Effective November 1, 2026 · Version 2.10
Good Work. Clear Expectations. No Funny Business.
We're pretty easy to work with. We show up, do what we say we're going to do, and take pride in leaving things better than we found them. In return, we ask for clear communication, timely payments, and a little understanding when Mother Nature has other plans.
We've been doing this long enough to know that good relationships aren't built on complicated contracts. They're built on doing what you promised, communicating when something changes, and treating people the way you'd want to be treated.
Ground Rule 01
Our proposals are prepared in good faith based on experience and available project information. Sometimes surprises happen. If the scope changes, we'll discuss the work and pricing with you and obtain approval before proceeding. Nobody likes surprise bills, including us.
Ground Rule 02
Projects under $50,000 require an approved proposal, a 50% deposit, and a payment method on file, a card or a bank account. The balance is due when the project is finished. Larger projects follow a payment schedule we agree on together before construction begins, outlined in your proposal. Your payment information is securely maintained and charged only as authorized.
Ground Rule 03
Mother Nature and I go way back. I admire her, respect her, and spend most of my life working with her. But we're friends, not business partners. She doesn't work for Scapes, doesn't answer my calls, and frankly, does whatever she damn well pleases.
Weather and conditions beyond our control may change our schedule. We'll keep you informed. I just can't promise she'll return my calls.
Ground Rule 04
After more than 25 years doing this, I've learned that if something's going to show us a problem, it often happens early. For qualifying major landscape installations specifically identified in your proposal, we'll check on our work during the first 100 days after completion. We want to catch potential issues before they become bigger ones.
This is a follow-up commitment, not a blanket replacement warranty. Sod, seasonal grass and color, transplants, and other specifically excluded living materials are not covered unless agreed in writing.
We prepare, install, and care for our work to give it the greatest opportunity to succeed. Proper watering and continued maintenance are equally important. Workmanship concerns will be evaluated and appropriately addressed. Neglect, extreme weather, pests, disease, and circumstances beyond our control are not automatically covered. Specific written warranties and applicable legal rights remain in effect.
We don't promise to control nature. We promise to pay attention to our work.
Ground Rule 05
Scapes operates electronically through ACH and securely stored credit cards. No paper checks, no late fees, and no collection agencies. We're far too cool for that.
Construction payments follow the approved proposal. Recurring visits are invoiced and charged to the payment method on file only after the work is done, when the crew marks the visit complete.
If a payment doesn't process, we'll contact you directly. We do the work, you enjoy the results, and everybody handles their end of the deal.
We get ours, you get yours. Easy.
Ground Rule 06
Here's a concept that shouldn't be revolutionary: we do the work, then we get paid. Weird, right?
Services are scheduled in advance, but payment is collected only after the scheduled work is completed. No mystery monthly charges or paying for services we haven't performed.
Need to make a change? Let us know before the crew is dispatched.
We believe payment should follow performance. That's how we roll.
Estate Flow is for active Scapes maintenance clients enrolled in Signature Cut™, Estate Groom™, or Sentinel Service™. If maintenance ends, Estate Flow ends with it. The Watch is complimentary for these Full Service clients.
The equipment is yours. The Rachio Pro controller and flow meter belong to you from the day they go in. If you ever leave, they stay with your home and we remove our access. We never take hardware back.
The install is $695 for systems up to 16 zones on a 1″ or smaller mainline, indoor or outdoor. Systems over 16 zones, mainlines larger than 1″, and pump-start systems are quoted separately.
Repairs are scheduled as their own visit. When an alert confirms a repair, the leaking zone stays off until it is fixed, and the repair goes on the schedule in the next open slot. Each repair visit is a $95 crew mobilization fee, parts, and labor at $45 per man-hour with a 30-minute minimum. If we are already at your property that day for a seasonal or maintenance visit, we do the repair then and there is no mobilization fee.
When you sign up, you set a pre-approved repair limit, $250 unless you choose another number, and you can change it any time. If a repair visit totals less than your limit, we fix it, photograph it before and after, and charge your card on file when the visit is complete. Anything over it gets an estimate and a conversation first. We never raise an invoice you have not heard about.
Seasonal visits are $150 each and always fall on the same day as your maintenance visit.
What Estate Flow does not cover:
No monthly fee. No repair quota. We fix what the landscape actually needs.
Ground Rule 07
We're human, and occasionally something doesn't go as planned. If something isn't right, tell us.
No need to let frustration turn into a one-star review or declare war over a shrub. We're on the same team.
Give us the opportunity to understand the issue and work toward a solution. We can't fix what we don't know about, and we'd much rather solve a problem than argue about one.
We're not interested in winning fights with our clients. We're interested in keeping them.
We're not here to be the cheapest. We're here to do work we're proud to put our name on, care for your property, and build relationships that last longer than the invoice.
We take our work seriously. Ourselves? Not nearly as much.
Scapes Environmental Design, Inc.
Where Luxury Takes Root.™