It has been almost three years since our front yard got landscaped. Drainage and drought tolerant plants were key. Sarah and her team were efficient and strategic. The plants have grown in beautifully just as Sarah promised. I love it. Thank you Sarah. read more

Sarah Ray Design - Landscaping - Landscape Architects or Designers Near Me

Talk about hard workers! We had water draining into our basement for years, and Sarah and her foreman, Ken, and their crew hammered the ditches necessary to correct our problem. They were unbelieveably hard working and fashioned the proper French drains to solve the problem. Check it out: http://eastbayenvy.com/first-major-renovation-project/ read more

I had a large hillside backyard with nothing but weeds. Sarah put together an amazing five tier design for a serenity garden that traveled up the hillside. She put so much thought and creativity into the design. Her team put in everything - including gas and electrical lines and drainage (plus clearing all permits). The result is really amazing. I could not be more pleased by the whole experience or outcome! read more

Sarah Ray Design - Five tier serenity garden designed and built by Sarah - Landscape Architects or Designers Near Me

We had a challenging yard recently. Not completely pleased with the end result, but a good job.

We hired Sarah to design our front garden landscape. Sarah asked asked great questions and listened to our answers because the design she presented to us was exciting on paper and now that the work is complete - it is stunning in real life. Sarah and her crew are hard working professionals who treated our home with great care. All of the work from clearing the existing landscaping, stairs and brick work to building out the forms and then pouring and finishing the concrete retaining walls, planter, stairs and sidewalk, putting in drainage, irrigation, lighting and of course new plants - we are thrilled with the final product. Every time I look outside I am filled with joy because our home is more beautiful because of the work that Sarah and her crew did. I highly recommend Sarah Ray Design. read more

Sarah Ray is extraordinary. Her vision for landscaping exceeds all others as she literally transformed our yard from an overgrown mess of weeds to a gorgeous addition to our home where the whole family loves to spend time. She is an artist in every sense of the word. Her professional talent is matched only by her sweet personality and it is a pleasure to know and do business with her. Sarah is honest, hard working, and determined to give you the yard you've always dreamed of. Highly, highly recommend. read more

We asked Sarah Ray to come look at our property regarding drainage and landscaping. She came and took measurements. She told us she'd get back to us in a couple of weeks with ideas and plans. Sadly, all we heard were crickets. If someone is not interested in the work after viewing the property, the professional thing to do is to let the owner know. That didn't happen. read more

When we first met Sarah Ray to get a second bid on a design for our back yard, we instantly got a good feel about her. She saw and was excited about its potential. Our lot was large but overgrown and cut almost in half by a cliff-edged hilly section of shale rock that seemed to only serve as a place for invasive acacia and bamboo. We wanted something done with 'The Cliff', shade trees, plants and an overall look that worked with an existing pond. After her initial estimate for just a design that included drainage we realized we could also budget for a deck and a new raised patio in the back of the lot where an older, bonier one existed. As the design grew more detailed--Sarah incorporated our favorite plants and kept running ideas by us--we were kept informed of the pricing. We ended up using Sarah Ray Design for the actual construction of the design and, about six weeks later, we were very pleased with the final results. Her listening to us, and us to her, paid off. Her crew is small but works very hard and did a great job. They removed the numerous acacia, did great stonework for the raised patio deck, built a beautiful deck and fences, planted, laid out a useful and visually pleasing rounded path up the side of the cliff, dramatic lighting and, along with the drainage work we're glad we did, set up an irrigation system that makes the yard enjoyable but low maintenance. We love our back yard now and would recommend Sarah Ray and her main guys, Kenny and Carlos, to anyone who is considering a small or large project. read more

Sarah Ray and her design build firm are nothing short of exceptional. Sarah and her crew restored our trust in the home service industry after experiencing a botched home interior addition & remodel seven years ago. Our experience with Sarah now sets the gold standard for any home service provider we hire in the future. We spent a month carefully interviewing 6 landscape designers, architects, and design-build firms. Sarah was always the front runner and knew the second we hired her that we initiated a great partnership and were embarking on an awesome ride! And it was, on every front. Sarah is not only a talented visionary, designer and expert in her field, but a great listener, collaborator and partner. We have a large flat backyard (about 5000 sq. ft.) that was overgrown and neglected. We had ideas of the style and design elements that we liked, but it was overwhelming to think of how to get there! Having Sarah shepherd us through the design to build process was a privilege and an experience I will always treasure. She is extremely approachable, upbeat, patient, and easy to work with. She was very open to listening to our ideas and iterating on design options together. We also hired Sarah to build/implement our master design plan. A full design-build firm appealed to us because of the seamless and efficient implementation of the design. Sarah is also very available throughout the build process and was onsite nearly every day, as was her foreman. Sarah also met us countless times at various suppliers so that we could carefully select our materials. Her build crew is talented and very hard working. They started at 7:30am and worked for 7-8 hours/day, sweltering hot conditions or not. We really appreciated the undivided attention and the integrity and all-around work ethic displayed by Sarah and her crew. You will also find Sarah to be very transparent. Her billing system is the most logical and straight forward approach I have experienced in the home service industry. The invoice is directly tied to our contracted line items whereby charges reflect only percentages completed on a weekly basis. All change orders were at my request, and were only represented in the invoice if we agreed to it prior. There were no hidden costs or surprises. So, aside from my change orders, the project cost aligned with the signed contracted budget. Sarah created a gorgeous garden space that is everything we ever dreamed of and much more. Our family is looking forward to enjoying this beautiful extension of our home, our new found sanctuary, for years to come. Sarah Ray Design comes highly recommended for any size project. Thanks a million, Sarah! read more

I just have to say that Sarah made a friend of mine's garden go from weeds and dirt to a work of art. We all were sitting in the yard the other evening warming our hands by the fire and talking about what a difference having a livable outdoor space can make in our mental health. Sarah was easy to work with, very professional and very reasonably priced. Always on time and very artistic - I would recommend her to anyone looking to make a small or large addition to their home. read more

We had a wasteland of a backyard and elicited the help of Sarah to make things better; my kids needed a space and, quite frankly, so did I. I showed her my sunset magazine inspiration photos and she basically took that, ran, and made our dreams come true. Our project was not an easy one (nor a cheap one), but Sarah communicated with us every step of the way and handled our many bumps and stumbles (difficult terrain, rainy weather, the joy of neighbors) with absolute grace. Her crew was hard working and skilled. Sarah went above and beyond and was even willing to come speak with my neighbors when we ran into some issues. Today we have a beautiful oasis that my girls love to run around in and we love to hang outside around the fire pit telling ghost stories, drinking wine, and just enjoying some quiet (or, in the kids' case, loud) time. She has expanded our living space and drastically improved our enjoyment of home time. We can't thank Sarah enough and I really can't recommend her highly enough. read more

I never bother with this kind of thing (reviews) but for some reason I feel compelled to. I had such a pleasant experience with this woman and her crew! I loved the end product and did not feel swindled in the end but rather felt I had truly gotten my money's worth. She gave me a garden that was just right for me, right for the style of my home and right for this drought prone area. Sarah is very competent at what she does and I am certain she could handle a project of any size with aplomb and vision. So, there you have it. It is not often that you come across someone you can wholeheartedly recommend. You should at least get a bid from her - see what she can do for you. I love, love, love my beautiful yard...yipeeee!!! read more

Sarah Ray and her crew have earned a 5 star rating, and then some! From initial meeting with Sarah through all phases of a very extensive and challenging backyard clearing, re-design of the space, and implementation of landscaping, the interaction has been of the highest quality. The landscape design had to incorporate a steeply sloped area, necessitating attention to erosion and drainage concerns. At several stages of the project, Sarah had to coordinate her work with that of other contractors on site; she did this exceptionally graciously and helpfully. Sarah is a bright and talented person who also happens to be truly kind and caring. She has a wonderful relationship with her crew and the excellence of their work surely reflects this. She is an honest person who delivers what she promises in terms of quality and aesthetics. I feel that Sarah went above and beyond to create a beautiful, useable, and safe garden for me and my family. I would recommend Sarah Ray Design enthusiastically and without reservation. read more

Listen, if you want a TRUE EXPERT when it comes to beautiful Landscape and Design, then call Sarah Ray Design. Sarah is approachable, enthusiastic, warm, savvy, amazingly creative, yet totally down to Earth and real. She will listen to your likes and dislikes, intuitively grasp at something you can't even articulate, and turn it into something you could only dream of... I wish everyone could have the experience of working with someone as dedicated and true as Sarah Ray. read more

Sarah designed our hilly and very wild backyard 3 years ago. It was a hot mess and needed a full overhaul. It was particulary challenging because it is in a hill with minimal access. Sarah created a beautiful design and then partnered with us every step of the way to bring it to life. There were some hiccups along the way, as there always are with any home improvement process, but Sarah was an amazing, generous and thoughtful partner. Now, 3 years later we hear nothing but absolute raves whenever anyone new comes over. It is truly exquisite. We had referred Sarah to several friends and neighbors and all have been equally pleased. We will use her again for our front yard at some point and look forward to working with her again. read more

Sarah is a landscaping genius. She is conscientious, dedicated, and reliable. She is extremely knowledgeable about local & area gardens and yards, both for hardscape & plantings. If you're not sure what you want, she has a talent for helping a client develop ideas of what they would really love to see, and come home to, in their garden surroundings. A truly talented professional and a wonderful person. read more