Landscaping · Tempe, AZ
Landscaping Services in Tempe, AZ
Last updated
You want a better yard in Tempe, from a bare lot to a full redesign. Tell us your ZIP code and what the yard needs, and someone from our team will call you back to plan it.
See price rangesTempe lots are small and often rented, so the brief is usually a tidy front yard that costs little to keep, not a full redesign. A large rental share near the university shapes what gets built: durable surfaces, plants that survive neglect, and irrigation that can be set and forgotten.
01How it works
What does landscaping in Tempe involve?
In Tempe the design question is usually about space, not ambition. A narrow lot with a driveway, a walkway and 2 trees does not need a plan with 6 zones; it needs 1 good tree in the right spot, ground cover that reads as finished, and a place to sit that does not eat the whole yard. The frontage gets measured, the afternoon sun gets noted, and the roots under the existing concrete get checked. Smaller lots and a large rental share near the university mean front yard work often means low upkeep rather than a full redesign, so the palette leans on desert shrubs and small accent plants that take reflected heat off the driveway and need little water once established. Hardscape gets sized to the furniture you own.
02Good to know
What do yards in Tempe usually need?
Older Tempe yards tend to fail in the same 3 places. Valve boxes sit below grade and fill with dirt, so a zone stops coming on and nobody notices until the grass is dead. Heads along the sidewalk get clipped by a mower or a car door and spray the street. And the lawn strip between the sidewalk and the curb is the hardest square footage on the lot to keep alive. A practical scope fixes the plumbing first, then shrinks the thirsty turf to the area that gets used, then puts gravel or pavers where the grass was. For a rental, the owner often wants the version that needs the fewest service calls, which is often drip plus gravel plus one shade tree.
03Rules
Which ZIP codes are covered in Tempe?
ZIP codes 85281, 85282, 85283 and 85284 cover Tempe. The 4 codes cover the city, and the rental share tends to be highest near the university edge, where the lots can also be the tightest. Two houses in the same code can still be a courtyard and a full lot, so the address matters more than the number. Give the ZIP when you send a request, because the address alone does not show whether the yard is a courtyard or a full lot. Who approves the work also follows that split, since a rental needs the owner's sign off and an owner occupied house does not. If the property sits just outside one of those codes, send the address anyway, and someone from our team will call you back.
04Rules
What rules affect a yard project in Tempe?
Tempe's rules are not Chandler's, and a rental property adds a second layer. For watering, Tempe points residents to a landscape watering guide designed for conditions in the Phoenix metro area, which shows how long and how often to water through the year (City of Tempe, landscape watering tips (opens in a new tab)), so check it before the next controller change. If you rent, get the owner's written approval for anything beyond a repair, and keep it with the invoice. Landscape changes can come up when a deposit is returned.
05Services
Which services are available in Tempe?
4 services cover most of the work on Tempe lots. Landscape design fits a plan to a small footprint and sets the plant list. Artificial turf is often the answer for a courtyard that gets heavy foot traffic. Pavers and patios replaces a dead lawn strip with something you can put a table on. Irrigation repair handles the valve and head problems that come with older systems. On a small lot, 2 of these usually finish the job rather than all 4. The order still matters: fix the water first, because new turf over a failing valve is money spent twice. If the yard is a courtyard, say that first, because it changes the scope and the order. Call (747) 243-2089 and describe the lot size and what is failing.
06Service area
Which neighborhoods are covered?
Every Tempe ZIP on the list is covered, and lot size decides the scope more than the address does. On a tight lot the work is usually a courtyard rebuild: pull the dead lawn, cap or reroute a zone, lay gravel, and set 1 tree for shade on the west wall. On a wider lot with a longer driveway, a full front yard plan makes sense, because there is room for a walkway and a bed without crowding the door. Corner lots need a second look because 2 street frontages mean 2 sets of sight lines. If the property is a rental, say who signs and who will be on site, so the walkthrough happens once with the right person.
07Costs
What does landscaping cost in Tempe?
Sprinkler repair is a common need on older Tempe lots, and published national data puts it at $137 to $422, average $278 (a national cost guide, 2026, 36,233 projects). A front yard landscape runs $1,500 to $5,000 in the same guide's 2026 data, and a 2 person crew runs $50 to $100 per hour, according to another national cost guide (2026). On a small lot the labor hours are what move the number, because there is less square footage to spread the setup across. A courtyard with 1 valve to replace and 300 square feet of gravel is a different job from a full front yard rebuild with new drip. These are published national ranges, not a quote. The final price comes after someone sees the yard.
083 questions
Questions people ask
Still have a question? Call (747) 243-2089 and describe the yard.
01Can work be done on a rental property in Tempe?
Yes, provided the owner approves the scope in writing. The walkthrough happens with whoever is authorized, the scope goes in writing, and repairs are kept separate from improvements so the owner can decide. A tenant should not authorize work beyond a repair.
02How small can a Tempe yard job be?
A single valve, a broken head or 1 dead zone is a real job. Small repairs are worth doing before a bigger plan, because a new planting bed on a failing zone may not survive.
03Do Tempe yards need a different watering schedule?
The schedule depends on the season more than on the city: Tempe points residents to a landscape watering guide designed for the Phoenix metro area, which shows how long and how often to water through the year. Check the current guide before you change a controller, and water in short cycles rather than one long run so the ground can absorb what it gets.
09Keep reading
