How the Stonewood Landscape Design Process Works: From First Call to Finished Yard

If you have been thinking about a landscape project for your Los Angeles home — a new concrete patio, a patio cover, artificial turf, fresh plants, or some combination of all of them — the biggest thing standing between you and the finished outdoor space is usually a simple question: where do I actually start?

The answer is a free estimate with Stonewood Landscape. This guide walks through exactly how the Stonewood design process works from the first phone call to the finished yard — simply and clearly — so you know what to expect at every step.

Step 1: The First Phone Call

You reach out to Stonewood Landscape — by phone or through the website — and the first conversation begins. This is not a sales call. It is a real discussion about your property, what you are hoping to accomplish, and the general scope of what you are considering.

The Stonewood team asks a few questions. What does your yard look like right now? What specifically is not working about it? What are you imagining for the finished space? What is your general budget range?

You do not need to have every answer figured out. This is the beginning of a conversation, not an exam. The goal of the first call is simply to establish whether Stonewood can help and to schedule the on-site visit.

What it looks like: A friendly 15 to 20 minute phone conversation with a Stonewood team member who listens first and recommends second.

Step 2: The Free On-Site Visit

A Stonewood team member comes to your property for a free on-site consultation. This is where the design process really begins.

During the visit, the team walks the outdoor space with you. They take photos and measurements. They assess the drainage, the sun exposure, the soil conditions, and the existing features. And they continue the conversation about your vision — physically pointing to where the patio should go, where the cover should attach, where the turf area should be, and how the planting should frame the finished composition.

The on-site visit also produces honest feedback. If the layout you had in mind will not work as well as an alternative, the team explains why. If the patio size you were considering is too small for how you want to use it, they say so. The goal of this visit is a design direction that you feel confident about — not a product pitch.

What it looks like: A 45 to 60 minute walk of the property with a Stonewood team member, tape measure in hand, asking and answering questions together.

Photo idea: Stonewood team member walking a Los Angeles backyard with a homeowner, pointing at different areas of the yard.

Step 3: The Custom Design

Custom landscape designs at Stonewood start at $500 — and that fee is credited toward the total project cost if construction moves forward.

The design is developed specifically for your property, your home's architectural character, and your vision. It is not a template. It covers every element of the planned outdoor space — the exact patio dimensions, the cover style and size, the turf area extent, the planting locations and species. It gives you a clear picture of exactly what the finished outdoor space will look like before any concrete is poured or any turf is unrolled.

What it looks like: A design plan showing the complete layout of the finished outdoor space, with specific materials and dimensions, presented in a review conversation with the Stonewood team.

Step 4: The Detailed Bid

With the design approved, Stonewood prepares a detailed written bid covering the complete scope of work, every material specification, the construction timeline, and the total cost.

This bid is specific enough that you know exactly what you are getting. No vague line items. No open-ended material descriptions. The number on the bid is the number you plan around.

What it looks like: A clear, written document that you can read, understand, and compare if you are getting additional proposals.

Step 5: Construction

With the bid accepted and any required permits in hand, construction begins. The Stonewood crew arrives prepared, works efficiently, keeps the job site clean daily, and communicates throughout the project.

The construction sequence runs in logical order — drainage and site prep, concrete, cover, turf, planting, lighting. Each phase is completed before the next begins. You have a single point of contact throughout.

What it looks like: An organized crew doing quality work, a clean job site at the end of each day, and a point of contact who keeps you informed without requiring you to chase updates.

Photo idea: Concrete being poured or turf being installed, professional crew at work, organized job site.

Step 6: The Finished Yard and Final Walkthrough

When construction is complete, Stonewood walks the finished outdoor space with you. Every element is reviewed against the approved design. Any item that needs attention is addressed before the project is closed.

The finished yard is the outdoor space you have been imagining — built correctly, built to last, and delivered by a team that treated your property with genuine care throughout the entire process.

What it looks like: A beautiful, finished Los Angeles backyard that matches the design you approved and exceeds the expectations you had when you first reached out.

Photo idea: Finished Los Angeles backyard — concrete patio, patio cover, artificial turf, planting — looking clean and complete.

Stonewood Landscape: The Design Process Done Right Across Los Angeles

Stonewood Landscape takes Los Angeles homeowners through this exact process — from the first phone call to the final walkthrough — on every project, for every client, in Culver City, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Encino, and Pacific Palisades. As a family-owned landscape design and construction company with over 10 years of experience and more than 500 completed projects, Stonewood makes the landscape design process feel exactly the way it should: clear, honest, and genuinely exciting.