Landscaping in Hickory Creek, TX

A small town with a slope

Hickory Creek sits on the south side of Lewisville Lake, and the proximity shows up in the work. Lots nearer the water carry more slope variation than almost anything in our inland service area.

Slope cuts both ways. It gives water somewhere to go, which makes drainage more tractable than on dead flat ground. What it adds is erosion, and the need to control how fast water moves so that it leaves without carrying soil with it.

Where slope becomes an opportunity

The properties that benefit most from hardscape here are the sloped ones. A flat lot gets a patio. A sloped lot gets terracing, steps, retaining and seating walls, and usually ends up with a far better outdoor space for it.

Two things govern whether that lasts:

Base depth. North Texas clay moves with moisture. A surface built on a shallow or poorly compacted base will settle unevenly within a few seasons. Building for this soil means a deeper compacted base than a standard spec calls for, and a geotextile separation layer so the base does not migrate down into the clay.

Drainage integration. A patio is an impermeable surface. Adding several hundred square feet of it changes where water goes, and that needs designing rather than discovering. It is the most commonly omitted item on a hardscape bid and the most common cause of a callback.

Retaining walls and the four foot rule

Worth knowing before you plan anything structural. A wall under four feet generally needs no permit. A wall over four feet, measured from the bottom of the footing rather than the visible face, needs a permit and a design by a licensed professional engineer. A wall that looks three feet tall may legally be over five once the footing is counted.

And any wall holding a surcharge, meaning a slope, driveway, patio or structure above it, needs a permit regardless of height. Requirements vary between Denton County municipalities, so we confirm for your address as part of scoping.

What we do here

Drainage and grading, hardscape and outdoor living, landscape design and installation, sod, lawn care, tree and shrub work, sprinkler repair and lighting.