Buildable landscape plans coordinated with drainage, planting, pavers and outdoor living—from the first site visit through installation.
Licensed landscape architecture firms and long-established designers often lead the planning conversation. DCM Outdoor provides landscape design and installation — buildable concepts, plant and material selection, and construction under one outdoor living project — not landscape architecture services unless a licensed landscape architect is separately engaged for that work.
Depending on the project, DCM evaluates sun exposure, drainage, existing trees, access and applicable HOA requirements. Specialized surveys, engineering, arborist services or landscape-architecture services may be coordinated when required.
A clear package matters as much as pretty plant photos. The $750–$1,000 design fee (credited toward installation when you build with DCM Outdoor) typically covers:
A downloadable sample plan will be linked here once a client-approved sample is cleared for public use. Until then, the consultation walks through example layouts from recent outdoor living work.
Planting and finished outdoor rooms. We are expanding with before / concept / completed sets for dedicated landscape case studies.
Walk the property, discuss use, budget, and outdoor living scopes that may share the same plan.
Concept, palette, plan or render, and one revision — see deliverables above.
One proposal covering landscape and related outdoor living construction when bundled.
Planting, soil prep, and hardscape coordination under one project manager — phased if needed.
We favor native and adapted species that handle heat, humidity, and coastal influence with realistic maintenance — not generic Southeast plant lists that ignore your sun, shade, and soil.
Examples often considered include muhly grass, American beautyberry, native azaleas, Carolina jessamine, and Sabal palmetto — always matched to the bed’s light and drainage. We avoid recommending invasive or poorly suited plants such as Bradford pear (restricted/banned as invasive in South Carolina) without a site-specific reason. Turf and groundcover choices depend on shade and soil; see best grass for Charleston yards and native plants for coastal SC.
Standing water after storms is often a grading or drainage issue first. Depending on the project, DCM reviews how water moves across the lot and may recommend grading adjustments, channels, rain gardens, or a coordinated yard drainage scope before investing in a full planting plan.
Floodplain or impervious-surface constraints are reviewed when they apply to the property — not as a blanket process on every residential lot. Specialized engineering or floodplain review may be coordinated when required.
Landscape design works best when bed edges, lawn, and planting align with paver patios, retaining walls, pergolas, and lighting from the start — one proposal when you want landscape and outdoor living construction together.
Donovan leads landscape design consultations and oversees installation sequencing so planting, drainage, and hardscape stay on one buildable plan. When a licensed landscape architect, arborist, or irrigation contractor is needed, DCM coordinates that professional for the scope that requires it.
Design fee: $750–$1,000 for full landscape design plans, credited toward installation when you proceed with DCM Outdoor for the build. Installation cost varies by planting density, hardscape adjacency, drainage work, and phasing — detailed after the design package is complete.
Next landscape-design authority assets: three complete case studies with before, design concept, and completed installation images; named project area; detailed scope; a real customer review; and one downloadable sample design when client permission allows.
Until those pages are live, browse related outdoor living work on our work and front yard / backyard contractor contexts.
Read verified feedback on our reviews page. Map Pack leaders win with years of Google reviews attached to a verified Business Profile — DCM is building that same evidence with real installs, not invented quotes on this page.
DCM Outdoor charges a design fee of $750–$1,000 for full landscape design plans, credited toward installation when you proceed with DCM Outdoor for the build. Installation cost varies by scope and is quoted after the design plan is complete.
Plants installed where water ponds or soils stay saturated often struggle regardless of species. DCM Outdoor evaluates drainage and grade during site review so planting and hardscape decisions rest on a workable site plan.
DCM Outdoor provides landscape design and installation. When a licensed landscape architect, arborist, surveyor, or engineer is required, DCM coordinates those professionals rather than presenting DCM as a landscape architecture firm.
HOA and ARB rules vary by community. Planting in existing beds may not need review, while new beds, grading, front-yard changes, or new trees often do. DCM reviews the requirements that apply to your project and prepares submission materials when needed.
Yes. When significant live oaks are on the property, DCM evaluates canopy and root constraints and designs planting and hardscape to work with the trees. Arborist review may be coordinated when conditions require it. More detail: live oak root protection.
Start with a design consultation — we will walk the site, clarify deliverables, and outline how the $750–$1,000 design fee credits toward installation if you build with DCM Outdoor.
Start a Design Consultation →Charleston outdoor living services