Zach is the best. Landscaping is no small investment, so we interviewed a few different landscapers, and immediately knew Zach was trustworthy, knowledgeable, communicative, and fair. He knows his plants and we're excited for our new hillside plantings to grow in. He also handled lighting and other issues with no problem. His team are pros who work efficiently and left the house spotless after every day of hard work. So glad we found Urban Soil--talented, affordable and easy to work with. Thank you, Zach and Team! read more

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Zach and his team finished ahead of schedule. I love my yard. These guys are nice, trustworthy and do a really nice job!

Zach and his team at Urban Soil turned our backyard into a garden oasis I hadn't even dreamed was possible. We have a hillside home with a challenging backyard that we've tried a few things with over the years, but it's just never been somewhere we want to spend more than an hour in. That's totally changed now. Zach made use of every square foot to give us as much usable space as possible. He also paid attention to every detail to make sure the backyard had a cohesive theme. If I had any ideas or changes I wanted made along the way, he was open to discussion, answered all my questions, and seamlessly implemented the changes without issue. Quite simply, Zach was the best contractor we have ever worked with, and we have been recommending him to all of our friends and neighbors. And this praise goes out to his team as well. They are extremely knowledgeable, hard working, kept the job site clean, and executed everything flawlessly. Divan, Gustavo, Marco and the rest of the crew are true professionals and we were lucky to have them on this job. We couldn't be happier with the way it turned out. And once we are ready, we are going to have his guys back out for another transformation in our front yard. read more

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Working with Zach's team at Urban Soil was the smartest investment we made for our home. We have done a number of home renovations and Zach's work with us has increased our home property value beyond any other investment we've made in our home. We got about 9 quotes and he came in with the best price and was able to do everything start to finish - from grading the soil to hardscaping, decking, electrical for our sauna and plumbing for irrigation and our outdoor kitchen. He knows how to create a high end, luxury look while being smart with material and installation strategies to be mindful of our budget and not have wasteful spending. We are beyond thrilled with how it turned out. Thank you Zach, Divan, and team!! Best decision we made! read more

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Zach and his team were a pleasure to work with. We spoke with several landscape companies and decided on Urban Soil as we found Zach very easy going, knowledgeable, patient and open to all of our suggestions. The whole experience from start to finish was very positive, and even though there were a few hiccups Zach was always very open and keen to have everything one hundred percent satisfactory. Would definitely recommend the services of Urban Soil Landscape. read more

Urban Soil just redid my backyard and it is spectacular. Zach, Liz and their great crew did a beautiful job. They showed up every day on time, and put in a full day. Liz and Zach's design was everything I wanted and they executed it perfectly. I couldn't be happier. and they are the easiest and nicest people to work with.Do not hesitate to use them! read more

Zach and his team did an outstanding job on our large-scale landscape project. They did incredible work installing pavers, building stairs and a seating wall, lighting, building an outdoor dining pavilion and replanting our entire property. Zach's team was timely, responsive, hard-working and extremely careful and thorough with the project. We were deeply impressed with the level of care and professionalism they brought to every aspect of the project and we can't recommend them highly enough. read more

Awesome company! Zach is great and fun to work with. They're creative & professional and completed the job on time and made sure I was happy. Highly recommend. read more

I am updating this review to reflect the fact that we sold the house from my previous review and purchased another house. We worked with Zach again to re-landscape both the front and back yards of a 100 year old house. He and his crew once again did a great job. We worked with Zach to create a great plan that was efficiently managed and completed on time. We have received countless compliments from our new neighbors. I highly recommend him and his team! read more

Zach and his team transformed my front lawn and backyard into beautiful drought tolerant gardens. Honestly, he's the best contractor I've ever had: an excellent communicator, a hard-working team, knowledgeable about which plants would thrive in my area, and worked with me according to my vision and budget. I wholeheartedly recommend Urban Soil Landscape to anyone in need of landscaping services. They're the best! read more

We are no longer ashamed of our Studio City front yard! We hired Urban Soil to design and install a landscape last month. Well worth waiting the 3 weeks. Zack understood the confines of our budget and proved how he has an adroit eye for a tasteful concept. His team was courteous and experienced. Our neighbors are now envious. read more

We are absolutely loving our new outdoor space, expertly orchestrated by Zach, and carried out efficiently by his crew. Zach is easy-going, knowledgeable, and clearly very experienced, and was able to conjure the rough ideas of what we imagined for the back yard into a vibrant oasis. Our back yard was a mess of old shrubs, dead grass and a broken sprinkler system, and it was transformed into whimsical pathways of decomposed granite with a corner conversation area, beds with drought-resistant, hummingbird-, butterfly- and bee-friendly plants, two vegetable garden beds, a low-water ground cover (lippia) area, all with zones of drip irrigation, as well as a shaded side area covered with beautiful blue-ish gravel. We also had our front pathway and patio replaced, going from cracked concrete to tidy pavers. Our transactions were that of comfortable collaboration. Once we got started, the actual groundwork was completed within a week. As far as the cost, we only got a quote from Zach as we had seen his work in a neighbor's yard and she gave a strong recommendation. It is more than fair for the value and quality of work. read more

I cannot say enough about Zach and the team at Urban Soil. We have been in our home 10+ years and it's always been our goal to add some curb appeal with a drought-friendly front yard. We met with Zach and several other landscape companies, and right off the bat we knew that Urban Soil would be the right company to go with. Zach is incredibly responsive, understood exactly what we were looking to accomplish and communicated clearly during every step of the process. Urban Soil removed our ugly, dead lawn in the front yard and replaced with California native plants along with a dry river bed and decomposed granite pathways. In the backyard, we added a raised garden bed, filled in areas with decomposed granite and refreshed our empty flower beds with more plants. They also added drip line irrigation and were very helpful in explaining how to program and run it. The work was completed faster than I could have anticipated and since they finished in November, quite a few neighbors and pedestrians have stopped by to tell us how beautiful the yard looks. I cannot stop looking out my window at the yard, and I am no longer embarrassed by our yard! I highly recommend contacted Urban Soil for your landscaping project. If we ever need ANY landscaping in the future, we will definitely use them again. read more

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We have been wanting to update both of our front and back yard for quite sometimes and have interviewed a few landscaping companies, in the end we went with Zach - Urban Soil Landscape because of personal recommendation and competitive pricing. Their work and craftsmanship on our neighbors yard transformation made the decision easy. Zach helped us with many decisions and his recommendations were very helpful. Zach was very communicative, and always within reach. He answered all the questions and concerns. His crew was very respectful and hardworking. It was a pleasure to work with Gustavo and the crew. They completed the project on time and we are very happy. We can finally utilize the outdoor space. Highly recommend to anyone needing landscaping service! read more

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If you are looking for a big refresh for your outdoor space in LA, Urban Soil should be your landscape contractor! Zach is fantastic and comes from a long line of La escape contractors, so he really knows his stuff. Liz, also part of the family, had a fabulous eye for plants and planting. And Gustavo, the onsite lead during the project, takes special pride in the work and heads up a great team. One of the best things about Urban Soil is that they don't charge you for an initial consult to provide a quote. Another contractor was going to charge $500+ just to talk to us as part of their process--that's ridiculous. Urban Soil comes to you, has a conversation about what you're looking to do, gives options, and provides an initial quote all for free. The work itself was top notch. Where a plant didn't succeed, it was replaced quickly, even after the project was completed. Zach has come to check things we've had questions about, no added charge. Urban Soil earns every star in this 5-star review! read more

We LOVE our new driveway and entryway! It looks beautiful and gave our house a facelift. Many of our neighbors have stopped by and commented on how great it looks. Zach and his crew are top notch professionals! We looked at a few different companies and found Zach to be straight forward, easy going, and offered a few ideas at a solid price. They replaced our driveway, entryway and steps to the front door. His crew was very professional and cleaned up at the end of everyday. Zach came by regularly to check on the progress of the job. He was always available for questions and even helped us fix a wobbly railing in our entry way. He did a final walk through to make sure we were happy with the end result and there were no surprises with additional fees at the end as with many home projects. It was done on the budget we discussed and in the timeframe he promised, even with some raining weather. We were very pleased with the end product and the experience, so much that we are going to have them help us with our backyard project next. I highly recommend Zach and his team. read more

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Zach and his crew just finished our backyard and we could not be happier! Zach turned out dirt yard into a simple, relaxing area that we can enjoy with friends and family. Zach and his crew were polite, timely and professional. Thank you so much for the beautiful yard! read more

Urban Soil Landscape - This is the backyard from out the back slider. - Landscaping Near Me - Van Nuys, California

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We are so happy we worked with Zach and his team at Urban Soil. We talked with a few different companies before Zach, and ultimately felt the most comfortable with him. He saw our vision for our yard and was helpful about offering suggestions that fit what we were looking for. His team was quick and communicative and we're so happy with our results. read more

We contracted with Urban Soil Landscape to design and landscape our front/side/backyard which had been neglected. Zach is experienced, creative, honest, polite and direct. He is prompt and communicative. His crew completed quality work and left the areas broom clean at the end of each day. The pricing was fair for the work that was done. The project included pavers, drip irrigation sprinklers, drainage systems, grass, rocks, fences, block walls, trees, plants, decomposed granite and ground-cover. We are thrilled with the results. read more

Zach and his team were clear, responsive and efficient throughout our entire landscaping process. We are so pleased with the end result and couldn't recommend them more read more

Working with Urban Soil was an absolute pleasure and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to transform their space. Zach helped us create a vision from a very blank canvas to a beautiful front garden that even strangers compliment us on. He helped with plant selection and spent the time to go back and forth via email to make sure we were 100% happy with the choices. His team are incredibly skilled, professional and hard working. Rudy and Gustavo worked with us on adjustments throughout the process and made sure the place was immaculate each night. Zach was on site nearly everyday to check up on the project and make sure everything was going to plan. Awesome experience overall and the result speaks for itself. Thank you Zach and the whole crew! read more

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Choosing Zach Elledge and Urban Soil Landscape for our backyard project was the best home improvement decision we've ever made. Our very large backyard has always been too big of a job to tackle by ourselves; so it just sat there, ugly and unused. We really didn't know what we wanted, but we were tired of its sorry state and knew that it was time to call a professional. After talking to a bunch of "landscape designers" who all pushed the same off-the-shelf hardscaping products with the high-pressure tactics of a car salesman, meeting Zach was a breath of fresh air. He is calm, friendly, and patient. He asked us questions about what was important to us, and really listened to our answers, taking time to fit that into the plan he was forming. After about twenty minutes he had a rough sketch of a design that cleverly divided our large, weedy mess into several pleasant areas all woven together into a harmonious plan with winding paths and focal points. Since it was such a big change that was hard for us to visualize, he offered to do a detailed scale drawing for a small fee. We agreed, and about a week later he came back and presented us with a really beautiful hand-drawn site plan, complete with plant and tree choices, watering design, and lighting options. If you know what you want, you could probably skip this step, but it really helped us see what he had in mind and know that he was the person to choose. Once we got started, our opinion of Zach and his whole team rose to new levels. First of all, Zach was always reachable by phone if we had questions, but that wasn't really necessary because he was here on site nearly every day. The team showed up on time every day, worked hard all day, and left the area completely clean and organized at the end of the day. Everyone on the team is professional and friendly. If they say they are going to do something, they do it thoroughly and correctly and get all the little details right. For example: we added a patio with pavers which has a border of contrasting colored pavers. In all of the 90 degree corners, they did this really intricate bevel design that looks great. We didn't tell them to do that, and it would have been much easier not to, but we're so happy that they did. There are many other examples like that that I could talk about, but this would go on forever. Let me just say that by day 2 or 3 we had complete trust in this team, and we were never disappointed. We are so happy with the final product, and were blown away with the short amount of time it took Zach and Urban Soil to create it. We started with a weedy field and ended with a patio, a fence, a deck, a fire pit area, a lawn, two raised beds, an arbor, and a succulent garden all tied together with curving pathways and framed by beautiful plants and trees. Once work started, this all took 10 days. Incredible. It should be obvious by now that I couldn't recommend Zach more highly. If you are looking for a real Landscape Designer (capital L, capital D) who cares about their customers and has pride in their work, look no further than Zach, and Urban Soil Landscape. read more

Urban Soil Landscape - Before/After of our backyard - Landscaping Near Me - Van Nuys, California

We wanted to take advantage of the LADWP Turf Replacement Rebate Program and contacted several landscaping companies for bids and we're so glad that we went with Urban Soil. Though they weren't the lowest bid, we could tell that Zach was going to do everything in his power to make sure we got everything we wanted out of this project. Zach came out to our site multiple times to give his initial vision for our space, and responded to our feedback and adjusted the plan when we let him know exactly what our budget restraints were. They were transparent with their pricing and never pressured us. Once we decided to move forward with Urban Soil and signed a contract, Zach provided the drawing of the design which we then submitted for the rebate and it was quickly approved. We also were highly selective with the plants we wanted in our garden (eligible for the rebate and non-toxic to dogs) and he had great suggestions for those parameters. The team that came for the 3.5 day install was highly professional and took great care to protect our sidewalk/driveway and each day they left our front and backyard as tidy as possible. I would highly recommend Urban Soil for any landscape redesigns or any future projects. read more

Urban Soil Landscape - Backyard redesign with perimeter plants and groundcover - Landscaping Near Me - Van Nuys, California

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Zach and his crew transformed our large front yard, which was an expanse of dead grass, into a beautiful and water efficient space we absolutely love. I really wanted a dry creek bed, lots of rock and decomposed granite, drought tolerant plants and very little grass. Urban Soil delivered! We also put in a new walkway and lighting, which came out just lovely. Zach worked with us every step of the way, making sure we were satisfied. His crew was on time, worked extremely hard and did an excellent job. Urban Soil Landscape should be your #1 choice! read more

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Our front lawn was sad. Really sad. We once had a glorious tree but had to remove it because of a giant crack (that grew and grew) could no longer be ignored. Then our grass died and our succulents got out of control. I'm sure it was the drought. After rumors arose that our house was actually haunted, we started looking for landscapers. We're Type A so we called several places. We wanted something colorful (not like a barren desert) but drought tolerant. We wanted plenty of love for pollinators but something easy to care for. And trees. Plenty of trees. Zach heard us and had a plan. He was not the cheapest but we believe he was the best choice. We emailed back and forth brainstorming plants, landscaping, and paver options for what would become our new driveway. Zach came by our house more than once leading up to the start date to help us visualize our plan. He and his crew were fast, efficient, thorough, and talented. One and half weeks after they started, the entire front of our property had changed. Now every morning at breakfast, we look out at bees, birds, and hummingbirds visiting the trees and plants. It's not even completely grown in and it looks like an oasis. Ultimately, what did we have done? We completely redid our front lawn. Replaced it with three trees (one potted) and lots of drought tollerent plants, grasses and flowers settled in mulch. We now have a small rock garden and decomposed granite paths. We have a new driveway and walkway with pavers. What was our favorite things about Urban Soil Landscape? I'm so glad you asked. #1 Zach is an excellent communicator. Everything was very clear. #2 Zach is a great designer. He heard what we wanted but was able to take over the design because that is not our strong suit. #3 Zack is thorough. He followed up with us (even after that big storm) and asked us about the plants and the trees and even made suggestions about watering schedules. #4 The Urban Soil Crew is thoughtful and hardworking. They were fast but everything was just right. Thank you, Zach and your amazing crew at Urban Soil. Now people don't throw rocks in our windows anymore (It's a Wonderful Life reference). read more

We could not be happier with our decision to go with Urban Landscape. Zach is the best. We got a few quotes and Zach's was very competitive but more than that, I knew I could trust him to do the best job. Just before we signed, my son got engaged and we decided to throw an engagement party two and half weeks later. Zach committed to get it done in time and he beat the deadline. We are thrilled with all the great work. read more

I highly recommend Urban Soil Landscape. I have a front yard that I have spent thousands on but the grass would not grow. I knew something was going on when despite change of top soil, regular aeration, and watering grass was still dead. Zach and I talked about a design that would look tranquil, with flowers and an additional parking space. The result was like a Zen garden that I am very happy with. Aside from the design, I would like to call out Zach and his crew. They are professionals. The crew always arrived on time with everything they needed for that day. They cleaned up at day's end. The job was completed on time. Zach is very responsive when I had questions and continues to be responsive even after the job is done. If you need help with your garden, this company is the one to go with. read more

We bought a modern mid-century home in Sherman Oaks in which the front and rear landscaping had been long neglected. Front and back were two separate projects -- and two totally different experiences. For the front, we used a landscaper (NOT Urban Soil), and they were awful. What should have taken a week took about five months and even then, so much of it was low-quality,. For the back project, we brought in Zack and his Urban Soil team. NIGHT AND DAY from the first project. We had to wait until Zack could fit us into his schedule, but wow, what a professional, high-quality job. The entire yard was demolished and replaced, more than 80 plants installed along with a new sitting area, stone pathway, grass, and all-new irrigation. It all happened quickly, and everything was done with care and precision. Zack (and the whole crew) were so easy to work with. Happy to recommend! read more

I had a lot of trouble finding a company in my budget for front yard drought tolerant landscaping. My lot is pretty small and the grass died out years ago. There's a cap to how much is worth it based on the value of my property. Sadly, most of the initial quotes I got were almost double my max budget. The closest was a guy who wanted to just plant from succulents and cover the whole yard in gravel. So when I found Urban Soil on Angie's List I told Zach up front my story and my budget. I didn't want him to do the work if he thought he couldn't work within my budget. He not only was able to work within my budget but he did a nice simple design with some contrast between mulch and decomposed granite. To my surprise the quote included a full drip irrigation system with timer. We went over some specifics and added a few things to the job and it was still under my budget so we moved forward. Throughout the whole process Zach's communication was great. He kept me in the loop when the electrician came out to put in the exterior plug for the timer. He let me know when he was coming by to spray the small amount of live grass with weed killer. He scheduled the installation and his crew showed up on time. The crew was friendly and got the job done in a day, with a few things to button up the next day. The design looks great and the landscape installation was great. My only complaints are there was a little sloppiness to the installation of the drip irrigation timer. It looked a little rushed and the timer was hanging at an angle on the wall. I ended up just fixing that stuff myself, which only took a few minutes of my Saturday morning. Just a little disappointing the guys couldn't get an actual wall anchor. It's not enough to deduct a full star, if Yelp did half stars I'd do like a 4.5. Small complaints aside I was very happy with the whole process with Zach and Urban Soil. I definitely recommend them! read more

I'm so pleased to write about our great experience with Urban Soil Landscapes and Design. Particularly with Zach and his incredible crew. This was a big project that completely reconfigured and redesigned our entire backyard space. Zach was an absolute pleasure to work with throughout the project. From the outset, we felt comfortable with Zach because of his vision, attention to detail and professionalism. He has an exemplary work ethic is and is always available. His design concepts were fantastic, and he included us in every decision along the way. He is so unbelievably dedicated to his work and was here at the job several times a day making certain the project was being done correctly, accurately and finished in a timely manner. He has assembled an exceptional and talented crew that are dependable, pleasant, extremely hard working and always professional. Needless to say, I recommend Zach without reservation and with the highest enthusiasm. Thanks to Zach and Urban Soil, the transformation of our yard has made us extremely happy and proud! read more

Urban Soil Landscape - Backyard of our dreams! - Landscaping Near Me - Van Nuys, California

We highly recommend Urban Soil for your landscaping project! At our initial meeting with Zach, he provided fantastic suggestions as to how to improve our yard which was filled with weeds, overgrown plants, and trees with dead branches. He also explained the requirements needed to qualify for the LADWP rebate. We met with two other landscapers, and right off, we knew Zach was our guy. He is knowledgeable, genuine, and trustworthy. We never felt like he was going to rip us off (unlike another landscaper we met with). Once the project started, Zach communicated with us daily about timelines, progress, and developments. He is accessible and always took the time to answer questions and provide feedback. Zach even went above and beyond and fixed a few things in our yard that needed attention which were outside the scope of the project. The project was completed on time in one week. Zach's crew is professional and adept, and I appreciated that they cleaned up the site at the end of each day. We are delighted with the results and now I can happily look out into our backyard without cringing. read more

Finally took the time to write a review. Zach was really accommodating to our price point and needs to make our front yard and backyard have more a cohesive, intentionally look. No more typically grass in the front yard, but a simple clean and low maintenance front yard and backyard . He understood my needs to make sure it was the right plants as the area doesn't get a lot of sun, as well as making the landscape stand out in a clean, simple manner. Thank you, Zach! read more

Just finished working with Zach and his Crew. They transformed my backyard from boring to beautiful. His crew was hard working and took pride in their work. He installed pavers , put in a gas line, electrical for a fountain and spa. Definitely a job well done read more

I decided to go with Urban Soil for a multi-phased landscaping project at my new home, and I am so glad I did. In addition to plantings, the project required tearing down and rebuilding tiered retaining walls and steps, irrigation, lighting and more. Zach and his crew, working in tandem with Gardens by Liz, were efficient, professional and creative, particularly when it came to solutions for some of my thornier (forgive the pun) issues. The pricing was fair and the end result was exactly what I wanted and more. I plan to use them again for the next phase. Highly recommend! (See Before and After Photos below) read more

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After getting quite a few bids, I decided to go with Zach and his team at Urban Soil and I am so happy I did. Zach worked with my schedule to and did an amazing job. From the live plants in the front of my house to the gorgeous artificial turf in the back (no seams!), I've been very happy with all of it. Plus, his team built me the cutest raised garden bed for my tomatoes. Highly recommend! read more

Fabulous experience. Could not be happier. They were punctual, creative and responsive. I highly recommend them.

Zach and his team are amazing. We had a huge job which involved installing lots of pavers and landscaping including a dirt hill and they did a stunning job! Zach really listens to what your vision is and works with you, being cognizant of your budget the entire time. He's not pushy at all and is extremely knowledgeable and personable. His foreman, Gustavo, is a Jack of all trades! There's nothing he can't do and he's super pleasant as well. We kept requesting changes up to the very end and no one seemed bothered or annoyed at our indecisiveness! We are very happy with Urban Soil and the job they did. They even brought in a nursery/plant designer to assist with the final placement of plants! You also don't feel left alone once the job is completed. Zach came by a week later to check on the plants and make sure everything was still looking good, requesting that we text him if we have any concerns. Thanks so much, Urban Soil!! read more

Urban Soil Landscape - Landscaping Near Me - Van Nuys, California

I called Zach in desperate need of help for our front planter bed. It was overgrown with weedy ground cover and had some plantings that were all wrong for the soil type and amount of sun. He was really knowledgeable about the soil, mulch and plantings and fit us in within a few days of committing to the project. Once his crew got here, they were efficient and very clean! We plan to hire him again for the backyard once we complete a construction project back there. read more

I moved into a house that was landscaped like an overgrown jungle. Zach was able to make it into a serene, beautiful space. He listened to what I wanted and gave me lots of great ideas. He added grass for my dog, lush plants and flowers for me and a drip irrigation system so I wouldn't have to spend an hour watering. His bid was competitive and he stayed on budget to the penny - no one does that! I highly recommend him and can't wait to have him back to do my hillside. read more

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Zach gave us a fair price for our landscaping needs. That included replacing grass with drought tolerant plants in the front yard (in accordance with LADWP rebate program) and installing artificial grass in the back yard. Zach and his team exceeded our expectations for the landscape design, selection of boulders, selection of plants, irrigation needs, and general workmanship through out the job. He and his team paid extra attention to details and was very flexible when it came to changes. Zach was easy to talk to and very above board. The other competitors we spoke to all had some gimmick to try to get our business. Zach says it the way it is. We highly recommend Urban Soil Landscape for your landscaping needs. read more

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