Common Questions About Landscape Design, Pools, and Property Care in North Jersey
From Grassroots to Greatness in Outdoor Living
A landscape project is one of the larger investments a homeowner makes in a property, and most people start the process without a clear picture of how it works, what it costs, or who is accountable when something changes mid-build. Magic Landscaping runs design, construction, and maintenance through one structured process with defined stages, scheduled communication, and a single point of responsibility. The questions below cover fit, process, construction, communication, and pricing, answered directly. Read what applies to your project, then reach out with anything specific to your property.
Fit & Services
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Magic Landscaping takes on comprehensive residential design-build projects and program-based property maintenance across Northern Bergen County. On the construction side, that means full-property landscape plans, pool environments, patios and outdoor kitchens, masonry, plantings, drainage, and grade work through landscape design and project management. On the maintenance side, it means ongoing care under property maintenance programs rather than one-off visits. Commercial maintenance and commercial snow removal round out the service list.
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Magic Landscaping offers landscape design and project management, landscape installation, pool and spa installation, plunge pools, paver patios, outdoor kitchens, fire features, water features and ponds, retaining walls and terraces, paver driveways and curbing, landscape lighting, drainage and grading, and plantings. The grounds maintenance division adds turf care, pruning and plant health care, fine gardening, seasonal display services, spring and autumn cleanups, and lawn renovation. Commercial property maintenance and snow and ice control are available for commercial sites.
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Magic Landscaping is not the right fit for small one-off repairs, single low-cost installations, or lowest-bid work, and homeowners looking for those are better served by a smaller local crew. The process is built around designed, fully managed projects and ongoing maintenance programs, which carries real cost in design time, project management, and material quality. Mow-only lawn service without a maintenance program is also outside the scope. Being direct about this saves everyone the wrong first meeting.
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Magic Landscaping serves Northern Bergen County from its base in Mahwah, NJ, covering Ridgewood, Franklin Lakes, Wyckoff, Ramsey, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, Allendale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Glen Rock, Oradell, Montvale, Waldwick, Hillsdale, Westwood, Oakland, Woodcliff Lake, and the surrounding communities. Design-build and maintenance both operate across that footprint. Properties beyond it are reviewed individually against project scope and crew scheduling.
Services Overview
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A full design-build project moves through four defined stages: an initial conversation about how you want to use the property, an on-site evaluation of grade, drainage, access, and sight lines, a custom 2D design that sets layout and materials, and construction under a fixed timeline. Larger properties often phase the work across seasons, with the design setting the order so early phases do not have to be undone later. The design and project management team stays on the project through construction. That continuity is the difference between a plan and a finished property.
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Magic Landscaping installs fiberglass pools as an Authorized Leisure Pools Installer, Soake® precast plunge pools as a certified installer, and custom concrete pools in partnership with established pool builders. Fiberglass gives a faster install and a low-maintenance nonporous surface with a manufacturer's lifetime guarantee. Soake® plunge pools combine pool and hot tub function in a compact precast footprint usable year-round. Aging pools are also brought current through restoration, with new surfaces, hardscape, and integrated pool and spa design replacing a dated layout.
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A Magic Landscaping property maintenance program is a scheduled plan for the whole property rather than a weekly mow. It covers turf care, pruning and plant health care, fine gardening, bed maintenance, seasonal color and containers, core aeration and lawn renovation, and spring and autumn cleanups, tiered by how much attention a property needs. The maintenance division, led by Suzanne, maintains landscapes that Magic Landscaping designed and also takes over properties installed by other firms. Programs are set at the start of the season so the work is planned rather than reactive.
Process
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The first contact leads to a conversation about the property, the problems with it now, and how you want to use it, followed by an on-site consultation. A designer walks the property, reviews grade, drainage, sun exposure, access, and the views from inside the house, and discusses budget range before design work starts. That sequence exists so the design is scoped to something buildable. Nothing goes into construction scheduling until the plan is approved.
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Every Magic Landscaping project includes a custom 2D design that shows layout, materials, plantings, and how each area connects before construction is scheduled. The drawing is the document you review, mark up, and approve, and it is what the crews build from. Revisions happen at the design stage, which is far less expensive than changing direction mid-build. The project gallery shows finished results from plans built the same way.
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Magic Landscaping crews handle the landscape, masonry, planting, and fiberglass pool work in-house, and specialty trades such as concrete pool construction, electrical, and permitting are brought in under Magic Landscaping's management. Every subcontractor on site works to a schedule the Magic Landscaping project manager sets and holds. You are not left coordinating trades or chasing a permit yourself. That management layer is a large part of what the fee covers.
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Permits and municipal approvals are managed by Magic Landscaping as part of project management, including pool permits, grading and drainage review, and any township-specific requirements. North Jersey towns vary in what they require and how long review takes, and that time is built into the construction schedule rather than discovered later. Where an approval affects design, it is flagged during the plan stage. Homeowners are kept informed on status rather than left to follow up with the town.
Communication & Accountability
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Each Magic Landscaping project runs under an assigned project manager who owns the schedule, the crews, and the communication. That person is the one contact for questions about timing, materials, site conditions, and change requests, so you are not repeating yourself to different people. Owner Drew Shepherd stays involved in project direction and design decisions. Maintenance clients work with the grounds maintenance division under Suzanne.
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Updates come on a set rhythm rather than only when something goes wrong, covering what was completed, what is next, and anything affecting the schedule. Weather, material lead times, and township review all move dates on a landscape project, and communicating those shifts early is part of the process. Questions during the build go to the project manager and get answered the same working day whenever possible. Nothing significant changes on site without a conversation first.
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Change requests during construction are reviewed against schedule, cost, and what has already been built, then confirmed in writing before any work shifts. Some changes are straightforward, and some affect grade, drainage, or a sequence already underway, which is why the impact is explained before a decision. The design stage is where changes cost the least, and the review process is built to catch them there. Approved changes are documented rather than handled verbally on site.
Construction & Performance
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North Jersey properties bring freeze-thaw cycles, heavy clay in places, spring water movement, and mature tree cover, and each one changes how a landscape has to be built. Magic Landscaping sets base depth, drainage, and grading for those conditions rather than to a generic spec, and specifies plant material suited to the exposure on your site. Patios and walls fail when the base and the water are handled wrong, so those decisions come before the surface material. Deer pressure is also factored into planting plans across Bergen County.
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Magic Landscaping offers a 10-year warranty on landscape masonry installations, which covers the patios, walls, steps, and paver work the team builds. That length reflects how the base is constructed rather than a marketing position. Fiberglass pool shells carry their own manufacturer's lifetime guarantee through Leisure Pools. Plant material and maintenance coverage are handled separately and confirmed in the project documents.
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Low-maintenance is a design decision made early, through plant selection, bed layout, surface material, and irrigation planning rather than through less care later. Magic Landscaping scales maintenance load to what a household wants to take on, and pairs the design with a maintenance program when the answer is professional care instead of a simpler landscape. Fiberglass pool surfaces and quality paver installations both reduce ongoing upkeep. The design conversation covers how much time you want to spend on the property.
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Magic Landscaping provides commercial snow and ice control for commercial properties in Northern Bergen County as part of its commercial maintenance services. Coverage is set by contract before the season, with response tied to snowfall thresholds and site priority. Commercial property maintenance runs on the same program structure as residential work, scheduled rather than reactive. Residential snow service is not part of the standard offering.
Pricing & Getting Started
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Pricing on a Magic Landscaping project is built from the design: square footage, material selection, site conditions such as grade and access, drainage requirements, plant sizes, and the scope of the built elements. Two patios of the same size price differently when one sits on stable ground near a driveway and the other needs machine access across a slope. Budget range is discussed at the on-site consultation, before design work begins, so the plan is scoped to reality. Detailed pricing follows the approved design rather than preceding it.
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Budget range depends on scope, and Magic Landscaping discusses it openly during the first consultation rather than after a design is drawn. A defined single-element project such as a patio sits at one end, a pool environment with surrounding hardscape, plantings, and lighting sits well above it, and a full-property design-build is a larger commitment still. Naming a real range early is what keeps the design honest and avoids a plan nobody intends to build. Phasing across seasons is a normal way to reach a larger vision on a set annual budget.
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A useful consultation starts with three things: how you want to use the space, a budget range you are comfortable with, and a rough timeline. Photos of layouts you like, a property survey if you have one, and notes on current problems such as standing water or unusable slope all move the conversation faster. Knowing who else in the household is part of the decision matters as much as the wish list. Nothing is required beyond showing up ready to talk about the property.
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Getting started means requesting a consultation through the contact page or calling the Mahwah office, then scheduling the on-site visit. Design-build projects book out by season, so earlier contact gives more flexibility on construction dates, and fall is often the right time to design for a spring build. Maintenance programs are set before the season begins. The first conversation carries no obligation beyond a look at the property.
Client Experiences
“Magic Landscaping did an outstanding job transforming our backyard with new pavers, pool coping, landscaping, and drainage. We had a very tight deadline to get our pool open for the season, and their team worked tirelessly to make it happen. Their craftsmanship, professionalism, and attention to detail exceeded our expectations. They were reliable, responsive, and truly cared about delivering a beautiful result. We couldn’t be happier with the finished project and highly recommend Magic Landscaping!”
— CHRISTINA G. VIA GOOGLE
Ready to Talk About Your Property?
Magic Landscaping designs, builds, and maintains high-end residential landscapes across Northern Bergen County, NJ, from full-property design-build projects and pool environments to outdoor living spaces and year-round property maintenance programs. One team handles the design, the construction, and the care that follows.