Southern California

Landscape Installation for New Construction Backyards

From bare dirt to a finished, HOA-approved landscape. Planting design, sod and artificial turf, irrigation and drainage, and drought-tolerant xeriscape built for new-construction lots across Southern California.

Request a free estimate Call (818) 740-6519

CSLB #1103138. Serving Southern California.

Finished turf lawn and landscaping completed by Five Stars Builders in a new-construction Southern California backyard

New-construction builders grade the lot, pour the slab, and hand you the keys. What they do not do is landscape the yard. Most new Southern California homes close with compacted dirt, a bare irrigation stub, and a fence line, nothing else. Meanwhile your HOA's architectural committee often requires an approved landscape plan within a set number of days after closing, and California's water restrictions mean the plant palette that worked at your last house in a different climate zone may not be approved here at all.

That combination catches a lot of new homeowners off guard: a compliance deadline, a water-wise plant list, and a yard with no soil structure to speak of, all at once. Five Stars Builders installs the landscape as one project, planting design, turf, irrigation, and drainage, so the yard is functional, code-compliant, and ready for the way your family actually uses it, not a patchwork of separate vendors and separate timelines.

Why Homeowners Choose Us

One Team for Design, Approval, and Installation

Five Stars Builders plans and installs the landscape as a single project, not a string of separate hires.

California-Licensed Contractor

CSLB License #1103138. Verifiable through the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), so the crew grading your lot and running your irrigation lines is licensed for the work.

HOA Plans Handled In-House

We prepare the plant list, irrigation plan, and drawings your HOA's architectural committee asks for, and track the submittal so the clock on your approval window does not run out.

Built for Southern California's Climate

Soil, drainage, and plant selection are matched to your microclimate and water district rules, not a generic national plant list that struggles here.

One Team, Start to Finish

Design, HOA submittal, planting, turf, and irrigation are managed by one accountable team. You get one contract and one point of contact, not four separate vendors to coordinate yourself.

What's Included

Planting design: a layout matched to your lot's sun exposure, soil, and your HOA's approved plant palette, not a stock plan.
Sod and artificial turf: real sod where it earns its water use, synthetic turf where a low-maintenance lawn makes more sense, laid over proper base prep so it does not shift or drain poorly.
Irrigation and drainage: drip lines for planting beds, spray or rotor coverage for turf areas, and grading or drain lines so water moves away from the foundation instead of pooling against it.
Drought-tolerant and xeriscape planting: California-friendly and native-adjacent plant choices that meet local water-district requirements and still look intentional, not just gravel and a few cacti.

How the Process Works

Free design consultation: we walk the lot, note grading, sun and shade, and existing irrigation stubs, and talk through how your family will use the yard.
HOA-ready plan: we draw the planting and irrigation plan to your community's submittal requirements and track the approval.
Installation: soil prep, irrigation and drainage lines, turf, and planting go in on a scheduled timeline, coordinated with any hardscape work happening at the same time.
Walkthrough: we review the finished yard, the irrigation controller settings, and care basics for the plant palette before we consider the job done.

Landscape Installation, Answered

What new-construction homeowners across Southern California ask us most before the first shovel goes in the ground.

01How long does landscape installation take on a new-construction lot?

Timelines depend on lot size, irrigation complexity, and whether hardscape is happening at the same time. A straightforward front and back yard planting package moves faster than a full property with turf, extensive drip irrigation, and drainage work. We give you a specific schedule at the design consultation, not a generic estimate.

02Will my landscaping plan meet my HOA's approval requirements?

We prepare plans to match the submittal format most Southern California HOA architectural committees require, including plant lists and irrigation layout, and we track the review so you are not guessing whether your window is closing. See our HOA and permit approvals page for how that submittal process works.

03Should I choose sod or artificial turf for a Southern California yard?

It depends on how the space is used, your water district's restrictions, and how much upkeep you want. Real sod suits active play areas with reliable irrigation; artificial turf fits low-water, low-maintenance zones or slopes where mowing is impractical. We walk through both during the design consultation and recommend based on your actual yard, not a default answer.

04Do you handle irrigation and drainage, or just the planting?

Both, as one scope. Planting without correct irrigation and drainage fails within a season, especially on compacted new-construction soil. We design and install drip and spray irrigation and grade or pipe drainage as part of the same project so the plant palette actually survives.

05What is xeriscape, and is it required by my HOA?

Xeriscape means designing a landscape around drought-tolerant and low-water plants suited to Southern California's climate. Most HOAs do not require a fully xeriscaped yard, but many water districts and communities do limit high-water turf area or require water-wise plant percentages. We design to whatever mix your specific HOA and water district allow.

06When can landscaping start after I close on my new home?

As soon as your HOA plan is approved and any grading from the builder is complete, we can typically begin. Many buyers start the design consultation before closing so the plan is ready to submit the day the keys are in hand, which shortens the time your yard sits as bare dirt.

Explore Related Services

Landscaping is one piece of a finished backyard. Here is how it connects to the rest of the project.

Hardscape

Pavers, patios, walkways, walls, and driveways that define the layout your planting design builds around.

HOA & Permit Approvals

How we prepare and submit the plans your architectural committee requires, handled in-house from day one.

New Home Backyard Design

See the full process for turning a dirt new-construction lot into a complete, HOA-approved backyard.

Los Angeles County

Landscape installation for new-construction communities across Los Angeles County, including Santa Clarita and Porter Ranch.

Orange County

Planting, turf, and irrigation for new-build communities in Irvine, Lake Forest, Tustin, and nearby Orange County cities.

The next step

Ready to Start Your Backyard Landscape?

Call (818) 740-6519 or request a free design consultation. We will walk your lot, review your HOA's requirements, and lay out a clear plan for planting, turf, and irrigation.

CSLB License #1103138. Serving Southern California.

Request a free estimate Call (818) 740-6519