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Landscaping in Cedar Park, TX

Landscaping in Cedar Park starts with rock, since much of the city sits on a few inches of stony clay over hard limestone. 512 Luxury Landscape Design plans and builds yards for that ground: native beds, drip irrigation that fits the city's watering rules, stone patios, concrete, shade, and custom steel. One in-house team designs and builds, the owner is involved on every job, and we are rated 4.8 stars from 28 Google reviews. Estimates are free.

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new shade tree staked in a front lawn beside native plant beds
Northwest of Austin

Landscaping Built for Cedar Park's Rock and Water Rules

Cedar Park sits about 16 miles northwest of Austin, mostly in Williamson County with a small part in Travis County. The town grew up on limestone, and quarried building stone was one of its main products from the 1890s until about 1970. That same rock is why a shovel stops short in so many Cedar Park yards today. Federal soil maps show Eckrant soils here with only 4 to 20 inches of dirt over hard limestone. The town also grew fast, from about 3,500 people in 1980 to 77,595 at the 2020 census. Most homes went up in 2000 or later. City code asks new homes for a sodded front lawn, two shade trees, and a few shrubs, and many yards still have little more than that. City water comes from Lake Travis, under watering rules that tighten when the lake drops. Good landscaping in Cedar Park plans for all three: rock, heat, and water. We have designed and built outdoor spaces since 2018, and we build Cedar Park yards to look good and hold up on this ground.

Landscaping Services in Cedar Park, TX

BUILT FOR ROCK, HEAT, AND LAKE TRAVIS WATER

One in-house team can take your Cedar Park yard from tired builder sod to a finished outdoor space. Here is what we build, starting with the work Cedar Park homeowners ask about most.

Landscaping in Cedar Park

On thin soil over limestone, roots have nowhere to go. We check how deep the rock sits before we plant, then bring in good soil and build up beds where the rock is close. For lawns, we prep the ground before any sod installation, so the grass is not sitting on a few inches of caliche. For tree installation, we pick shade trees from the city's preferred plant list, like live oak, cedar elm, and Shumard red oak. We size the hole for the root ball, even if it means cutting into rock.

Landscape Design in Cedar Park

Cedar Park's baseline water rule allows sprinklers two days a week, and only before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m. In Stages 1 and 2, drip lines and soaker hoses can run on any day, at any time. In Stages 3 and 4, they are limited to your one watering day, and Stage 4 also limits the hours. That makes drip irrigation design the smart choice for beds here. Our xeriscape design uses native, drought-tough plants that need less water. The city's preferred plant list points to the same place: the Grow Green guide and the LCRA plant list.

Hardscaping & Masonry in Cedar Park

Limestone is part of Cedar Park's story, and it still looks right here. Because many lots slope and the rock sits close to the top, we build retaining walls that turn a slope into flat, usable yard. We set footings on solid ground, not loose fill, and add drainage behind the wall. We also build outdoor kitchens, paver patios, and fire pits that tie into the stone on your home.

Welding & Steel Fabrication in Cedar Park

Cedar Park does not require a permit for a fence, but its code sets the rules. Side and rear fences can be up to 8 feet tall. In the front setback, fences are usually capped at 3 feet. On a lot over 20,000 square feet, a wrought iron fence up to 6 feet can go in front. We weld fences, metal gates, and steel planters in-house, so the design and the build stay with one team.

Custom Concrete in Cedar Park

Cedar Park ground changes from lot to lot. Some yards have hard rock a few inches down, while others have Crawford clay, which cracks open 1/2 inch to 2 inches wide when it dries out. We grade and prep the base to match the soil under your slab. Then we pour concrete patios, stamped concrete, walkways, and driveways with steel reinforcement and control joints.

Patios & Pergolas in Cedar Park

Austin's Camp Mabry weather station averages about 123 days a year at 90 degrees or hotter. A covered patio or a steel pergola makes the back yard usable through that long summer. Cedar Park requires a permit for arbors and for a structure built over an existing slab or deck. The city wants a site plan, a foundation plan, and inspections, so we draw the plans and build to them.

What Landscaping Costs in Cedar Park

We price every Cedar Park yard on its own, so we do not post flat numbers. A few local things move the cost. Rock is the big one: digging footings, tree holes, or irrigation trenches into limestone takes more time and heavier tools. Big oaks count too, since we work around their root zones. Permits add steps for patio covers, arbors, and irrigation systems, and many homes also need HOA approval. A front-bed refresh with drip lines sits at the low end. A full back yard with a retaining wall, covered patio, and outdoor kitchen sits much higher. We walk your property and give you a clear written estimate for free.

From Buttercup Creek to the Ranch at Brushy Creek, we build Cedar Park yards that work with rock, heat, and water rules.

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Built for Cedar Park

What Landscaping in Cedar Park Has to Deal With

Start with the ground. USDA soil maps show three common soils across Cedar Park. Eckrant stony clay has only 4 to 20 inches of soil over hard limestone, and some of it is bare rock outcrop. Doss silty clay reaches rock at 11 to 20 inches. Crawford clay is deeper, 20 to 40 inches, but it shrinks and cracks when it dries. That is why we check the soil on every lot before we price it. The rock below is karst, full of cracks and caves. The city says most of Cedar Park sits in the Recharge or Contributing Zone of the Edwards Aquifer. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also maps a Cedar Park karst region, home to endangered cave creatures like the Bone Cave harvestman. If a dig opens a hole in the rock, we stop and look before we go on.

Water and weather come next. Cedar Park buys its water from Lake Travis through the LCRA. When the combined storage in Lakes Travis and Buchanan falls, the city's drought stages step up. In March 2025, dry weather pushed Cedar Park to Stage 3 and one watering day a week. At Stage 5, the city bans automatic sprinklers, and drip may only be used for trees, foundations, and vegetable gardens. The heat is steady: Austin's Camp Mabry station averages about 29 days a year at 100 degrees or hotter and about 12 nights at freezing or below. Hard freezes still happen, and Camp Mabry hit 7 degrees in February 2021. We choose plants rated for USDA zone 9a, which covers the 78613 and 78641 ZIP codes, and tough enough for both.

  • Thin, stony soil over limestone means we test rock depth first, then import soil or raise beds where roots need room.
  • Drip lines and soaker hoses can run on any day in Stages 1 and 2, and new landscapes can get one 21-day watering variance.
  • Cedar Park's code makes it unlawful to remove a protected tree, or to remove or prune a heritage tree, without written city approval.
  • The city requires permits for irrigation systems, arbors, gazebos, and patio covers over an existing slab.
  • The city's HOA map lists about 80 neighborhoods with an HOA or neighborhood group, so many projects need design approval first.
crew planting a staked shade tree in a front lawn with native plant beds
Why 512 Luxury Landscape Design

Why Cedar Park Homeowners Choose Us

You want a crew that plans for rock, big oaks, and water rules before the first shovel goes in. We design and build in-house, and the owner stays on the job from the first walk-through to the final cleanup.

  • Full-Service Design and Build

    One in-house team handles design, planting, irrigation, stone, concrete, shade, and steel. Nothing gets lost in a handoff between separate companies.

  • Owner Involved on Every Job

    The owner stays involved from the first walk-through to the last detail, so you get straight answers and reliable follow-through.

  • We Plan for the Rock

    We check soil depth and slope during the estimate. Your price and plan account for the limestone under your yard from the start.

  • Water-Wise by Design

    We lay out drip zones and pick plants that fit Cedar Park's watering days, so your yard stays healthy when the city tightens the rules.

  • Plans Ready for Your HOA

    We can prepare drawings and 3D renderings for your HOA review and the plans the city needs for a permit.

  • In-House Welding and Free Estimates

    We build iron fences, gates, and pergolas in-house. We also walk your property and write up your estimate for free.

Testimonials

Our Customer Reviews

Rated 4.8 out of 5 from 28 Google reviews

Questions & Answers

Landscaping in Cedar Park, TX FAQs

  • Do I need a permit for a patio cover, pergola, or fence in Cedar Park?

    For a patio cover or arbor, usually yes. Cedar Park requires a permit for accessory structures like arbors and gazebos. It also requires one for a cover built over an existing slab or deck, and for decks over 200 square feet or 30 inches high. The city asks for a site plan and a foundation plan, then inspects the layout, the footings, and the final build. A fence does not need a permit, but it must follow the city's fence code. New irrigation systems need a permit too. We confirm what your project needs with the city before we start.

  • What are Cedar Park's watering rules for a new yard?

    In Stage 1, the city's baseline, homes water two set days a week based on the last digit of the address. Sprinklers can only run before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m. Drip irrigation and soaker hoses can run on any day and at any time in Stages 1 and 2. In Stage 3 they follow your one watering day, and in Stage 4 they also follow set morning and evening hours. A new landscape can get one 21-day variance to water while it roots, with city approval, in Stages 1 through 3. In Stages 4 and 5, plan on no variance. That is why we plant new sod and beds with the current stage in mind, and lean on drip wherever we can.

  • Can I remove or trim a big oak on my Cedar Park lot?

    Check with the city first, because Cedar Park's code makes it unlawful to remove a protected tree, or to remove or prune a heritage tree, without written approval from the city. Heritage trees are those 26 inches or more across, measured 4.5 feet above the ground. Timing matters too, since the Texas A&M Forest Service says to avoid pruning or wounding oaks from February through June, when oak wilt spreads most easily, and to paint any oak wound right away. When we build near big trees, we keep trenches, fill, and equipment off the root zone.

  • How do you build on Cedar Park's shallow, rocky soil?

    We start by finding out what is under your yard. On Eckrant soils, hard limestone can sit just 4 to 20 inches down. There, we raise beds, bring in soil, and cut into the rock for footings and tree holes. On Crawford clay, the soil cracks as it dries and swells when wet, so we prep the base and reinforce concrete to handle the movement. Drainage matters on both. Since water runs off rock fast, we grade it away from your house and patios.

  • Which Cedar Park neighborhoods do you work in?

    We take projects all over Cedar Park, in both the 78613 and 78641 ZIP codes. That includes Buttercup Creek, Cypress Creek, the Ranch at Brushy Creek, Twin Creeks, Silverado Ranch, and Carriage Hills, plus homes near Whitestone Boulevard and the 183A Toll Road. Most of these neighborhoods have an HOA, and many HOAs review yard changes before work starts. We can prepare the drawings for that review. Every project starts with a free visit to your property.

  • Does Cedar Park offer rebates for water-wise landscaping?

    The city offers up to $100 in water bill credits for buying rain barrels. It also points customers to LCRA's water-saving rebate programs, which change from year to year, so check the current list before you plan. The biggest savings usually come from design. Native plants, drip lines, and less thirsty turf cut your water use every week. They also keep your yard healthy when the city moves to a stricter drought stage.

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