Hardscape
Pavers and hardscaping
Driveways, patios, walkways, pool surrounds and the stairs between them, set on a base built to hold its line through a wet Puyallup winter.
Pavers and hardscaping detailsArchterra Landscape Services · Puyallup, Washington
We build the whole property, not one corner of it.
Landscape design, construction and grounds management since 2005. Our own crews cut the grade, set the walls and the pavers, run the irrigation and the lighting, and then keep the place looking right year after year. No subcontractors.
One property, every system
A finished yard is six trades that never show a seam.
This is one Archterra property. The wall, the terrace, the deck, the lawn, the fence and the drainage under all of it were built by the same crews, in the right order. Move through the marks to see what each one is doing.
What we build
Design, build and then look after it.
Archterra runs both sides of the work: a design and construction division that builds the property, and a landscape management division that maintains it afterwards. Most clients use both.
- Retaining and rock wallsBlock walls, rock walls and boulder rockery that hold a slope and give you usable ground where there was a grade.Retaining and rock walls
- Landscape design and installationThe full design and build: grading, drainage, beds, plantings, sod, hydroseeding and synthetic turf, drawn before any of it is dug.Design and installation
- Water featuresWaterfalls, ponds, basalt columns and rock bubblers, plumbed and set into the rockwork so they read as part of the ground.Water features
- Outdoor LED lightingPath, step and facade lighting laid out so the walls, the plantings and the way in still work after dark.Outdoor lighting
- Irrigation installation and repairZoned irrigation, backflow testing, spring start-up and winterization. It rains here, and the summer still dries a lawn out.Irrigation
One job, start to finish
Michelle Mobley had us replace the fence, the patio, the lawn and the front yard. All of it, as one job.
Full fence replacement. Full patio replacement. A new pathway, lit. Every bit of sod pulled and replaced with turf. Then a redesigned front yard with a water and light feature. Six of the trades on this page, on one property, sequenced so nothing had to be pulled back up to get at what was underneath it.
“You cannot go wrong with Archterra. We had an extremely large project and I wanted to pick the right firm to do the job who would do it right.”
She also wrote the sentence we would put on the truck if we put anything on it: Archterra starts with the foundation of your project, and building the correct infrastructure will make everything beautiful for a lifetime.
Paver stairs, stone entry pillars and wall steps on an Archterra build. The stair, the wall and the pillar are one structure, set together, which is why the lines still meet.
Landscape management
The company that builds it is the company that keeps it.
Our landscape management division works across King and Pierce County on commercial, multifamily and large residential estates, and every property gets a dedicated account manager. Mowing and bed maintenance, shrub trimming, irrigation monitoring and repair, hardscape cleaning, seasonal cleanups and enhancements. We work closely with property management companies across the Pacific Northwest, and our design and build division designs, installs and maintains rooftop gardens.
Backflow, handled
Irrigation systems need a backflow preventer to keep irrigation water out of the drinking supply. Where a city requires annual testing, we take care of that too.
Start-up and winterization
Trained irrigation technicians troubleshoot and repair, and run annual spring start-up and winter blow-out on the systems we look after.
One account manager
Commercial, multifamily and estate properties each get a named account manager, so you are not re-explaining the site every visit.
Already had the landscape built, by us or by somebody else? The management division will take it on.
Landscape maintenanceBefore you call
The questions we get asked first.
These are the ones that come up in nearly every first conversation. There are more of them on the questions page.
Read all the questionsA free, on-site consultation with a landscape designer to talk through your vision, your budget and the practical considerations of the property. From there we can establish scope and a realistic timeline.
Not always. The scope of work determines it. At the initial design consultation we establish which aspects of the project might require a permit and what those costs are, and Archterra handles submitting the applications for any permit the work needs.
Every project is unique and carries its own timeline. Once the size and scope are settled we can give you a guideline for the time required. The factors are design decisions, materials, permit requirements, site conditions and weather.
Lead times depend on the time of year. Through the spring and summer peak the lead times are longer. Winter is a good time to work through the design and planning phases so the build is ready to start when the weather turns.
A common misconception here is that all the rain makes irrigation unnecessary. We recommend it. The summer months dry out, and without a consistent watering schedule plants and grass go into distress and die.
It comes down to soil type, sunlight availability and moisture. Our designers and horticulture specialists recommend plants on size, shape, texture, growth habit and sun exposure, so the planting still looks right once it has matured.
Free, on site, no obligation
Start with someone walking the property with you.
A designer comes out, looks at the grade, the soil and the light, asks what you want the place to do, and gives you options and pricing. It costs nothing and commits you to nothing. Winter is the sensible time to do the design work, because spring and summer are when the build lead times get long.
Mon-Fri 8am-5pm. Serving Pierce and King County. Licensed and fully insured.