Full Property Transformations, Concept to Completion
Landscape Design-Build in Collingwood & Georgian Bay
One team. One vision. One finished outdoor space you will never stop using. From design sketch to final walkthrough, single-point accountability for your entire property.
What Does "Design-Build" Actually Mean for Your Property?
The traditional approach to landscape design build in Collingwood looks like this: you hire a landscape designer who produces drawings, then you hire a separate contractor to execute those drawings. On paper, it sounds reasonable. In practice, it is where most major landscape projects fall apart. Coordination overhead multiplies. Design intent gets lost in translation between two firms with different priorities. When the finished space does not match the drawing, you are left negotiating between a designer who says the builder interpreted it wrong and a builder who says the drawings were unclear. Two timelines. Two invoices. Two points of failure. And you, the property owner, absorbing all of it.
Design-build eliminates that gap. One firm handles both the creative design phase and the physical construction phase, with no handoff in between. The team that conceptualized your outdoor space is the same team that builds it. Every decision stays connected across the life of the project. When something changes (and something always changes on a major landscape renovation), the same group of people who made the design decision makes the construction decision. The result is a landscape that holds together from first sketch to final walkthrough, exactly as you imagined it, because landscape design in Collingwood Ontario should never mean choosing between a beautiful plan and a well-built result.
When you work with Retreat, Patrick meets you at the property for the initial consultation. Our designers develop the full concept. Our 30-person construction crew builds it. The person who drew your site plan is ten feet away from the person laying your stone. That closeness is the operational difference between a landscape that reads as a single coherent vision and one that was assembled by strangers working from different assumptions. This is why our clients describe the finished result as exactly what they pictured, not a compromise between what was planned and what was possible.
What a Design-Build Project Includes
Complete Site Design & Planning
Full property concept development covering site plan, 3D renderings, materials palette, planting plan, and recommendations for lighting, drainage, and irrigation. You see the complete vision before a single shovel turns. Patrick personally meets every client at the property for the initial consultation so your design is built around your vision, not our template.
- Full site plans & 3D renderings
- Materials palette selection
- Drainage & grading engineering
Where Every Project StartsHardscaping & Stone Work
Natural stone patios, flagstone walkways, retaining walls, driveways, and outdoor kitchens built for Georgian Bay's freeze-thaw climate. We specify stone rated for Ontario winters, set on properly engineered bases with drainage that prevents frost heave. Hardscaping is the structural backbone of every custom landscape design in Georgian Bay.
- Patios & outdoor dining
- Retaining walls & terraces
- Driveways & entries
Carpentry, Structures & Planting Design
Custom pergolas, decks, privacy screens, and timber-frame structures designed as permanent architectural elements, alongside curated planting designs with perennials, specimen trees, ornamental shrubs, and native plantings chosen for four-season interest in the Georgian Bay microclimate.
- Pergolas & shade structures
- Native & ornamental plantings
- Privacy screens & fences
Lighting, Irrigation & Finishing Systems
Digitally mapped landscape lighting systems that animate your outdoor space after dark, paired with drip and sprinkler irrigation designed for optimal plant health and water conservation. These finishing systems are what separate a completed property from one that still feels like a construction site.
- Low-voltage path & accent lighting
- Smart irrigation controllers
- Seasonal system management
Why One Team Changes Everything
When every trade on your property answers to the same project lead and follows the same blueprint, coordination overhead disappears entirely. The retaining wall does not just hold soil; it creates the level planting bed your horticulturist designed. The patio does not just provide a flat surface; it frames the view of the garden. The walkway does not just connect A to B; it guides you through a sequence of outdoor rooms planned on one drawing. This is the landscape design process working as it should, with every decision reinforcing every other decision rather than competing with it.
Retreat's 30-person team includes designers, project leads, masons, carpenters, and horticulturists, all under one roof in Collingwood. The person who designs your patio is ten feet away from the person who will build it. No handoff. No miscommunication. No finger-pointing between firms. This is why most of our work runs $75,000 to $200,000 in scope. At that investment level, the margin between a well-coordinated project and a disjointed one is the difference between loving your property and regretting the process. Visit our process page to see exactly how a project moves from concept to completion.
Why Collingwood's Most Decorated Landscape Team
Owner-Led From Day One
Patrick personally meets every new client at the property before work begins. You are not handed off to a sales rep. The person accountable for the outcome of your project is the same person who heard your vision on the first site walk. Over 100 projects since 2013 have started this way.
30-Person Team Depth
Your project is not run by a two-person crew. Our team includes designers, project leads, craftspeople, and horticulturists with 45+ years of combined experience. Projects do not stall when one person is unavailable, and your timeline does not slip because one contractor overbooked.
Landscape Ontario Award Winners
Award of Excellence (2023 and 2025). Award of Merit (2025). Green Stamp designation. These are peer-evaluated recognitions of craft and professional standards, not participation awards. No other firm in the Collingwood market holds all four.
Design-Forward, Not Trade-Forward
Every project begins with a full concept covering site plan, 3D renderings, and materials palette before construction starts. The result is a landscape that holds together aesthetically, not just structurally. Many contractors build first and design second. We lead with design.
Client Testimonial
We had our entire property transformed by Retreat Landscaping. They updated the 30 year old interlock with beautiful stone paving, added a water feature that provides much needed hydration for all the wild birds that visit the property. The trees and shrubs planted were all healthy and now well established. Patrick and his team excavated first and added much needed drainage, we are one of the only lots that doesn't flood in the neighborhood. Absolutely loved working with Retreat and highly recommend.
Common Questions About Landscape Design-Build
Our design-build projects typically range from $75,000 to $200,000 depending on scope, site conditions, and materials. Full property transformations with hardscaping, planting, structures, lighting, and drainage typically run around $150,000. Our minimum project size is $25,000. This ensures every project receives the design attention, material quality, and crew depth it deserves. We do not lowball to win your business and adjust later. Your proposal includes a fixed scope and materials breakdown, and we hold to it.
A landscaper maintains or installs work per an existing plan. A landscape designer creates the plan. A design-build firm like Retreat does both: we design and execute as a single integrated team. That means the vision is never lost in translation between a designer's drawings and a contractor's execution. One firm. One accountable relationship. One finished outdoor space that matches what you approved.
The design phase typically takes 4 to 8 weeks, covering your consultation, full concept development, 3D renderings, and proposal. Construction ranges from 1 week for a single feature (a patio or water feature) to 3 months for a full property transformation. Most mid-range projects run 3 to 6 weeks on site. Spring builds are typically planned through winter. If you are thinking about a backyard renovation in Collingwood this season, the time to start the conversation is now.
No, but we keep you informed throughout. After the initial design approval, our site lead manages day-to-day operations. You will hear from us when decisions arise, when milestones are reached, and any time something requires your input. Many of our clients are GTA-based second-home owners who manage the entire process remotely. We make that straightforward and low-stress.
Nothing changes without your written sign-off. Every scope adjustment is documented and priced before we proceed. We do not add to your invoice without a conversation first. This is one of the most common fears we hear from clients who have been burned by vague quotes that balloon. Our proposal includes a fixed scope and materials breakdown, and we hold to it.
Yes. We manage the permit process as part of the design-build service. Some installations require municipal permits in Simcoe County: retaining walls over a certain height, decks attached to structures, and certain hardscape elements near property lines. We have navigated this process many times in Collingwood and Blue Mountains and handle it so you do not have to track municipal deadlines yourself.
Related Services
Ready to Transform Your Outdoor Space?
Most of our spring projects are designed through winter. Start the conversation now, your property will not wait forever.
Spring construction slots fill in January. Start your design conversation now. Our minimum project size is $25,000. Initial consultations are complimentary.