Best Landscaping-gardening in Houston, TX — 26 Vetted Contractors

Basic planting, mulching, and sod replacement generally don't require a permit. You typically do need one from Houston Public Works for retaining walls above roughly 4 feet, work that changes drainage flow onto neighboring property or the street, and anything touching a public easement or right-of-way. If you're unsure, call 311 or check the Houston Permitting Center before starting — retroactive permits and corrections cost more than doing it right the first time.

Yes. Under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1903, anyone who designs, installs, or maintains an irrigation system for compensation must hold a Licensed Irrigator credential from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). This is state law, not a city-level rule, so it applies the same whether you're in Houston, the suburbs, or anywhere else in Texas. Ask for the license number and verify it on the TCEQ website before signing a contract.

St. Augustine grass is the regional standard and handles shade and humidity better than most alternatives, which matters in tree-heavy neighborhoods like the Heights or Bellaire. Zoysia and Bermuda are common alternatives for full-sun yards and hold up slightly better to drought and foot traffic. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension's Harris County office publishes local turf guidance and is a good free resource before you commit to a full sod replacement.

Gumbo clay drains poorly and compacts hard when dry, then swells when wet, so most serious landscape or drainage jobs in Houston need soil amendment, grading, or French drains that wouldn't be necessary in sandier soil types. This adds real labor and material cost — expect drainage-related add-ons to push a project 15-30% above a bare quote for planting and sod alone. Contractors unfamiliar with local soil often underquote this, which is why the same job can get wildly different bids in Houston.

The City of Houston operates under a Drought Contingency Plan with staged watering restrictions tied to reservoir and demand levels; specific rules (days per week, time-of-day limits) change based on conditions, so check the City of Houston Public Works website or your water bill notice before scheduling automated irrigation. Many Houston HOAs also layer their own watering-day rules on top of city restrictions.

Some Houston neighborhoods, particularly parts of the Heights and other historic or planned districts, have local tree protection ordinances covering certain species and trunk diameters. Outside those zones, the city has fewer restrictions than cities like Austin, but if a tree is near a property line, power line, or shared drainage path, it's worth a quick call to the Houston Planning & Development Department before removal to avoid a dispute with a neighbor or utility.

Preventive structural pruning on a mature tree in Houston typically runs $250-$900 depending on size and proximity to structures or lines; full removal of a large tree can run $1,000-$3,500 or more. Given Houston's exposure to tropical storms from June through November, arborist-recommended pruning before peak season is generally cheaper than emergency removal after storm damage, and many insurers ask whether trees were maintained when processing wind-damage claims.