In real estate development, landscaping is unfortunately often treated as a late-stage issue—something to satisfy a planning approval or to dress up a project before occupancy. In reality, thoughtful landscaping design, installation, and maintenance is one of the highest-leverage investments you can make on a site.
Well designed surroundings quietly influence how people feel about a place, how long they stay, and how they value it. Landscaping doesn’t just soften buildings, it frames the entire experience of a project.
Renowned urban designers such as Jan Gehl and Allan Jacobs have long emphasized the impact street trees can have on communities. Tree canopies make streets feel narrower, calmer, and more human-scaled, while improving comfort, walkability, and long-term value. Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett’s longtime investment partner, famously said: “Spend money on trees, and you get it back triple.”
Yet despite its impact, landscaping is often an afterthought and an area where money is unnecessarily lost.
As a developer, you want to maximize property value while minimizing cost overruns. Here are some tips to help you do both on your next development project.
1. Avoid Early Over-Planting
One of the most common mistakes is over-planting at the outset. The intention is good: ensure the site looks its best at occupancy. However, what looks lush and full on day one can become crowded, unhealthy, and unsustainable within a few years.
Over-planting often leads to:
- Plants competing for light, water, and soil
- Poor long-term growth and appearance
- Wasted capital when plants must be removed or replaced later
Unfortunately, this isn’t always fully within your control. Direction often comes from the City or approving authority during the planning process. What is within your control is asking your landscape architect to design based on mature plant sizes, not initial appearance.
If the City requests additional planting, explain your design intent and the long-term risks of over-planting, including wasted costs and poor plant health. This won’t always resolve the issue, but transparency significantly improves the odds of a better outcome.
2. Prioritize Durability Over Ornamentation
Landscaping will always require maintenance, but you’ll have far more success if you start with plants that are hard to kill. To be clear, this does not mean invasive species like blackberry, or scotch broom, which are certainly hard to kill, but problematic for other reasons.
It sounds obvious, yet many projects prioritize ornate plant species over durability and climate suitability. The result is predictable: dead plants, patchy landscaping, and a site that looks neglected within a year of occupancy. The ornate design can end up being all for nothing.
Have explicit conversations with your landscape architect and contractor about:
- Climate-appropriate species
- Salt, drought, and shade tolerance
- Proven performance in similar projects
A simpler, more resilient plant palette will almost always visually outperform an elaborate fragile one.
3. Understand Municipal Bonding and Maintenance Obligations
Most municipalities require financial security, such as a letter of credit or surety bond, to ensure landscaping is installed and survives for a defined period after occupancy.
This requirement isn’t just about installation; it’s about survivability. If plants fail during the maintenance period, you may be replanting at your own cost while waiting months, or even years, to recover your security.
Best practices include:
- Coordinating early with your contractor on maintenance responsibilities
- Scheduling periodic site walks during the warranty period
- Documenting plant health and replacements
Early planning and modest maintenance investment will almost always cost less than wholesale replanting. This is very important, so please read that last sentence again.
4. Review Utility Conflicts With Civil Design
It seems obvious, but it’s often missed.
Landscape and civil drawings should be overlaid and reviewed together. Without coordination, you risk conflicts with:
- Underground utilities
- Catch basins and drainage swales
- Sightline requirements
- Access routes and servicing areas
Some municipalities require this overlay as part of their review process, yet we still see coordination missed in practice. Ask your civil engineer and landscape architect to formally coordinate drawings before submission. Resolving conflicts early is far cheaper than redesigning landscaping after approvals.
5. Get Contractor Input Before City Submission of Landscape Design
Before submitting your landscape design to the City, ask a contractor for:
- A high-level cost estimate
- Constructability feedback
- Alternative suggestions with similar visual impact
Higher cost does not necessarily mean better design. Contractors can often suggest:
- Alternative plant species
- Reduced plant counts without loss of effect
- Simplified details that perform better over time
This step alone can materially reduce costs while improving long-term outcomes. Doing this before submission is key. You don’t want to be revising plant types or quantities after the City has already reviewed and approved the design.
6. Finalize Grading and Slopes First
Make sure you have a good idea of slopes and grading before your landscape designer starts planning tree locations.
Ensure your designer, most commonly your civil engineer, has finalized:
- Grades and slopes
- Retaining wall locations
- Drainage patterns
Planting on slopes that are too steep often leads to erosion, failed plantings, and future disputes with the City. As noted earlier, you do not want to be in a position where you must tell the city planner that the trees you promised can’t be planted due to constructability constraints.
Once commitments are made, they are difficult to unwind. Proper sequencing matters.
7. Additional Landscaping Considerations Developers Often Miss
A few additional items worth factoring into your planning. Ask your landscape architect to consider these in their design:
a) Long-Term Irrigation Strategy
Design irrigation systems for efficiency and access. Poorly designed systems increase maintenance costs and plant failure rates.
b) Seasonal Appearance
Ask how the site looks in winter, not just in spring renderings. Evergreen structure and year-round interest matter, especially in urban environments.
c) Sightlines and Safety
Landscaping should enhance, not obstruct, visibility for pedestrians, vehicles, and retail frontages.
d) Replacement Access
Ensure there is a practical way to replace trees or large plants in the future without removing hardscape or disrupting site operations.
Final Thought
Landscaping is not a cosmetic afterthought. It is a strategic development decision. Done well, it enhances value, improves user experience, satisfies municipal objectives, and saves money over time. Done poorly, it becomes a recurring cost and a source of friction long after the project is complete.
As with most aspects of development, the difference comes down to early coordination, informed decision-making, sufficient communication, and respect for how places actually function once people move in.
Could Your Project Benefit From Expert Guidance?
If you’d like confidence before moving forward, SiteMentor Development Consultants provide industry-best development feasibility reports that identify what your property can realistically support, highlights potential constraints, and helps you determine the development strategy that makes the most sense for your goals.
