Landscape Design Built for Pacific Heights
Pacific Heights holds the densest run of intact Victorian, Edwardian, Queen Anne, and Beaux-Arts mansions in San Francisco, most built between the 1880s and the 1920s. The gardens that belong to these homes are rarely simple. A lot off Broadway, Vallejo, or Jackson may carry a steep cross-slope, view corridors toward the Bay and the Golden Gate you do not want to block, and a period facade any new terrace or planting plan has to respect rather than fight. New Key Construction is a Marin and Bay Area design-build firm, so design and construction live under one roof. We draw the garden, price it, render it, and build it as one team, so the space you approve on screen is the one that gets installed, with design intent and field execution in the same hands from the first site walk through the final planting.
Outdoor Living That Respects the Architecture
The best Pacific Heights gardens read as an extension of the house, not an addition to it. An Edwardian with its lighter palette asks for a different planting and material language than a high-color Queen Anne or a formal Beaux-Arts facade. We design rear gardens, entry sequences, roof decks, and side-yard passages to match the period and proportion of your home, then layer in the outdoor living people actually want: a sheltered dining terrace, a fire feature, built-in seating, an outdoor kitchen, and low-voltage lighting that carries the garden into the evening.
Climate drives every decision here. Pacific Heights sits in San Francisco's cool, fog-influenced maritime zone, with wind funneling off the Bay and salt in the air. We specify species and hardscape that thrive in that microclimate, and we plan for drainage on the slopes that define so many of these lots. Where a level pad is needed, we engineer retaining and grading into the design from the start, so structure and planting arrive as one resolved scheme instead of a series of expensive surprises.
One Team, Priced Options, Renderings Before Permits
Most landscape projects in this neighborhood stall in the gap between design and construction. Our process closes that gap. After the first site visit we return with priced options up front, real numbers tied to real drawings, so you can weigh a full outdoor kitchen against a simpler terrace with the cost of each in front of you. Once you choose a direction, we produce photoreal 3D renderings before any permit application goes in, so you sign off on what will actually be built.
That sequence also protects the permit timeline. Many Pacific Heights properties are designated historic resources, where exterior site improvements can trigger a Certificate of Appropriateness review by the San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission. Residential projects across the city also commonly fall under Planning Code Section 311, which requires a 30-day neighborhood notification with mailed notices and a posted sign. Working within the San Francisco jurisdiction alongside the Planning Department and the Department of Building Inspection, we plan for these realities up front, which makes for cleaner submittals.
White-Glove Management From Survey to Final Planting
A Pacific Heights install is a tight operation. Streets are narrow, parking is scarce, neighbors are close, and access to a rear garden often runs through the house or a single side yard. We sequence deliveries, protect interior finishes during through-house access, coordinate required street permits, and keep the site clean. One point of contact carries your project from survey through final planting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a landscape project in Pacific Heights?
It depends on the scope. Planting, irrigation, and many at-grade improvements often proceed without a building permit, but decks, retaining walls, structures, electrical, gas lines, and changes to a historic facade typically require permits through the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection and Planning Department. If your home is a designated historic resource, exterior site work may also need a Certificate of Appropriateness. We assess this on the first visit.
How does historic review affect my garden project?
Many Pacific Heights properties are treated as historic resources, so exterior alterations and site improvements can be subject to review by the Historic Preservation Commission, which weighs how the work relates to the home's period and character. We design with those standards in mind from the start and use photoreal renderings to show reviewers and neighbors exactly what is proposed, which tends to shorten the path to approval.
What is the 30-day neighbor notification I keep hearing about?
Under San Francisco Planning Code Section 311, many residential projects require a 30-day notification period during which surrounding owners and occupants receive mailed notice and a sign is posted at the property. It gives neighbors a window to review the plans. We build this window into the schedule, and our up-front renderings help neighbors understand the project.
Why choose a design-build firm instead of separate designer and contractor?
With design and build under one roof, the people who designed your garden are the people who construct it, so nothing is lost in translation and pricing is honest from the start. You get priced options before you commit, 3D renderings before any permit is pulled, and a single team accountable for the result. On a demanding Pacific Heights lot, that continuity prevents budget and timeline surprises.
How long does a Pacific Heights landscape project take?
Timelines vary with scope, permits, and historic review, but design and pricing typically run a few weeks, followed by any required permit and notification periods, then construction. Structural work like retaining walls and terraces, custom outdoor kitchens, and historic review all extend the schedule. We give you a realistic, phase-by-phase timeline before we begin.
Ready to reimagine your garden or roof deck? New Key Construction will walk your Pacific Heights property, design an outdoor living space that honors the architecture, and show you priced options and photoreal renderings before a permit is pulled. One team, from first sketch to final planting.
