Quick answers
Open a question. Read the answer right here.
Do I need to remove all of my lawn to save water?
Not necessarily. Start with leaks, coverage and the size of the lawn you use. A partial conversion may fit your household better than an all-or-nothing project. Ask how retained trees will receive appropriate water if nearby lawn irrigation changes.
Why is one sprinkler zone always wet?
The symptom needs diagnosis. Record when the wet area appears, whether the system is running and whether the controller is off. A qualified irrigation professional can assess the cause. Increasing or reducing the schedule without identifying the problem can hide rather than resolve it.
Is artificial turf maintenance free?
No outdoor surface is maintenance free. Ask about cleaning, heat, drainage, pet use, expected wear and replacement. Compare those responsibilities with a planted alternative. Request product-specific information rather than treating the absence of mowing as the whole decision.
See all 6 questions
Can a gardener fix my drainage problem?
Ask about the person’s relevant qualifications and the scope of the problem. Surface cleanup and a drainage redesign are different tasks. A recurring water problem near a structure, retaining wall or neighboring property may need a qualified contractor or other specialist.
When should I plant?
The answer depends on the species, exposure, weather and ability to provide establishment care. Use local UC Master Gardener guidance and ask the installer for the care plan. A convenient delivery date is not by itself a good planting schedule.
What can I send your Home Ownership team?
Describe your community, the main concern and whether you want maintenance, a diagnosis or a future project. You do not need to send account numbers or private property documents. We can help organize questions; a provider must assess the site and agree to any work.
Explore this guide
Start with what matters.
- Walk the yard and identify dry spots, standing water and unused spaces.
- Separate weekly care from irrigation, drainage and design projects.
- Choose a maintenance commitment before choosing new plants.
You do not need to redesign the whole yard to make it work better. Sometimes the first step is fixing a sprinkler zone. Sometimes it is deciding which part of the yard you actually want to use. A useful landscape plan starts with daily life, then works through water, soil, access and ongoing care.
This guide helps you separate maintenance from renovation and prepare questions for a landscaper, irrigation specialist or arborist. We focus on decisions you can understand before requesting work, with local gardening resources when a plant or site needs a closer look.
01 / Yard & Garden
Match the help to the problem
A mowing schedule and a landscape renovation solve different needs.
Routine care
List the areas you want maintained and the tasks you expect: lawn edges, weeds, pruning, cleanup and irrigation observations. Ask what is seasonal rather than weekly. Decide whether you want someone to maintain an existing design or help change it; the second request needs a different scope.
Irrigation and drainage
A dry patch may involve coverage, a damaged component or a plant problem. A wet patch may have several causes too. Request diagnosis before a new watering schedule. For standing water, ask where it originates, where a proposed drain will discharge and whether permits or engineering are needed.
Design and outdoor use
Describe the activities you want: sitting in shade, growing food, a dog area, a clear walking route or less maintenance. Ask for a phased plan that resolves grading and irrigation before finished surfaces and planting. Show the designer what you want to keep as well as what you dislike.
02 / Yard & Garden
Build a care calendar you can keep
Consistency is easier when each task has an owner and a reason.
Observe before adjusting
Periodically watch the irrigation run from a safe location. Note overspray, runoff, broken heads and zones that do not shut off. Keep a photo of the controller settings before changes. Share observations with your provider so each adjustment is connected to a problem, not simply more minutes.
Review plants by location
Track sun, shade and moisture in each bed. Ask a local nursery or UC Master Gardener about the needs of the actual species. Plants with different water needs may need different zones. Avoid giving every bed the same schedule because it is simpler to program.
Keep a property notebook
Record planting names, irrigation repairs and the agreed pruning calendar. Photograph improvements at handoff and again after establishment. Save the maintenance instructions for new trees or a converted landscape so a change of gardener does not erase the care plan.
03 / Yard & Garden
Know where observation ends
A useful homeowner check does not require taking on hazardous work.
Stay away from power and unstable trees
Do not cut branches near power lines, climb trees or operate equipment you are not trained to use. Ask an appropriately qualified tree professional to assess large limbs or changes in tree condition. Keep children and pets away from the work zone.
Treat chemicals and digging carefully
Identify a pest or plant problem before choosing a treatment. Follow product labels and keep products secure. Before digging, use the utility-location process and discuss private lines with the contractor. A new planting hole, fence footing or drain trench can encounter more than soil.
Coordinate with fire guidance
Use current CAL FIRE and local fire-agency guidance when planning vegetation near the home. Do not assume a plant sold as drought tolerant is automatically appropriate beside a structure. Maintenance, placement and accumulated debris matter as well as the plant choice.
04 / Yard & Garden
Compare the whole project
A plan that costs less to install can require more care later.
Preparation and access
Removal, disposal, soil work, slopes, narrow access and hidden irrigation problems can change a proposal. Ask which site conditions are known and which remain allowances. A photo-based estimate should identify what must be confirmed at the property before you authorize the final scope.
Materials and ongoing care
Compare plant sizes, hardscape preparation, irrigation components and establishment care. Ask what you will need to water, prune, replace or clean. Choose materials with their future upkeep in mind, including the time or service visits needed after the installation crew leaves.
Work in phases
Prioritize drainage and safety issues, then water delivery, then planting and finishing details. Ask whether a later phase would require removing work installed now. A modest plan that can be completed coherently is often easier to manage than an ambitious design with important pieces missing.
05 / Yard & Garden
Make the plan fit your address
Placer County has too much variation for one universal planting list.
Valley and foothill differences
Tell the designer about elevation, exposure, slope and the areas that stay wet or dry. UC Master Gardeners of Placer County offers local educational help for plant choices and garden questions. Bring photos and the plant name if you have it so the conversation starts with the right context.
Water-wise choices
UC guidance identifies repairing irrigation problems, reducing unnecessary lawn and choosing suitable plants as ways to use water more carefully. Before a conversion, protect the needs of retained trees and make a plan for establishing new plants. Low-water landscaping still needs thoughtful care.
Rules and shared boundaries
Check the water provider’s current irrigation rules and any HOA design process before changing the yard. Confirm property boundaries and drainage responsibilities when work approaches a fence. A neighbor’s approval does not replace the building department’s requirements for a retaining wall or structure.
06 / Yard & Garden
Choose a proposal you can understand
Ask every company to price the same result, not just the same square footage.
Make the scope visible
Request a simple drawing, named materials, plant quantities and the treatment of existing items. Ask who handles permits, irrigation testing, waste removal and cleanup. If two bids differ sharply, look first for different assumptions instead of assuming one contractor is simply more expensive.
Plan the handoff
Ask for a walkthrough of the controller, valve locations and care instructions. Request photos of important work before it is covered. Keep written warranty terms, including your responsibilities during establishment and what happens if a plant or component does not perform as expected.
Check the right qualifications
Use CSLB to confirm licensing appropriate to the contracted work and discuss insurance. Tree work, electrical work, structural walls and pesticide applications can need different expertise. A landscape company’s broad service menu does not mean every task is handled by the same person.
A useful next step
Your yard & garden preparation checklist.
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Questions worth asking.
Do I need to remove all of my lawn to save water?
Not necessarily. Start with leaks, coverage and the size of the lawn you use. A partial conversion may fit your household better than an all-or-nothing project. Ask how retained trees will receive appropriate water if nearby lawn irrigation changes.
Why is one sprinkler zone always wet?
The symptom needs diagnosis. Record when the wet area appears, whether the system is running and whether the controller is off. A qualified irrigation professional can assess the cause. Increasing or reducing the schedule without identifying the problem can hide rather than resolve it.
Is artificial turf maintenance free?
No outdoor surface is maintenance free. Ask about cleaning, heat, drainage, pet use, expected wear and replacement. Compare those responsibilities with a planted alternative. Request product-specific information rather than treating the absence of mowing as the whole decision.
Can a gardener fix my drainage problem?
Ask about the person’s relevant qualifications and the scope of the problem. Surface cleanup and a drainage redesign are different tasks. A recurring water problem near a structure, retaining wall or neighboring property may need a qualified contractor or other specialist.
When should I plant?
The answer depends on the species, exposure, weather and ability to provide establishment care. Use local UC Master Gardener guidance and ask the installer for the care plan. A convenient delivery date is not by itself a good planting schedule.
What can I send your Home Ownership team?
Describe your community, the main concern and whether you want maintenance, a diagnosis or a future project. You do not need to send account numbers or private property documents. We can help organize questions; a provider must assess the site and agree to any work.
Keep learning.
Sources for this guide
Published September 19, 2026. These educational sources support the guidance on this page.