Landscape Design & Build in Glencoe, IL

What we build in Glencoe

Landscape Design

Custom landscape design for Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicago's North Shore. AutoCAD site plans, 3D renderings, planting design and full build documentation.

Hardscaping

Natural stone patios, walkways, driveways, retaining walls and stone fireplaces built for Chicago freeze-thaw. Serving Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicagoland.

Decks & Pergolas

Custom cedar and ipe decks, pergolas, railings, fences and privacy screens built in-house. Iron and woodwork for Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicagoland.

Outdoor Living

Custom outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits and rooftop terraces designed and built for Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicago's North Shore.

Lighting & Water

Low-voltage LED landscape lighting, color-changing systems, fountains and ponds designed and installed for Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicago's North Shore.

Artificial Turf

Professional artificial turf installation for lawns, pet areas, putting greens and rooftops in Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicagoland. Built on a drained base.

Commercial and association landscaping across Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicago's North Shore. Grounds care, hardscape restoration, drainage and entrance work for property managers and condo boards. Call (847) 387-9509.

Snow & Ice Management

Snow plowing, sidewalk clearing and ice management for residential and commercial property across Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicago's North Shore. Seasonal contracts. Call (847) 387-9509.

Building on and near a ravine

A ravine lot is a drainage system with a house next to it. Water moves through it, soil moves with the water, and anything built without accounting for that becomes part of the problem within a few seasons. Ravine-edge work leads with slope stabilization, erosion control and drainage management, then adds the things people actually want — stair and boardwalk access down the slope, a terrace at the top with a real edge condition, seating that takes advantage of the view.

Elevation reaches 690 feet along Green Bay Road in the north of the village, and the grade change between the road and the lake is the defining site condition on the east side. Terracing, retaining and engineered drainage are not upsells in Glencoe. They are the project.

Native planting, because the setting demands it

With more than 1,200 acres of Forest Preserve wrapped around the village and the Skokie Lagoons on the west side, a Glencoe landscape sits inside a larger natural system rather than in isolation. Native ravine planting holds soil in a way that ornamental turf never will, and it looks correct next to a wooded slope in a way an imported palette does not.

That is a design position, not a compliance position. The Village's stated purpose in requiring tree removal permits is to protect, preserve and enhance the forested character and natural resources of the village — and a landscape that fights that character will always look like it was airlifted in.

Ravine Bluffs and the architectural context

Ravine Bluffs is Glencoe's marquee subdivision — a Frank Lloyd Wright development containing seven houses, a concrete bridge and three sculptural markers. Beyond it the village holds residences by Howard Van Doren Shaw, David Adler and George Washington Maher, the same 1900s to 1930s architect-designed Prairie and revival mix found in Winnetka and Lake Forest.

The Chicago Botanic Garden's 385 acres sit at the village's northwest corner with a Glencoe mailing address, which means Glencoe homeowners look at world-class horticulture as a matter of routine. It is a demanding audience, and it should be.

Local conditions and village requirements

8-inch tree removal permit threshold

The Village requires homeowners and developers to submit Tree Removal Permits for any tree eight inches or greater in diameter. The stated purpose is to protect, preserve and enhance the forested character and natural resources of the Village.

Historic Preservation Commission

Established under Village Code Article III. We confirm with the Village whether a specific site or landscape scope triggers review.

Ravine and bluff terrain

The village is characterized by ravines and bluffs, with elevation reaching 690 feet along Green Bay Road in the north.

Surrounded by preserve

More than 1,200 acres of Cook County Forest Preserve buffer the village, with the Skokie Lagoons immediately west.

Frequently asked in Glencoe

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Glencoe?

Yes, for any tree eight inches or greater in diameter. The Village requires homeowners and developers to submit a Tree Removal Permit at that threshold, with the stated purpose of protecting the forested character of the village. We handle the submission as part of the project.

Can you build on a ravine lot?

Yes, and it is some of the most rewarding work we do. It starts with the slope, not the finishes — stabilization, erosion control and drainage, then access via stairs or boardwalk, then the terrace and the planting. A ravine project that skips the engineering is a project that fails.

What should I plant on a ravine slope?

Native ravine species. They hold soil through the wet-dry cycle in a way ornamental material does not, and they look correct against a wooded slope. Highland Park's neighboring ravine system has driven a lot of published guidance on native ravine restoration, and the same plant logic applies here.

How much does a Glencoe landscape project cost?

Ravine and bluff work carries costs a flat lot does not — engineering, stabilization, access and drainage. We assess the site, scope the work honestly and price it in writing. Call (847) 387-9509.

Do you handle drainage and erosion problems?

Yes, and in Glencoe they are usually the reason someone calls. Grading, drain tile, French drains, dry wells, permeable surfaces, slope stabilization and native planting are all tools; which combination is right depends on where the water is coming from and where it can go.

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Landscape Design & Build in Glencoe, Illinois