Systems & Utilties
Why support systems matter.
A beautiful yard that drains poorly, dries out in summer, or goes dark at night is only doing part of its job. Drainage, irrigation, and lighting are the systems that keep a landscape performing the way it was designed to — through Seattle winters, dry summers, and everything in between.
These are the parts of a project that are easiest to overlook during planning and most expensive to add after the fact. Running irrigation lines or drainage pipe after hardscaping is in place means cutting through finished work. Getting it right during construction costs a fraction of fixing it later.
We assess every property for drainage and water management as part of the design process, so nothing gets built without accounting for how water moves through the site. Irrigation and lighting are planned around the finished design, not added as an afterthought.
Projects that feature our Systems and Utilities
When we started working with our clients in Burien, they had two new buildings on their property, but not much else. Kristin worked closely with the homeowners through several reviews and reworks to tailor their full-yard installation of plants and hardscaping to meet their exact needs and tastes.
Kristin was tasked with creating a remote design for a client in California. The client provided photos of the space, and a list of ‘wants’, and we were able to deliver a full design with measurments, material lists and estimated costs to be provided to a local contractor for installation.
Even a small project gets a full design workup with reviews. Kristin designed this xeriscape plan to replace sod in a front yard, making sure that every plant and boulder were just right for the new design.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soggy yards in the Pacific Northwest are almost always a drainage problem, not a plant problem. Solutions range from French drains and catch basins to rain gardens and dry creek beds depending on where the water is coming from and where it needs to go. We assess the site before recommending anything.
The climate of Seattle has recently shifted from a USDA zone 8b to 9a, which means it’s getting warmer, and our temperatures are more extreme than they used to be. Even if you want to follow the Seattle tradition of not watering your lawn during the summer, it may be wise to install a system to support your plants at the very least…especially if any are younger than five years.
More than most people expect. Lighting extends how long you can use the space, changes how it feels in the evening, and highlights the parts of the design worth seeing after dark. It’s often one of the last things clients think about and one of the first things they wish they’d done sooner.
Irrigation systems need a seasonal startup and winterization each year. Drainage systems are largely maintenance free once installed correctly. Lighting systems are low maintenance, especially with LED fixtures.
They can be added later, but installing during construction is almost always easier and less expensive. Running irrigation lines or drainage pipe after hardscaping is in place means cutting through or working around finished work.
Drainage manages water you don’t want — runoff, pooling, water moving toward your foundation. Irrigation delivers water where you do want it, to your plants and lawn. They work together but solve different problems. Whether you need one or both depends on your property and what we find during the design process.
Related Services / Construction & Build / Plants & Landscaping / Patios / Drainage Solutions / Retaining Walls / Irrigation / Permaculture / Curb Appeal Services / Outdoor Lighting / Lawns / Commercial Lanscape Installation / Full-Scale Outdoor Renovation / Decks / Paver Installation / Fences / Decks / Sustainable Drainage / Construction Costs / Synthetic Turf
“Terreworks is a great partner. Excellent communication and worksmanship. Quick turnaround and everything to specification..”
– Scott, Commerical Partner