Landscape Planting Plans
Commercial Landscape Planting Plan Services — Nationwide
A well-designed landscape planting plan not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of your property but also increases property and resale values, supporting your long-term investment.
Our landscape planting plans range from minimum code-compliant permit documents to fully developed, design-forward planting schemes that elevate your project’s curb appeal and long-term value. Proper planning is essential to achieve the greatest returns from your investment and to avoid common landscaping mistakes. We consider the future growth and sustainability of your landscape, ensuring that large trees and mature vegetation are integrated as key structural elements for shade, privacy, and visual harmony. Whether you’re pulling a building permit or launching a Class-A residential community, we produce the precise, permittable documents your project requires.
Creating a master list of possible plant materials is a standard part of our planting plan process, ensuring the right selections for your property’s needs and future development.
Two Levels of Landscape Planting Plans
Code-Compliant Planting Plans
Code-compliant planting plans are designed to satisfy the minimum landscape requirements established by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) — whether that’s a municipality, county, parish, Architectural Review Committee (ARC), or master developer. These documents are engineered for permit approval, not decoration.
Best suited for: Commercial pad sites, industrial and warehouse developments, religious facilities, public and institutional buildings, and any project where the primary objective is permit issuance rather than design differentiation.
Enhanced Planting Plans
Enhanced planting plans exceed minimum code requirements in response to the broader design intent of the developer, architect, or end user. These plans reflect the character and quality of the project, supporting marketing, leasing, HOA approval, and ARC compliance.
Best suited for: Multifamily residential communities, master-planned developments, upscale single-family subdivisions, mixed-use projects, hospitality, high-end retail, and Class-A office developments.
What Our Landscape Planting Plans Include
A landscape planting plan from Evergreen Design Group is a complete construction document — not a concept sketch. Depending on the scope of your project, deliverables typically include:
Planting Plan Drawing Set: Scaled plan view showing the location, quantity, and species of all proposed plant material, including trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses, groundcovers, perennials, and vines.
Plant Schedule: A comprehensive schedule listing botanical name, common name, caliper (for trees), spacing, and quantity for every species specified on the plan. As part of our process, we create a master list of possible plant materials for use in the planting plan, and the final plant schedule provides a complete list of all plants on the plan with the total quantity for each.
Planting Notes and Details: Standard and project-specific installation details, including planting pit dimensions, mulch depth, staking requirements, and root ball specifications.
Planting Specifications: Written specifications governing plant quality, installation procedures, establishment periods, and contractor responsibilities.
Cost Estimates: Preliminary planting cost estimates to support budget development, owner decisions, and value engineering exercises.
Bid-Ready Construction Documents: Final permit-ready documents formatted for contractor bidding and regulatory submission.
- We follow the ‘Large-to-Small’ Rule by placing large trees first, then medium shrubs, followed by small perennials and groundcovers to ensure a cohesive and layered design.
- Plant characteristics such as mature height, spread, color, texture, and bloom time are specified to guide plant selection and placement.
- Our planting plans often include at least ten different species to promote diversity and attract a variety of wildlife.
- We emphasize the use of native plants, which attract birds and butterflies and create a vibrant, living yard that provides year-round interest.
When requested, we also produce presentation-quality landscape renderings and color planting plans suitable for marketing materials, HOA submittals, and investor presentations.
Our Landscape Planting Plan Design Process
At Evergreen Design Group, we follow a structured, proven approach to developing landscape planting plans that fit your needs and specifications while meeting regulatory requirements. Here’s what you can expect:
Step 1
Site Analysis and Regulatory Research
We begin every planting plan engagement by conducting a thorough site inventory and survey to document all existing elements on the site, including structures, existing plants, and their precise locations. Our team reviews AHJ landscape ordinances, buffer requirements, tree mitigation obligations, plant palette restrictions, and any HOA or ARC design guidelines that govern your site. We carefully note specific site characteristics such as soil type, shade, and growing conditions, as well as test soil for pH and texture to understand soil type and drainage. We also analyze light and shade by identifying areas of full sun, part sun, and shade, and observe how shadows change throughout the day. Environmental conditions such as sunlight, wind, and soil moisture are recorded across different locations in the landscape to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the site. The concept of ‘right plant, right place’ guides our plant selection strategy, ensuring that chosen species will thrive in the site’s unique growing conditions from day one.
Step 2
Conceptual Planting Design
Our landscape architects develop a preliminary planting concept that responds to the site’s architecture, grading, and programmatic layout. At this stage, we draw bubbles to represent different use areas and use shapes and lines to define plant beds and spaces, helping to visualize the overall structure of the landscape. We also represent proposed structures and other elements in the conceptual plan to ensure a cohesive design. Generating ideas for plant placement and features allows us to create more interest and visual appeal throughout the landscape. We establish the planting strategy: tree canopy placement, shrub massing, groundcover zones, accent planting areas, and seasonal color opportunities. We consider how plant material will mature over a 5- to 10-year horizon to ensure the landscape ages well and retains long-term value.
Step 3
Design Development and Plant Selection
We refine the concept into a developed landscape planting plan, focusing on the art and science of selecting and placing plants to create a healthy, functional, and beautiful yard. During this process, we decide which existing plants to keep, remove, or relocate based on their health and suitability for the site. We select specific plant species for climate suitability, regional availability, maintenance requirements, and aesthetic performance, always researching the mature size of every plant to avoid overcrowding and intensive pruning. To promote a healthy landscape, we avoid planting large shrubs too close to windows or the foundation, ensuring proper air circulation. Where appropriate, we prioritize drought-tolerant, native, and low-maintenance species that reduce long-term ownership costs and support local ecology. We coordinate planting design with any tree disposition plans, site civil documents, and irrigation designs being developed concurrently.
Step 4
Value Engineering
Before finalizing the construction document set, we identify opportunities to optimize the plant palette and quantities without compromising the design intent. This may include substituting species at lower cost points, adjusting spacing to reduce quantities while maintaining visual impact, or recommending a phased planting implementation strategy.
Step 5
Construction Documents and Permit Submission Support
We produce the final, permit-ready landscape planting plan set — including planting plan, plant schedule, details, and specifications — formatted to meet the submission requirements of your AHJ. Our team has extensive experience coordinating with municipal planners, ARC committees, and master developers across the country, which means fewer revision cycles and faster approvals.
Project Types We Serve
Evergreen Design Group produces landscape planting plans for a wide range of commercial and land development project types, including:
- Multifamily residential — apartment communities, build-to-rent neighborhoods, condominium developments
- Master-planned communities and subdivisions — entry features, common areas, streetscapes, amenity zones
- Mixed-use developments — ground-floor retail, live-work, urban infill
- Hospitality — hotels, resorts, extended-stay properties
- Commercial and retail — shopping centers, pad sites, power centers, outparcels
- Office and corporate campuses
- Industrial and warehouse/distribution — code-compliant buffer and perimeter planting
- Religious and institutional facilities
- Public and municipal projects
Landscape planting plans often include features such as patios, paths, fences, air conditioners, and front entry areas, ensuring that both functional and aesthetic elements are integrated into the overall design. It is important to design paths that are wide enough (3-5 feet) to logically connect different areas of the landscape, enhancing accessibility and flow throughout the site.
Why Civil Engineers, Architects, Land Developers, and Contractors Work with Evergreen Design Group
Integrated Landscape Architecture Services. We offer land planning, landscape architecture, and irrigation design under one roof. When your planting plan, tree disposition plan, and irrigation design are coordinated by the same firm, you eliminate conflicts between disciplines and reduce your project’s coordination burden. Landscaping with native plants can increase property and resale values, reduce the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and help conserve water by using more drought-resistant species. You can feel confident working with our experienced landscape professionals to achieve sustainable and valuable results.
Registered in 40+ States. Our landscape architects hold active registrations in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. If your project is in a state not listed, contact us — we can discuss options.
Proven Track Record Since 2005. With 20+ years of national project experience, our team has worked in virtually every regulatory environment in the country. We know how local AHJs think, what they require, and how to get your plans approved efficiently.
Program Management Capability. For developers and contractors managing multiple sites simultaneously, we offer dedicated program management services that standardize deliverables, track project milestones, and keep your entire portfolio on schedule.
Fast Turnaround Without Sacrificing Quality. We understand that schedules drive decisions in land development. Our production processes are built for responsiveness — without cutting corners on accuracy or compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions — Landscape Planting Plans
A landscape planting plan is a scaled, dimensioned construction document that specifies the location, species, size, and quantity of all plant material to be installed on a project site. Planting plans are drawn to scale and include property lines, the extent of plant beds, and use lines to define bed edges and organize plant arrangements. Most commercial building permits require a planting plan as part of the landscape permit submittal package. Requirements vary by jurisdiction.
No. Evergreen Design Group works exclusively with professional clients — architects, civil engineers, land developers, and design-build contractors. We do not provide landscape design services directly to homeowners.
Yes. We regularly design and submit planting plans to Architectural Review Committees, master developer design review teams, and HOA design guidelines boards. We obtain and review the applicable design standards before beginning design.
Yes. Evergreen Design Group provides both landscape planting plans and irrigation design services. Coordinating these documents in-house reduces conflicts and simplifies the permit process for our clients.
Turnaround time depends on project size, complexity, and the jurisdiction’s code requirements. Contact us with your project details and we’ll provide a timeline estimate as part of our proposal.
We are currently licensed in 40+ states. See the full list above or visit our Areas We Serve page for details.
We begin by conducting a detailed survey and site inventory to document all existing elements, property boundaries, and environmental conditions. This process ensures that the planting plan is accurately drawn and respects the property line, existing site features, and the intended extent of plant beds and landscape elements.
Request a Landscape Planting Plan Proposal
Ready to move your project forward? Contact Evergreen Design Group to discuss your landscape planting plan needs. We’ll review your project details, confirm jurisdictional requirements, and provide a scoped proposal tailored to your timeline and budget.
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