Online Landscape Design
Online landscape & hardscape design / Anywhere in the U.S.
Online landscape design, drawn by people who build it.
Send us photos and measurements. You get a scaled plan, a material list, and a written scope your local contractor can price line by line. Patios, walls, walkways, steps, drainage and planting, all sized to how they actually go together.
Founding clientsOur first 10 designs are 40% off list price: Single Space $209.40, Full Yard $537. In return we ask for honest feedback we can quote and permission to show your plan without your address.
Claim a spotWhy us
Pretty pictures don't pour base.
AI apps and most online design services give you a pretty picture and wish you luck. Our designs come out of a working construction company in central Pennsylvania. Our crews build patios, walls and drainage every week, and they check every plan against how the job actually goes in the ground.
Dimensions that build
Patios sized to paver modules so you're not paying for cut waste. Steps drawn to comfortable risers. Walls laid out in real block courses.
RISER 6"–7" · TREAD 12"–16"
Base & water spelled out
Base depth, pitch and where the water goes are on the plan, not left to whoever shows up. That's what keeps a patio flat and a wall standing years later.
FALL 1/4" PER FT AWAY FROM HOUSE
A scope contractors can bid
Our Build-Ready set includes a written scope and quantity takeoff. Hand it to three local contractors and their bids come back comparable, line for line.
SF · TONS · BLOCK COUNT · LF
What we design
Virtual landscape design for any U.S. yard.
Our online landscape design service covers the hardscape and site work that makes or breaks a yard, plus the planting around it. Every plan is drawn to scale and checked by crews who build this work in Pennsylvania every week. Want a ballpark first? Lay it out in our free hardscape designer.
Paver patios & outdoor living
Patio size and shape, seating and dining zones, grill pads, fire pits and seat walls, laid out to paver modules.
Retaining walls & terraces
Wall layout, heights, steps between levels and where engineering is needed. Built for block walls like the ones we build.
Front walks & entries
Walkway width, step risers, landings and lighting so the front of the house works and looks right.
Grading & drainage plans
Where water goes: slopes away from the house, swales, downspout lines and French drains. See our drainage work.
Planting plans
Beds, shrubs, trees and perennials picked for your USDA hardiness zone, with sizes and spacing.
Phased master plans
Build the patio this year and the wall and plantings next year, and still end up with one finished yard.
Decks & porches
Deck and porch layouts sized to how you'll use them, with stairs and railings. Add a framing and footing sheet for your builder.
Pavilions & pergolas
Covered patios, pavilions and pergolas placed for shade, views and drainage, with the post and footing layout.
Landscape lighting
Low-voltage fixture layout, transformer location and wire runs, so it gets wired once and looks right at night.
Sample plans / Real projects, client details removed
See what you get.
Plans from real jobs: layouts, dimensions, base, drainage and framing details, and quantities. See all five and how each one was solved →
Packages / Flat price, paid up front
Pick the size of the job.
Every package is designed remotely from your photos, measurements and a short walk-around video. Price is set before we start. No hourly billing and no surprise fees. See how our prices compare with Yardzen and other online services.
Single Space
$349
One area done right: a patio, a front walk, or a small wall and bed.
- Scaled 2D plan of one area
- Material and plant list
- Paver and block style picks
- Plants matched to your hardiness zone
Full Yard
$895
The whole backyard, planned as one project you can build in phases.
- Everything in Single Space, for the full backyard
- Color site plan plus hardscape layout sheet
- Grading and drainage concept
- 30-minute video call with a designer
- Phasing plan if you're building over a few seasons
Build-Ready
$1,795
Front and back, with the details, quantities and scope a contractor needs to price it.
- Everything in Full Yard, front and back
- 3D views of the finished yard
- Construction details: base, edges, steps, wall sections
- Quantity takeoff and written bid scope
- One follow-up call to review contractor bids
| Sheet | What it shows | Single | Full Yard | Build-Ready |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L-1 | Site plan: layout, sizes, materials and plants on one scaled sheet | |||
| L-2 | Hardscape layout: every patio, walk, step and wall dimensioned | — | ||
| L-3 | Planting plan with plant schedule, sizes and spacing | List | ||
| L-4 | Grading and drainage concept: slopes, swales, downspouts, where water goes | — | ||
| V-1 | 3D views of the finished yard | — | — | |
| D-1 | Construction details: base sections, edge restraint, step and wall sections | — | — | |
| Q-1 | Quantity takeoff and bid scope: square feet, tons, block count, linear feet | — | — |
How it works
Four steps, no site visit.
You'll need a tape measure and a phone. Our photo and measuring guide (PDF) shows exactly which photos and measurements to take.
Day 0
Pick & pay
Choose a package and check out securely with Stripe. That locks in your spot and takes you straight to the upload page.
Days 1–3
Send the site
Upload photos, a 2-minute walk-around video, and measurements. A plot plan or survey helps if you have one.
Day 10
First draft
Your plan arrives as a PDF. Mark it up or talk it through on a call, then we revise.
Final
Build it
Get the final set, ready to hand to a contractor, bring to your HOA, or build yourself.
Central Pennsylvania homeowners
Live near Lock Haven, Williamsport or State College?
Our build crews at Muthler Landscaping & Construction can install your design. See our work. If we build it within 12 months, your full design fee comes off the build price.
Free planning guides
Plan it like a builder, even before you buy.
Written by the crews who build this work: the sizes, heights, drainage and mistakes to avoid, with our sample plans as examples.
Hardscape design
The 10 decisions behind patios, walks and walls that last.
Backyard layout
Zones, path widths and zone sizes in seven steps.
Patio size guide
What fits on 10 × 10 to 20 × 30 ft patios.
Paver patio ideas
20 designs with sizes, relative costs and build notes.
Retaining wall ideas
20 options, the height each works at and how it fails.
Retaining wall design
Base, drainage, geogrid and when you need an engineer.
Sloped backyard ideas
15 ways to use a hill, sorted by steepness.
Front walkway ideas
17 designs and the widths, slopes and steps that work.
Freestanding deck plans
Framing, footings and bracing, with a real plan.
FAQ
Straight answers.
Can I see a sample plan?
Yes. We posted four sample plans from real projects, with client details removed: a paver patio with a seat wall, a driveway retaining wall, a terraced garden with a French drain, and a front walk with steps.
Where do you work?
Anywhere in the United States. Design is done remotely, so your location doesn't change the price. We choose plants for your USDA hardiness zone and materials you can buy locally.
Do you need to see my yard in person?
No. Photos, a walk-around video and your measurements are enough for most yards. If you have a plot plan, survey or HOA rules, send those too. For steep lots we may ask for a few spot heights; the guide shows how to get them with a string and a level.
Are you landscape architects?
No. We're a design studio run by a PA-registered, insured construction company. Our plans are design drawings, not engineered, stamped or survey drawings, and we're not engineers or surveyors either. If a part of your project needs an engineer, like a wall over 4 feet or a wall holding up a driveway, we flag it on the plan so you know before you bid it out.
Can my contractor build straight from the plan?
Yes, that's what they're drawn for. Build-Ready sets include construction details and a quantity takeoff so contractors price the same job. Your contractor still verifies the site and handles permits, code, any engineering and utility locates. Call 811 before anyone digs.
What if I want to change something?
Every package includes revision rounds: 1, 2 or 3 depending on the package. Extra rounds are $150 each.
How do I pay?
Pick a package and check out with Stripe. Card, bank and pay-later options are available, and you land on the upload page right after you pay.
Do you design decks and pavilions?
Yes. We lay out decks, porches, pavilions and pergolas. The framing and footing sheet add-on shows posts, beams, joists, footings and stairs as a starting point for your builder and building department. It isn't engineered or stamped.
What's your refund policy?
Full refund any time before we start your first draft. Once drafting starts, the fee is non-refundable, and we'll keep revising within your package until the plan works for you.
Who owns the plan?
You do, for use at your property. Share it with any contractor, your HOA or your town. We keep the right to show the design in our portfolio without your address.
Can I do it in phases?
Yes. Full Yard and Build-Ready include a phasing plan, so patio this year and wall and plantings next year still end up as one finished yard.
Questions · Build-Ready requests
Tell us about the yard.
Not sure which package fits, or want Build-Ready? Tell us about the yard. It takes about five minutes, there's no payment today, and we reply within one business day. Ready now? Buy a package above.
- Photos from each corner of the yard
- Overall yard length and width
- House walls, doors and windows facing the yard
- Slopes: where it's high, where water sits
- Budget range for the build
Questions first? Call or text 570-397-9800
A design studio of Muthler Landscaping & Construction LLC
913 Bellefonte Avenue, Lock Haven, PA 17745 · 570-397-9800
Groundwork Design Co. provides landscape and hardscape design services. We are not architects, landscape architects, engineers or surveyors, and our plans are not sealed, engineered or survey drawings. Walls over 4 feet, walls under a surcharge load such as a driveway, and projects that need a permit may require review by a licensed engineer in your area. The homeowner and installing contractor are responsible for permits, local code, HOA approval and utility locates. See our design terms.