

Sod & artificial turf

Bahia for sun-baked lots, St. Augustine for the typical Florida yard, Zoysia for the premium high-traffic install, and putting-green-grade artificial turf for shade pockets or where water restrictions push the math the other way. Prepped, leveled, and laid in a day on most lots.

What's included

  • Existing lawn removal (sod cutter or kill-and-strip)
  • Soil amendment + leveling to grade
  • Fresh sod from regional growers (cut day-of)
  • Artificial turf with proper infill and edge restraint
  • First watering schedule programmed in
  • 30-day check-in to catch any failure spots

How it goes

  1. Soil assessment + variety recommendation
  2. Prep day: remove existing, amend, level, roll
  3. Lay sod or set turf, tamp, water in
  4. Program irrigation for the establishment window
  5. 30-day walk to address any thin spots
Project mechanics · sod & turfQuoted at site visit
Small lot re-sod, St. Augustine~2,500 sq ft, prep included
Typical lot re-sod~5,000 sq ft, prep + roll
Large lot re-sod or Zoysia upgrade~8,000+ sq ft or premium variety
Artificial turf installPer 500 sq ft, includes base + edge
Putting-green or pet-grade turfPremium pile, drainage base
Warranty

Sod & turf warranty

Live sod: 30-day establishment guarantee provided irrigation is run on our schedule. Artificial turf: 8-year manufacturer warranty + 2-year install workmanship.

When to call

Don't wait if…

  • Patchy lawn that doesn't fill in after fertilization
  • Chinch-bug or grub damage in St. Augustine
  • Shade pockets where nothing will grow
  • You're tired of irrigating a lawn you don't use
Service 06

Fences & tree work

Wood, vinyl, and aluminum fencing for privacy, pool code, and dog runs. Light tree trimming, tree planting, and stump grinding when a project calls for it. We don't do heavy-canopy storm work — for that we'd refer you to a certified arborist with the right rigging.

What's included

  • Wood, vinyl, or aluminum fence install
  • Pool-code (4″ max gap) compliant gates
  • Property-line survey reference + post locate
  • Permitting where the municipality requires
  • Light tree trimming and shaping (<25″)
  • Tree planting + 1-year establishment care

How it goes

  1. Walk the line, confirm survey markers, note utilities
  2. Call in locates, pull permit if required
  3. Set posts in concrete, let cure
  4. Install panels + gates with proper hardware
  5. Trim and tidy adjacent landscape
Project mechanics · fences & tree workQuoted at site visit
Aluminum pool-code fencingPer 100 ft, includes 1 gate
Vinyl privacy fencing, 6′ tallPer 100 ft, includes 1 gate
Wood shadowbox or board-on-boardPer 100 ft, includes 1 gate
Light tree trimming + shapingPer crew-day, climbing and chipping
Tree plantingPer specimen, 15–30 gal nursery stock
Stump grindingPer stump, mid-size
Warranty

Fence + tree warranty

Fence install: 2-year workmanship warranty. Tree planting: 1-year establishment warranty when irrigation is in place. Trim work: visual touch-up window 30 days.

When to call

Call us when…

  • New pool needs code-compliant fencing
  • Property line is unclear and you want it walked
  • You're planting a feature palm and want it sized right
  • You need a fence panel replaced after storm damage
Pricing & process

Three project tiers, in writing.

Every project starts with a free phone consultation and an on-site visit. Design fees credit toward the build if you hire us. Payments are tied to milestones, not the calendar.

Refresh

The refresh

1–3 dayson-site build window

Existing yard, focused upgrades. New mulch, edging, replacement plants, and the touches that make the whole place read fresh.

  • Site visit + design back in 2 days
  • 1–3 days on-site to install
  • 50% down, 50% on completion
  • Design fee credited to the build if you hire us
Most common

Mid-renovation

4–10 dayson-site build window

Selective hardscape, irrigation tweaks, lighting, planting, and the path or patio that anchors the whole design.

  • Design + 2D plan in 5–7 days
  • 4–10 days on-site to install
  • 50% down, 50% on completion
  • Design fee credited to the build if you hire us
Renovation

Full renovation

2–4 weekson-site build window

Complete tear-out, redesign, and install. Hardscape, irrigation, lighting, planting, sod, fencing — the whole yard.

  • Design + 3D renderings in 7–10 days
  • 2–4 weeks on-site to build
  • Milestone payments (10 / 40 / 30 / 20)
  • Design fee credited to the build if you hire us

Milestone payments — renovations

For projects scheduled over a 2+ week build window, we step the deposit so payment tracks progress, not the calendar.

  • 10%Deposit to schedule materials and crewBooking
  • 40%After ground-break and site clearDay 1–3
  • 30%After half of the scope is completeMid-build
  • 20%On completion and final walk-throughFinal

Timeline & deposits — smaller jobs

For projects expected to wrap in under a week, we keep the payment structure simple and tied to the start and finish.

  • 50%Deposit to schedule the buildBooking
  • 50%Balance due on completion + walk-throughFinal
  • Small jobs: 1–3 days on-site~1 wk out
  • Medium jobs: 4–10 days on-site~2 wk out

Please note Timelines, payment structures, and milestone splits shown above are typical and subject to change on a project- and deal-by-deal basis. Materials lead-time, permitting, weather, and scope changes can shift the schedule. Final terms — including timeline, deposit, and milestone splits — are confirmed in writing in your estimate after the on-site visit.

Ready to plan the yard?

Every project starts with a free phone consultation and an on-site visit. Most calls schedule within the week. Design and estimate back inside two days for typical projects.