Landscaping Company in South Fayette Township, PA

Retaining Walls, Drainage, Hardscaping, Patios & Complete Outdoor Improvements

South Fayette Township has seen plenty of residential growth, but newer homes don’t always mean finished outdoor spaces. A backyard may still have a difficult slope, limited privacy, drainage concerns or nothing more than basic lawn where the homeowner eventually wants a patio, deck or complete outdoor living area.

Other properties have been established for years and need a different kind of attention\u2014an aging retaining wall, a wet section of lawn, outdated hardscaping or a landscape that no longer fits the way the family uses the property.

NLC Landscaping & Design provides professional landscaping and outdoor construction services in South Fayette Township, PA, including retaining walls, French drains and drainage solutions, paver patios, hardscaping, fencing, sod installation, excavation, grading, landscape design and custom decks.

Instead of treating each feature as a separate project, NLC can look at how the entire property should work together.

Landscaping Designed Around Your South Fayette Property

One of the biggest mistakes in a backyard project is deciding what to build before understanding the property.

You may already know you want a patio, but where should it go?

You might want a retaining wall, but could changing its position create more usable lawn?

Maybe you want new sod, but why does the existing grass struggle in that area?

These questions matter.

Before deciding what improvements make sense, consider:

  • Existing slopes and elevation
  • Drainage and stormwater movement
  • Usable lawn area
  • Access around the home
  • Existing retaining walls
  • Privacy from neighboring properties
  • Patios, decks and walkways
  • How you actually want to use the backyard

The finished project should be based on your property rather than forcing a standard landscape design onto it.

Retaining Wall Installation in South Fayette Township

Elevation can create some of the most interesting properties in Western Pennsylvania\u2014and some of the most challenging.

NLC installs retaining walls for residential landscaping projects, including block, natural stone, decorative and tiered wall systems.

Depending on the property, a retaining wall may help manage a slope while creating more defined areas for lawns, patios, walkways or landscaping.

Retaining Walls for Sloped Backyards

A steep backyard can leave a surprising amount of property difficult to use.

One possible approach is creating separate elevations. For example:

Upper Lawn \u2192 Retaining Wall \u2192 Patio \u2192 Lower Landscape

Or:

Deck \u2192 Steps \u2192 Tiered Retaining Walls \u2192 Lawn

The right layout depends on the property.

Some slopes are better left largely intact, while others may provide opportunities for grading and retaining walls to create more functional outdoor space.

Retaining Wall Replacement

Not every retaining-wall project starts from scratch.

If you already have a wall, watch for changes such as:

  • Leaning
  • Bowing
  • Separation
  • Shifting blocks
  • Cracking
  • Soil erosion
  • Settlement
  • Water collecting behind the wall
  • Sections moving out of alignment

When replacing an existing retaining wall, it’s worth considering why the wall is having problems rather than simply rebuilding what was there.

Base preparation, drainage, surrounding grade and water movement can all affect a retaining-wall project.

And if the old layout wasn’t ideal, replacement may be an opportunity to improve it.

French Drains & Yard Drainage in South Fayette Township

Water doesn’t care where you wanted your patio or lawn to go.

It follows the property.

That’s why drainage should be considered early in an outdoor project.

NLC provides French drains, yard drainage improvements and grading solutions for properties dealing with excess water.

Common warning signs include:

  • Standing water after rain
  • Lawn areas that remain soggy
  • Muddy low spots
  • Soil erosion
  • Mulch repeatedly washing away
  • Runoff traveling downhill
  • Water collecting near retaining walls
  • Water crossing patios or walkways
  • Grass struggling in consistently wet areas

Determine Why Water Is Collecting

Seeing standing water tells you where the problem ends.

It doesn’t necessarily tell you where it begins.

The surrounding grade, slopes and other site conditions can influence how water reaches a particular section of the property.

That’s why we don’t recommend assuming every wet backyard automatically needs the same solution.

Depending on the site, a French drain, grading work or another drainage approach may be appropriate.

Plan Drainage Before Installing Your New Landscape

If you’re considering a larger backyard renovation, drainage should be discussed before the finished features are installed.

The order might look something like:

Drainage \u2192 Grading \u2192 Retaining Wall \u2192 Patio \u2192 Landscaping \u2192 Sod

Doing that backward can create unnecessary problems.

It’s much easier to account for water before the new patio and lawn are finished than to tear into a recently completed landscape later.

Paver Patios & Hardscaping in South Fayette

A good patio gives the backyard a destination.

Instead of walking outside and seeing nothing but lawn, you have a defined place to grill, eat, entertain and spend time with family.

NLC provides paver patios, walkways and hardscape improvements that can be incorporated into larger outdoor projects.

The patio itself is only one part of the design. We also need to consider:

  • How does it connect to the house?
  • Is the property level enough?
  • Does a retaining wall need to be installed first?
  • Where will stormwater go?
  • Will a walkway connect it to another part of the property?
  • Would fencing provide more privacy?
  • Should it connect with a deck?

Planning these details together can make the finished space feel intentional.

Creating an Outdoor Living Area From an Unfinished Backyard

A homeowner may have a relatively newer house but a backyard that was never developed beyond basic grading and grass.

That creates an opportunity.

Instead of trying to work around decades of unrelated additions, you can develop a more complete plan from the beginning. A project could combine:

Paver Patio

Create the primary gathering area.

Retaining Walls

Manage elevation and define different sections of the property.

Drainage

Address water movement before finished surfaces are installed.

Landscaping

Use planting areas to soften hardscape and provide visual interest.

Fencing

Create privacy and define the backyard.

Sod

Finish lawn areas disturbed during construction.

Custom Deck

Create a direct outdoor connection to the house.

The individual improvements then become pieces of one overall backyard rather than unrelated projects.

Fence Installation in South Fayette Township

Privacy can become particularly important in residential developments where neighboring homes are visible from the backyard.

NLC provides wood privacy, vinyl, decorative and custom fence installation.

Fencing can help:

  • Increase privacy
  • Enclose space for pets
  • Create a defined play area
  • Establish property boundaries
  • Separate different outdoor spaces
  • Complement landscaping
  • Make a patio or deck feel more private

Fence layout should also take elevation into account. If the property includes retaining walls or significant grade changes, planning the fence with those improvements can result in a cleaner finished installation.

Sod Installation & New Lawn Areas

Sod can provide the finishing touch after a major outdoor project.

NLC offers sod installation and lawn restoration for homeowners who want to establish lawn areas without waiting as long for seeded grass to develop.

Sod can be especially useful following:

  • Excavation
  • Drainage work
  • Grading
  • Retaining-wall construction
  • Patio installation
  • Fence installation
  • Complete backyard renovations

However, new sod shouldn’t be used to hide an unresolved drainage problem. If the previous lawn struggled because the ground remained saturated, addressing that condition first makes more sense.

Custom Decks in South Fayette Township

A deck can extend the living area of the home directly into the backyard.

NLC builds pressure-treated wood and composite decks and can incorporate custom stairs, railings, privacy elements and other features depending on the project.

For properties with elevation changes, an elevated deck can also provide an opportunity to create usable space below or beyond it. For example:

Upper Deck
↓
Custom Steps
↓
Paver Patio
↓
Lawn & Landscaping

A project like this can create multiple outdoor areas without making them feel disconnected.

Patio or Deck? Sometimes the Answer Is Both.

Homeowners don’t necessarily have to choose between a patio and a deck.

They serve different purposes.

A deck can provide convenient outdoor space immediately outside the home, while a patio creates a ground-level gathering area.

On the right property, combining them can provide much more flexibility.

NLC’s ability to work with decks, patios, retaining walls, landscaping, fencing and drainage makes it possible to think beyond a single feature.

Excavation & Grading

Some of the most important work in a landscaping project disappears by the time the project is finished.

Excavation and grading may be necessary before installing retaining walls, drainage systems, patios and other outdoor improvements.

Proper preparation helps establish the elevations and foundation for what comes next.

This is particularly important on properties where you’re trying to transform a slope or create several usable levels.

Building Privacy Into the Landscape

A fence isn’t the only way to think about privacy.

For a larger South Fayette backyard project, privacy can be considered throughout the layout.

The position of the patio, deck, fence and landscape beds can all affect how exposed or secluded the finished space feels.

Instead of installing everything first and then realizing the patio is directly visible from surrounding properties, privacy can become part of the original plan.

One Contractor for a Complete Backyard Project

Imagine a South Fayette homeowner who wants a patio.

The backyard has a slope, so the site needs to be evaluated first.

That may reveal that the complete project actually involves:

Excavation \u2192 Drainage \u2192 Retaining Wall \u2192 Patio \u2192 Fence \u2192 Landscaping \u2192 Sod

Another property might need:

Deck \u2192 Steps \u2192 Patio \u2192 Walkway \u2192 Landscape Beds

Those aren’t necessarily separate projects.

They’re different stages of creating the same outdoor space.

NLC Landscaping & Design provides a broad range of landscaping and outdoor construction services, making it possible to consider how these components work together.

A Local Landscaping Company Based in Carnegie

NLC Landscaping & Design is based at 337 Lincoln Ave. in Carnegie, PA 15106, placing the company near South Fayette Township and Pittsburgh’s western and southwestern communities.

Based in Carnegie. Serving South Fayette Township & Surrounding Communities.

Why Choose NLC Landscaping & Design?

NLC combines landscaping with many of the construction-oriented services required for more involved outdoor projects.

Services include:

  • Landscape design
  • Retaining walls
  • Retaining-wall replacement
  • French drains
  • Yard drainage
  • Excavation
  • Grading
  • Paver patios
  • Hardscaping
  • Walkways and steps
  • Fence installation
  • Sod installation
  • Custom decks
  • Complete backyard transformations

For South Fayette homeowners, that can mean fewer disconnected pieces and a better opportunity to plan the property as one complete outdoor space.

South Fayette Township Landscaping FAQs

NLC Landscaping & Design serves Pittsburgh and surrounding communities from its nearby Carnegie location. Contact NLC with your South Fayette Township address to discuss your project.
NLC provides landscape design, retaining walls, French drains and drainage, excavation, grading, paver patios, hardscaping, fencing, sod and custom deck construction.
Yes. NLC installs retaining walls and can evaluate how the wall may work with the property’s existing elevation, drainage and planned outdoor improvements.
Yes. Existing walls can be evaluated for replacement, with surrounding drainage and site conditions considered as part of planning the new installation.
Yes. NLC provides French drains and drainage solutions. The appropriate approach depends on where water originates and how it moves through the property.
Yes. NLC installs paver patios, walkways and hardscape features and can coordinate them with retaining walls, drainage and landscaping.
Yes. NLC provides wood privacy, vinyl, decorative and custom fence installations.
Yes. NLC can help develop unfinished or basic outdoor areas with patios, retaining walls, landscaping, drainage, fencing, sod and other improvements based on the property.
Yes. NLC builds wood and composite decks and can integrate deck projects with patios, landscaping, retaining walls, drainage and fencing.
Depending on the property, yes. Combining an upper deck with a ground-level patio can create multiple outdoor living areas.
Yes. NLC provides sod installation for new lawn areas and restoration following other landscape construction.
Yes. NLC’s combination of landscaping, excavation, drainage, retaining walls, hardscaping, fencing, sod and deck construction makes it possible to coordinate multiple components of a larger outdoor project.

Request a Free Landscaping Estimate in South Fayette Township, PA

Your backyard doesn’t have to stay the way the builder left it\u2014or the way the previous owner designed it.

If you’re considering a retaining wall, French drain, paver patio, privacy fence, new lawn, custom deck or complete outdoor transformation, contact NLC Landscaping & Design to discuss what’s possible for your South Fayette property.

Call (412) 251-7864
Get My Free Estimate