Honest Answers
Questions we hear at every gate
Pricing, process, timing and the awkward questions too. If yours isn't here, call — a person answers our phone.
01 — Pricing & Proposals
The money questions
Honestly: anywhere from $15,000 for a single refreshed garden bed and walkway to $500,000+ for full estate transformations. Most of our design-build projects land between $60,000 and $200,000. Your consultation includes ballpark ranges before any design fee — so you can decide with real numbers.
The first site visit is, yes — about an hour walking your property, discussing possibilities and budget ranges. Paid design work begins only when you commission a master plan, and 50% of design fees are credited if you build with us.
We don't finance directly, but most large projects are phased across seasons — which spreads investment naturally. Payment follows milestones: deposit, mobilization, progress draws and a final payment after your walkthrough approval.
Usually three reasons: we build deeper bases under hardscape (the part you can't see), we use our own crews rather than the cheapest available sub, and our proposals include everything — disposal, permits, warranty. We're rarely the lowest bid. We're routinely the last contractor a client ever hires.
02 — Process & Timing
The calendar questions
Design can usually begin within 2–3 weeks. Construction is typically scheduled 6–10 weeks out, and prime spring build slots fill by late winter. Maintenance programs can often start the following week.
A patio and planting project: 2–4 weeks. A full backyard: 4–8 weeks. Estate work: a season or two, phased. You get a written schedule before we break ground, and Friday email updates throughout.
Construction is construction — but tidy is a core value here. Daily cleanup, protected access paths, fenced material staging and a site that's broom-clean every Friday. Neighbors regularly compliment our sites, which we consider a five-star review.
All of it. Building permits, wetlands applications, Call-Before-You-Dig, and stamped engineering where walls or structures require it. You sign; we run the paperwork.
Five years on hardscape craftsmanship, two growing seasons on plants under our care programs (one season otherwise), and manufacturer warranties — up to 15 years — on lighting and irrigation equipment. All in writing, all honored without argument.
03 — Care & Maintenance
The keeping-it-alive questions
No — though plant warranties double when we do the caring. Either way, you receive a care manual for everything we plant: watering schedules, pruning timing, the works.
Our default program is organic-first: compost teas, biological soil amendments and targeted spot treatment only when scouting justifies it. Anything applied is flagged to you in advance with re-entry guidance.
Smart irrigation clients are largely insulated — drip zones are typically exempt from bans and our controllers document compliance. For everyone else, we triage: trees and specimen plants first, lawn last. Lawns recover; a 40-year-old maple doesn't.
For maintenance clients, yes — driveways, walks and entries, cleared before 7am. We deliberately keep the snow roster small enough to honor that promise.
Mon–Sat, 7am–6pm. A human answers.
(203) 555-0148We reply within one business day.
hello@sageandstone.comThe fastest way to real answers.
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