Our process
From first walk
to final light.
No mysteries, no surprises — just a clear path with your land at the center of it.
The journey
Five phases.
One steady hand.
Most projects run four to six months from first conversation to final walkthrough. Here is how we'll spend that time together.
Phase 01 · Week 1
Walk the land
Every project starts with boots on the ground. We walk your property together — where the sun sets, where the snow drifts, where you drink your coffee. Mostly, we listen.
- Site walk & conversation
- Goals, wishlist & budget alignment
- Sun, soil & drainage notes
Phase 02 · Weeks 2–6
Shape the vision
Back at the studio, the site visit becomes a concept: hand sketches first, then a master plan and 3D views you can stand inside. We present, you react, and the design gets sharper with every pass.
- Concept master plan
- Hand sketches & 3D visualization
- Materials & planting direction
Phase 03 · Weeks 6–8
Refine & price
The chosen concept becomes buildable drawings and a fixed proposal — real materials, real numbers, a real schedule. If the budget needs phasing, we design the phases so each one stands on its own.
- Final construction plans
- Fixed proposal & schedule
- Phasing options
Phase 04 · Weeks 8–20
Build with care
Our own crews, not subcontracted strangers. A dedicated site lead walks you through progress weekly, and the site is tidied nightly — we're guests on your property and act like it.
- Dedicated crew & site lead
- Weekly walkthroughs
- A clean site, every evening
Phase 05 · Ongoing
Live in the light
We reveal every project at golden hour, then stay in your corner: a care calendar for the first seasons, check-ins as the landscape matures, and a standing invitation to call the people who built it.
- Golden-hour reveal & walkthrough
- Seasonal care calendar & guide
- First-year check-ins
Good to know
Questions we hear often.
When should we start planning?
Four to six months before you hope to break ground. Designs drawn over winter are the first ones built in spring — and the design phase is honestly the fun part, so there's no reason to rush it.
What do projects typically cost?
We scope most full-property projects between $75k and $400k, with smaller single-space projects and multi-year estates on either side. We ask about budget early — not to spend all of it, but to design something we can actually build for it.
Can we build in phases?
Absolutely — many clients do. The master plan is designed so each phase is complete on its own: hardscape and grading first, plantings and lighting as following seasons allow. You never live in a half-finished yard.
Who will be on our property?
Westlight crews, led by a site lead you'll know by name. We don't broker your project out to the lowest bidder — the people who designed your landscape stay involved through the last stone.
Do you guarantee your work?
Two full growing seasons on plantings, five years on hardscape and craftsmanship. In practice we simply come back and make it right — a landscape is a long relationship, and we build for the decades.
The Westlight letter
Field notes, four times a year.
One letter per season — what we're planting, building, and learning. No noise, ever.
The first step is a walk.
It costs nothing, commits you to nothing, and it's our favorite part.