Xeriscape Landscape Design for Low Water Houston Yards
Xeriscaping replaces thirsty turf with planting that lives on close to what Houston rain gives it, held together with gravel, decomposed granite, and stone. Done well it is a designed scheme rather than a rock yard: layered planting, seasonal colour, and a fraction of the irrigation and mowing.
What’s included in the work.
Every project has the same core scope, adapted to the specific property and program.
- 01
Site & Soil
Sun, drainage, and soil assessed so the plant list matches what each part of the yard actually offers.
- 02
Turf Removal
Existing lawn removed or smothered and the ground prepared so it cannot come back up through the new scheme.
- 03
Planting Scheme
Adapted and native species laid out in layers for structure, seasonal colour, and mature size rather than the size at delivery.
- 04
Gravel & Boulders
Decomposed granite, gravel fields, and boulder placement setting the ground plane between the planting.
- 05
Mulch & Edging
Mulch depth, bed edging, and separation fabric where it helps, so beds hold their line and their moisture.
- 06
Drip Irrigation
Low-volume drip and bubblers zoned for establishment, then dialled back as the planting takes.
Everything you see.
Everything you don’t.
What separates a landscape that lasts from one that fails in two summers is the work you never see — grade, drainage, soil preparation, and compacted base. On Houston clay, that is most of the job.
And what you do see — the joint lines, the bed edges, the level of a terrace against the house — we hold to the same standard.
Roughly what it costs.
The range below is what work of this kind typically runs in Houston, so you can place yourself in it before you call. It is a starting point, not a quote — every project is scoped to the specific property, program, and material selections.
We confirm a clear investment range in the initial consultation and issue a detailed proposal after the design phase.
- Area converted, and how much lawn has to be removed first
- Plant sizes at delivery, and how densely the scheme is planted
- Boulders, gravel fields, and decomposed granite quantities
- Bed edging, mulch depth, and separation fabric where it helps
- Drip irrigation zones added, or an existing system reworked
$8,000 – $30,000
Most projects of this type
- At the lower end
- A front bed conversion — lawn removed, gravel and decomposed granite laid, and adapted planting at a starter size.
- At the upper end
- A whole yard rebuilt as a designed scheme, with boulders, layered native planting at mature sizes, stone paths, and drip zoned through it.
A range, not a quote. Your figure depends on square footage, materials, how much grading and drainage the site needs, and equipment access.
Work that goes with this.
Most projects combine several of these, and doing them together costs less than doing them one at a time.
- 06 / Gravel
Paver Walkway and Gravel Path Installation in Houston
Decomposed granite and gravel paths with two-foot concrete pavers set as stepping squares — the side yard and garden route that drains, at a fraction of a slab.
Explore Paver Walkway and Gravel Path Installation in Houston - 23 / Turf
Artificial Turf Installation Built on a Drainage Base
Synthetic lawns that stay green through a Houston August — for shaded yards, dog runs, pool surrounds, and paver-and-turf hardscape.
Explore Artificial Turf Installation Built on a Drainage Base - 28 / Irrigation
Houston Sprinkler System Installation and Repair
Sprinkler and drip systems installed, zoned, and tuned — new systems, repairs, and the retrofits that stop a system watering the driveway.
Explore Houston Sprinkler System Installation and Repair - 24 / Sod
Houston Sod Installation, Graded, Amended and Watered In
New lawns installed on prepared, graded soil — with the variety matched to how much sun the yard actually gets.
Explore Houston Sod Installation, Graded, Amended and Watered In
Written about this work.
What we have published on it — what it costs, what it is like to live with, and how it is put together.
- Plants & Planting · 6 min read · By Chris GosselinNative Texas Plants That Handle DroughtNative plants that survive a Houston summer without constant irrigation — and why “drought tolerant” still means watering through the first year.
- Plants & Planting · 2 min read · By Chris Gosselin100 Native Plants for Harris and Adjacent CountiesOne hundred natives picked for two things at once: they grow in Harris County gumbo, and they feed birds, butterflies and beneficial insects. The full list.
- Plants & Planting · 6 min read · By Chris GosselinBest Ground Covers for Houston YardsThe ground covers that hold up in Houston shade, heat, and clay — where each one works, where it fails, and when turf or paving is the better answer.
Ready to explore
what’s possible?
A quick conversation will tell us both if there is a fit — no obligation, no hard sell.
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