Holladay Landscape Design Process: What to Expect

The Holladay landscape design process usually moves through six stages: a site visit, a concept plan, material and planting decisions, an itemized proposal, installation, and a final walkthrough. Most of the real decisions happen before anyone digs. The plan has to account for things specific to Holladay: protected trees that need a city permit to remove, older sprinkler systems under mature canopy, and east bench slopes that send runoff toward the street. If you know what each stage asks of you, the project moves faster and the finished yard matches what you pictured.

Holladay is a mostly built-out city of roughly 31,000 people on Salt Lake County’s east bench, and many yards here sit on quarter- to half-acre lots that were landscaped decades ago. So a landscape design project in Holladay is usually a redesign: working around a 50-year-old maple, a patched-together irrigation system, and a backyard built for kids who have since moved out. Below is each stage, what you’ll decide, and the local rules worth checking first.

Why Your Holladay Landscape Design Process Starts With What’s Already There

In a new subdivision, a designer starts with bare dirt. In Crown Colony, Sunnyside Heights, or the streets around Holladay Village, the designer starts with a yard that already has structure: large shade trees, established shrub borders, old retaining walls, and a grade that falls toward the street the way the east bench does.

That existing structure is often the most valuable thing on a Holladay lot, and it’s also the biggest constraint. A thorough site review here looks at:

• Trees. Which ones are healthy, which are near the end of their life, and which may be protected under the city’s tree ordinance.
• Irrigation. Older systems often run spray heads and drip on the same valve, or have coverage set up for a lawn that’s no longer there.
• Grade and drainage. Where water goes during a spring storm or snowmelt, especially on lots that step up toward the foothills.
• Views and exposure. Mount Olympus and Wasatch views worth framing, and hot afternoon sun on patios that sit outside the canopy.
• Access. Narrow side yards and mature trees limit what equipment can reach the backyard, which affects how the project gets built.

The exception is Holladay Hills, the redevelopment on the former Cottonwood Mall site, where homes are newer construction. New development in Holladay falls under the water-efficient landscaping standards the city adopted in 2023, so design there starts from a different set of rules.

The Six Stages of a Landscape Design Project in Holladay

Millburn Lawn & Landscape is a design-build company, so the team that draws the plan is the same company that builds it. Here’s how a project moves from the first visit to a finished yard.

Stage	What happens	What you decide
1. Consultation and site review	A designer walks the property and assesses slope, drainage, sun, access, and existing features.	How you want to use the yard, what must stay, and your budget comfort range.
2. Concept and design development	The yard is organized into zones (entertaining, play, garden, privacy) and a layout is drafted.	Which layout fits, and what changes in each revision round.
3. Materials and project details	Hardscape, finishes, plants, irrigation, lighting, and elevations are defined. 3D renderings are available when visualization helps.	Stone, paver, and plant selections, and whether a rendering is worth adding.
4. Proposal and installation	The approved design becomes an itemized construction scope. Installation is scheduled after a signed agreement.	Approve the scope and the schedule.
5. Final walkthrough	The team reviews the finished landscape with you and explains care needs.	Any punch-list items and a maintenance plan.
6. Follow-up	The team checks back to confirm the landscape is performing as expected.	Whether to add ongoing maintenance.

Stages one through three are where most of your time goes, and they’re where a Holladay project succeeds or stalls. A plan that ignores a protected tree or a failing irrigation main gets revised in the field, and field changes are the slowest and most disruptive way to change a landscape. Spend the time up front.

If you’re weighing a big change, like swapping a backyard lawn for a patio and beds, ask whether a 3D rendering makes sense. Seeing a pergola against your roofline beats picturing it from a flat plan.

Holladay Rules to Check Before Your Landscape Design Is Final

Most of Holladay’s landscape rules protect what gives the city its character. These come up most on residential projects.

Tree removal permits. Holladay is a Tree City USA community, and its Tree Preservation Ordinance requires a permit to remove a protected tree unless the tree is damaged, dead or dying, essential to property development, or a safety risk. The application includes a Tree Canopy Sustainability Plan with an inventory and recent photos of the canopy in the removal area. If your design depends on taking out a large tree, raise it in the first meeting, not after the plan is drawn. Questions go to Holladay’s Community and Economic Development Department.

Foothills and Canyons Overlay Zone. Properties on the city’s east side may fall within this overlay, which carries its own tree, vegetation, and site design standards. Your designer should confirm whether your lot is inside it.

Creek-adjacent lots. If your property sits near Big Cottonwood Creek, ask whether the city’s flood damage prevention regulations affect grading, walls, or structures near the channel.

Water provider and rebates. Depending on your address, your water may come from Holliday Water Company, Salt Lake City Public Utilities, or Mount Olympus Improvement District. That matters if you’re planning a lawn conversion or a smart controller, because rebate eligibility through programs like Utah Water Savers depends on your provider and city. Check current eligibility before you finalize a turf-reduction plan.

HOA rules. If you live in an HOA community, review your CC&Rs. Utah law limits an HOA’s ability to prohibit water-efficient landscaping, but architectural review for structures, fences, and lighting can still apply.

What Shapes the Cost of Landscape Design in Holladay

The honest answer on cost is that the plan sets the price. Two yards on the same street can land far apart because of factors that only show up during the site review:

• Scope. A front-yard refresh with new beds and lighting is a different project than a full backyard design-build with a patio, outdoor kitchen, fire feature, and new irrigation.
• Hardscape versus planting. Patios, walls, pergolas, and steps take more labor and material than planting beds, so the balance between them shapes the total.
• Site access. A narrow side yard or a mature tree near the gate can mean smaller equipment and more hand work.
• Grade and drainage. Sloped east bench lots may need retaining walls, steps, or drainage work before anything decorative goes in.
• Irrigation condition. Some older systems can be adapted. Others need new mainlines, valves, and a controller.
• Tree protection. Protecting root zones during construction can change footings, paving methods, and where trenches run.
• Material selections. Natural stone, specialty pavers, and large specimen plants each carry different costs than standard options.

The way to get a real number is an itemized proposal built from your actual design. Millburn provides one before anything is scheduled, so you can see what each part of the project involves and adjust scope before you commit. Project financing is also available for larger design-build work.

Preparing for the First Step of the Holladay Landscape Design Process

A little preparation makes the first meeting more productive and shortens the revision rounds that follow.

• Gather photos from different seasons if you have them. A July photo of the backyard shows where the shade really falls.
• List how you want to use the yard. Hosting, kids, dogs, vegetable beds, privacy from a neighbor’s second story. Be specific.
• Note the trees you can’t imagine losing, and any you’ve wondered about removing.
• Find your sprinkler controller and note any zones that have never worked right.
• Think about a budget comfort range. You don’t need a final number, but a range lets the designer show options that fit instead of drawing a plan you’ll have to cut back later.

Timing matters too. Fall and winter are good months to work through design in Holladay, because the plan, revisions, and any city permit questions can be settled while the ground is cold. That leaves you ready to build when the spring installation season opens.

The Holladay landscape design process rewards homeowners who plan before they build. Start with what’s already on the lot, check the city’s tree and water rules early, and use the design stages to make decisions on paper instead of in the field. The result is a yard that fits how you live and still looks like it belongs on a Holladay street.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the landscape design process take in Holladay?

It depends on scope. A planting and lighting plan moves faster than a full design-build with a patio, structures, and new irrigation, and any tree permit question can add time. Many Holladay homeowners work through design in fall and winter so they’re ready to build in spring.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Holladay?

If the tree is protected under Holladay’s Tree Preservation Ordinance, generally yes. Exceptions include trees that are damaged, dead or dying, essential to development, or a safety risk. The application includes a Tree Canopy Sustainability Plan. Contact the Community and Economic Development Department to confirm whether your tree qualifies.

How much does landscape design cost in Holladay?

Cost is set by the design itself: scope, the balance of hardscape and planting, site access, slope and drainage, irrigation condition, tree protection, and material choices. Millburn provides an itemized proposal before anything is scheduled, so you can adjust scope before committing.

Can my HOA stop me from installing a water-wise landscape?

Utah law limits an HOA’s ability to prohibit water-efficient landscaping. Architectural review for structures, fences, and lighting can still apply, so review your CC&Rs before the design is final.

Are 3D renderings part of landscape design?

Millburn offers 3D renderings as an option for projects where visualization helps, such as a new patio, pergola, or major layout change. Ask about it during the materials and details stage.

Does the same company design and install the landscape?

With Millburn, yes. Design and installation are handled by the same company, so the plan doesn’t get handed to an outside contractor who wasn’t part of the design conversations.