About Us

Thank you for considering Leisure Landscapes for your landscaping needs. Let us take a moment to introduce you to the services my company provides.

Leisure Landscapes serves the residential and business communities of the Triangle area of North Carolina from our Falls Lake location. Our skilled staff can assist you with:

• Design
• Installation
• Maintenance

The name focuses on adding Leisure back to the lives of busy families by liberating them from routine landscape maintenance while providing the perfect landscape setting. We accomplish this by integrating the total design. We start by installing drainage, reclaimed rainwater storage tanks and irrigation systems to ensure that your landscape has the correct amount of water, day in and day out, automatically. We build decks, patios and retaining walls. We bring in and contour topsoil to provide visually stimulating designs and balanced nourishment for your plants. We cover the bedding areas with a blanket of shredded hardwood or pine straw mulch. We provide plants that will thrive in our region and climate, using the best insect and disease-resistant varieties from local nurseries. Finally, we maintain the property to achieve a consistently professional appearance.

I invite you to explore our website and see for yourself all that we have to offer. I trust you will find that we are well equipped to reach our goal of “meeting your needs, fulfilling your dreams.”

Sincerely,

Paul Martin
President & CEO, Leisure Landscapes

What is your area of expertise?

We are a full service landscape design/build/maintenance company for residential and commercial customers. Our award-winning designs are noted for their creativity, aesthetic appeal and environmental sensitivity. Our landscape installers are craftsmen skilled in carpentry, masonry and landscaping.
We install:

• Patios, Walks and Walls
• Landscape Lighting
• Gardens
• Fountains
• Decks and Arbors
• Water Collection Systems
• Fences
• Irrigation
• Lawns
• Ponds
• Trees
• Drainage

Our Complete Care Plan, IrriGuard and FloraGuard maintenance programs provide:

• Mowing
• Edging
• Fertilizing
• Pesticide Applications
• Weeding
• Pruning
• Mulching
• Lawn Renovations
• Seasonal Flower Changes
• Irrigation Startup/Winterization

How many customers do you currently have?

We have 6,800 clients on our contact file of which 250 are active customers. One hundred and fifty are current maintenance contracts and 20 design/build clients are in process at any point in time.

How long have you been in business?

Leisure Landscapes began business in 1993 and is incorporated in the State of North Carolina.

What areas do you serve?

We regularly serve the Triangle area of North Carolina, which includes the cities of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill and the townships of Apex, Cary, Clayton, Creedmoor, Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Mebane, Pittsboro, Rolesville, Sanford, Wake Forest and Zebulon.

We also will perform contract work in Burlington, Greensboro, and Wilmington, NC.

For work outside these areas, please contact us.

What credentials do you currently hold?

The principal is a registered landscape contractor with a BIE degree in engineering from Georgia Tech and a Master’s Degree in business from the University of North Florida. The lead designer has a BS degree in horticulture from NC State.

We hold the following licenses or certificates:

• Certified Plant Professional
• Energy Saving Landscape Certified
• Irrigation Contractor #314, #C-158
• Landscape Contractor, #0543, #CL0612
• Limited Plumbing Contractor #32750
• Pesticide Applicator # 11983
• Irrigation System Backflow Assembly Tester
  • II-415N Apex
  • TOC 0024, Cary
  • C-1476, Durham
  • 0072-PWC Fayetteville
  • II-415N, Raleigh
  • Orange County Water and Sewer Authority
• Reuse (Reclaimed) Water Conveyor, Raleigh
• Stormwater BMP Inspection & Maintenance Certification #1825

The firm or members of the firm have membership in the following professional and trade associations:

• Associated Landscape Contractors of America
• Association of Professional Landscape Designers
• Better Business Bureau
• Carolinas Irrigation Association
• Cary Chamber of Commerce
• Green Industry Council
• North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association
• North Carolina Irrigation Society Inc.
• Turfgrass Council of North Carolina
• Raleigh Chamber of Commerce

In addition, Leisure Landscapes has received the Merit Award for Excellence in the Landscape for 2008 and the Distinction Environmental Award in 2003 for design/build excellence from the North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association.

How do you go about designing a landscape for a customer?

We set up an appointment where the customer and designer meet to review their needs. Attention is given to the style of the neighborhood, the customer’s desires, the architecture and placement of the property, planting issues such as sightlines, scale, lighting conditions, and finally resale considerations. After the initial discussion, a concept drawing is prepared on site, reviewed with the client and then finished in the design studio. The design is sent by e-mail for comments to the customer along with the installation plan. Once the design is finalized, an itemization of the list of materials and labor is created and the business proposal contract is prepared. When all is complete, a presentation meeting is held with the customer and designer to sign the contract.

Do you give free estimates?

No. All of our installations are customized to the owner and the property. Before a cost can be determined, a design must be created. And that takes at least two hours. The quotation process may take one to four hours depending on the complexity of the design. We charge for these design and quotation services.

There is one exception:
You are calling in and have the dimensions we need to enter into our pricing algorithms. An example might be a concrete patio, flat on grade. You give us the dimensions by phone, we will give you the base price over the phone. However, this is not binding. Before there is agreement to do the job, we will need to go to the site, prepare a site plan and design so that our crews will know what to install and where to install it. And design and project management fees will be applied in the contract preparation.

How much do you charge for a design?

The cost of a design will vary with the complexity. Our hourly charge is $65. A basic landscape design costs $350. A complicated design will cost $700 or more.

Each design will require one hour on site to establish the property baseline and concept drawing. A second hour in the studio will finish the drawing. A third hour will establish the implementation plan, a fourth hour the cost analysis and the fifth hour the proposal and contract forms.

An example of a complicated design is one that involves carpentry, such as a deck or screened porch. These require a complete itemization of each board and determination of structural loads to correctly size the material and determine its form.

Project success comes from thorough planning. And it is the project design that separates a mediocre project from an exceptional one. Leisure Landscapes is recognized in the industry for its award-winning project designs.

We make sure your project is done right. Your investment in a good design pays off in your satisfaction and in the increase in your property value.

What if I have my own design?

If you already have a design prepared by an architect or outside design firm, there will be no charge for the design fee. However, we will charge for the time to interpret the design and develop the materials and labor quotations and prepare the contract documents.

Do you have a business relationship with any company whose products or services you recommend?

No.

Do you provide a written contract?

Yes. The contract specifies the materials and labor as outlined in the project itemization and the financial terms. (Which is normally 50% down on execution of the contract and the balance on the day of completion of the job).

Do you provide financing?

Yes. Special terms can be arranged for larger contracts. Past due balances are charged a rate of 1 1/2% per month (18% per year).

We also accept Visa, Master Card and Discover credit cards. A nonrefundable pre-authorization fee of $.23 and a convenience fee of 2.44% will be applied to every transaction.

What is your policy on the privacy of client information?

Leisure Landscapes does not share client information with any other party. Contact information including addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and financial data such as credit card numbers and bank account numbers are maintained in our private and secured database.

Are you insured?

Yes. Leisure Landscapes carries general liability coverage and its employees are covered by workers compensation insurance.