3 Major Mistakes Homeowners Make When Planning Hardscapes

Hardscaping is like landscaping, except it involves using man-made, non-living materials that can be incorporated into a person’s landscape. Think of things like patios, pavers, retaining walls, and decorative rocks as types of hardscaping. People love hardscaping for its aesthetic appeal, low-maintenance requirements, and ability to extend their outdoor living spaces. But with large hardscaping projects comes a big price tag and a lot of potential to make major mistakes, especially in the planning phase. As we’ve seen, many homeowners make these mistakes, which can cause a lot of frustration and cost a lot of money. Backed by experience, we’ll be able to provide expert insights to help you avoid these potential pitfalls so you can have a pleasant hardscape planning experience without any headaches or strife. Read about the major mistakes to avoid to get your picture-perfect landscape without all the hassle!

Not Factoring in Proper Yard Drainage With Their Hardscaping

You Don’t Incorporate Effective Yard Drainage

One common mistake homeowners make is that they fail to incorporate effective yard drainage for their yard. This can lead to serious problems for both your landscape and the property’s structural integrity. While a lot of times your yard drainage isn’t visible and doesn’t seem to have a strong presence for your landscape, it is a powerful feature that should not be overlooked. Yard drainage can protect your landscape, maintain the health of your plants, and safeguard your property and your home from water damage, which is very costly to repair.

Many people might incorporate yard drainage, but their drainage is so inefficient that it may not have been built. For example, if yards incorporate improper grading and sloping, they will fail to direct water away from your house or could even cause the water to pool around your house. This could be due to compacted or clay-heavy soil, poor grading, clogged downspouts and gutters, or a poorly designed landscaping area. Poor drainage systems can also hurt your plants, causing root rot and plant death. With more water, it can attract pesky pests like mosquitos, snails, and slugs. It won’t just damage your home and plants either. It will cause faster erosion for your hardscapes like patios, walkways, patios, and soil. That’s why we think yard drainage is something you need to plan out carefully to ensure it will work effectively. Without proper yard drainage planning, your whole yard will suffer.

The Best Types of Drainage You Can Get

Now that you’re convinced about getting yard drainage (or if you have a yard drainage system, ensuring it is effective), what are the best kinds of drainage you can get? When it comes to citizens of Kentucky, like in the Greenville, Owensboro & Madisonville areas, certain kinds of drainage systems work best. This is due to the natural climate of Kentucky and its unique terrain. Kentucky is known for having moderate to abundant precipitation, frequent thunderstorms during the summer, snowfall during the winter, and a diverse terrain of plains, hills, mountains, springs, sinkholes, and plateaus. A diverse climate and a diverse terrain that has been shaped by erosion and going through numerous geological changes

So, the top 3 drainage features we recommend are French drains, surface drains, and sump systems. These drainage systems best suit Kentucky’s climate and terrain for most homeowners within the state. French drains are very effective and help prevent surface water from penetrating and damaging foundations. They are particularly useful in areas prone to low spots and water runoff issues. Surface drains are great for managing heavy runoff and directing water away from paved areas. They are both functional and one of the most aesthetically pleasing features. Lastly, sump systems are great for basement waterproofing and yards with grading slopes toward the house. They help to pump water away from foundations. You can use one of these systems or all of them. It is best to consult with a professional about the best approach to ensure your yard will get the perfect drainage system to meet your needs.

Poor Planning in Adding Hardscaping Features

You Don’t Incorporate Phased Planning

Phased planning is the process of dividing a large hardscaping project into smaller, more manageable segments. This is an especially prevalent element if your project involves multiple hardscaping features you want to incorporate. By utilizing phased planning, you’ll be able to stay on target with your planned budget, stick to your project’s timeline, and not have any unexpected and unpleasant surprises.
You’ll be able to move through your project easily and improve its overall quality. Phased planning requires making a master landscape plan. It can consist of a comprehensive design that outlines the whole project. This plan is then divided into logical stages. For example, install elements like walkways and patios before installing path lights and fire pits. If you’ve not done phased planning for your landscape, we recommend you have a professional who can guide you or provide helpful input to help you develop the best, most efficient plan for your backyard.

There is, of course, a time and a place for phased planning and when it should be used. You won’t need phased planning if you install a single retaining wall for your garden bed or add seats for your fire pit. However, for large-scale projects, it is a useful strategy. Suppose you don’t use phased planning for a large project. In that case, it can result in higher upfront costs and financial strain due to the project facing increased disruption, design inconsistencies, and having to rework or modify design elements. This will also result in more time spent on the project due to any delays from the issues and additional manual labor. That’s why we think it’s vital to incorporate a solid plan and work out how best to follow through with it.

You Don’t Allow Any Design Flexibility

Another downside that can come with a lack of phased landscape planning is lack of flexibility. Another downside of a lack of phased landscape planning is a lack of flexibility. However, this can also apply to hardscaping projects that don’t involve phased planning. By not considering design flexibility, you’ll risk creating an outdoor space that is less functional and less inviting for you and your guests. For example, say you install a massive fire pit and built-in stone seating to go with it. The problem is that you may have more guests over, but the built-in seating won’t accommodate them.

If you have a lifestyle where you have a busy social life and the number of guests you invite to your home varies, built-in seating might not be a good option for you. So, opt for movable benches, chairs, or liftable stones or pavers for your fire pit. By considering design flexibility, you’ll be able to create a hardscape that bends to your lifestyle, not the other way around. Design flexibility can apply to large and small hardscaping projects and turn your spaces into functionally fun spaces for everyone with careful planning.

Inefficient Use of Materials for Your Hardscaping Project

Using Poor Quality or Inappropriate Materials

One of the more expensive mistakes a homeowner can make during a hardscaping project is using unsuitable materials. While budget concerns are understandable, cutting corners on quality can backfire quickly. Materials not rated for outdoor use or can’t withstand local weather conditions will break down far sooner than expected. This damages the look of your yard and can be dangerous in some cases. Cracking pavers, crumbling retaining walls, or poorly sealed patios can all become serious liabilities.
A common oversight is choosing hardscaping materials based solely on looks without accounting for durability or long-term maintenance. For example, installing slick pavers without traction around a pool or choosing a soft stone that chips easily in freeze-thaw cycles can spell disaster. Materials need to be functional and resilient when it comes to patios and other high-traffic areas. Your hardscape should enhance your outdoor space — not create more work or safety concerns later.

Skimping on Getting Enough Materials

Another issue we see often is underestimating just how much material a hardscaping project will need. Whether gravel for base layers, pavers for a new patio, or stone for a retaining wall, having too little material leads to problems. You might face delays as you scramble to source more. Worse, a mismatch between batches can lead to uneven coloring or size differences that throw off the look of the whole project.
Beyond aesthetics, shortchanging the amount of material can result in weak structures. A patio without the proper base thickness will shift and crack over time, while a retaining wall lacking proper reinforcement can bow or collapse. It’s always better to have a little extra than to come up short. Hardscaping is all about building something that lasts, which means using the right materials in the right amounts, backed by careful yard drainage planning and professional-grade installation.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, it is vital to have proper drainage to protect your yard, consider the importance of phased planning and its uses, and think about how design flexibility can impact the enjoyment your yard brings you. These elements complement each other and, if they are all considered, can create an enjoyable outdoor living space you’ll love to be in. However, it can require a lot of serious thinking and some technical know-how when it comes to the more minute, subtle implications and details. By working with a good landscaping company, you can make the perfect master plan to build your dream yard.

That’s where we at Perfection Lawn and Landscape can help you! We are experienced professionals who provide tailored designs for each of our clients. By utilizing our expertise that’s been honed over the years and our skills in crafting perfect landscapes, we guarantee 100% customer satisfaction. We build gorgeous landscapes meant to be lived in and enjoyed, not ones that cause annoyance and strife. Interested in working with us to plan and bring your landscape to life? Contact us today for a free quote. We’ll look forward to talking with you soon.