If you’re planning a planting project, one of the first questions on your mind is probably: How long is this actually going to take? The honest answer is that it depends on a lot of factors. J.R. Hodder, landscape designer at Johnson’s Landscaping Service, boke down what really drives the timeline so you know what to expect before you sign on the dotted line.
A Day or Two for Most Foundation Plantings
For a typical urban foundation planting, the installation itself usually takes just a day, maybe two if there’s extra work involved or a significant amount of material to remove first.
Suburban homes can take a bit longer. According to J.R., “a front foundation planting, if it’s not an enormous suburban home, sort of a normal suburban home, could take a day just for one side of the house.” A backyard planting along the same lines might add another day or two, depending on the size of the space.
But don’t assume square footage tells the whole story. As J.R. put it, “it’s not just the square footage.” A smaller yard packed with things that need to be removed or modified can easily take longer than a larger yard that’s already a clean slate.
When Trees Need to Come Down
If your project involves removing a tree, add extra time before planting even begins. Tree removal and stump grinding require a subcontracted arborist or tree company, and while the actual removal work usually takes less than a day, scheduling it is a different story. Most arborists respond quickly and can often get you on the calendar within the week, but between assessing the job, signing an agreement, and getting a crew out, you’re generally looking at a week or two before that work is complete.
Once the tree is down, there’s still cleanup on our end. Wood chips and soil from grinding have to be removed and replaced, since plants simply won’t thrive in that material. Add in any remaining bushes or debris, and that cleanup alone can take up to a full day before we’re ready to plant.
The good news: A smaller urban yard usually needs less cleanup, often half a day or less, so we can often still get your plants in the ground the same day.
Permits Can Be the Biggest Wildcard
If there’s one factor that catches homeowners off guard, it’s permits. If a permit, survey, or plat is required, that means added cost and, more importantly, added time.
How much time depends heavily on the permit officer you’re assigned. A straightforward public space permit with a lenient reviewer might come through in a few weeks. But if the officer is stricter, or if multiple permits are required, the wait can stretch into months.
Determining who owns what starts with a survey. If you have one from your original closing documents, that speeds things up considerably since it typically shows where your house sits relative to the property lines and nearby structures. Without one, you’ll need to pull a plat from your county or district, which shows only the property boundaries without context. From there, you may still need to hire a surveyor to place your house on that plat accurately, a service that generally costs around $1,000 and takes about a day to complete once scheduled.
The Seasonal Factor
Beyond permits, the biggest driver of timeline is simply how busy the schedule is when you call. J.R. explained that the wait for a project slot shifts throughout the year:
- Spring: Can exceed two months
- Summer: Typically shortens to a month or a month and a half
- Fall: Climbs back up to around two months
- Winter: Starts short but builds again toward spring, especially if bad weather delays outdoor work
Why Timing Your Planting Matters
Beyond scheduling, the season you choose to plant in affects both timeline and plant health. J.R. was direct about this: Avoid installing large trees or mature shrubs in the heat of summer. Smaller plants like perennials and annuals can go in the ground any time of year since they need daily watering regardless, but bigger plants face real risk in summer heat.
Sod and seed carry extra risk in the summer too, and neither comes with a warranty, so it’s worth waiting for cooler weather if you can.
Fall tends to be the ideal planting window in our climate. It gives new trees and shrubs the longest possible stretch to establish roots before facing their first summer, which is typically the toughest test a newly planted tree or bush will face. Spring is a close second, and both seasons offer the widest selection of plant material, so if your first choice isn’t available, there’s almost always a comparable substitute on hand.
Summer sourcing can bring its own delays too. Growers are often reluctant to dig large trees and shrubs during summer months because of the transplant shock involved, and some perennials may be temporarily unavailable if they’ve just been cut back after blooming.
The Bottom Line
Every planting project is different, but if you’re trying to picture your own timeline, keep these factors in mind:
- Simple, established lot: A day or two for installation
- Tree removal needed: Add roughly a week or two, plus cleanup time
- Permits required: Add anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on your permit officer and whether a survey is needed
- Seasonal demand: Expect longer waits in spring and fall, shorter waits in summer and winter
The best way to get an accurate timeline for your specific yard is to talk with our team directly. We’ll walk your property, flag anything that might need permits or removal work, and give you a realistic picture of what to expect from start to finish.
Ready to get started? Contact Johnson’s Landscaping Service to schedule your consultation.
