To contact a local hardscaping company in Richmond, VA, call Richmond Hardscaping. Our service to you is free. We pass your request to one independent local company, which gives you the quote and does the work.
Call a local landscaper through Richmond Hardscaping
This is the one phone number for hardscaping and landscaping in every city and town on this site.
When you call, you reach our voicemail. Leave a message and we call you back within one business day.
Every call begins with a short notice that it is recorded. Our privacy policy explains who hears the recording and how long it is kept.
What happens after you call
- You leave a message. Give your name, number, ZIP code and the job you want, such as "a paver patio and a short retaining wall in the back yard."
- We call you back within one business day. We explain that Richmond Hardscaping is a referral service and ask if we may pass your request on.
- We pass it to one independent local company. That company calls you, gives you a quote and, if you hire it, does the work. If no company can take your job, we tell you so.
Service area: Richmond and nearby cities
Call about a yard in any of these places:
- City of Richmond
- Petersburg, Hopewell and Colonial Heights
- Ashland, in Hanover County
If your property is somewhere else, say so when you call.
We tell you on the callback whether a local company can take it.
What to have ready for a hardscaping or landscaping quote
These six details help a company price your job, and several decide which Virginia rules apply to it.
What you want built, and how big it is
Say whether you want a paver patio, a walkway, steps, a seat wall, a fire pit, a retaining wall, a new lawn, plant beds or a mix. Give a rough size, such as the length and width of the patio or the length of the wall, and send photos if you can. A written quote that lists the materials, the area and what is included is easier to compare with a second quote.
Contract size matters for the license a company needs. Virginia's Class C contractor license covers a single contract over $1,000 but under $30,000. Class B covers $30,000 to under $150,000, and Class A covers $150,000 or more (Va. Code 54.1-1100). Ask which class the company holds, and check it in DPOR's License Lookup.
The slope, the soil and where the water goes
Tell the company if the yard slopes, if water stands after rain, or if a wall is meant to hold back a bank. A retaining wall job is a grading job as well. Richmond, Petersburg, Hopewell, Colonial Heights and Hanover County are Tidewater Virginia localities under the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (Va. Code 62.1-44.15:68). In the City of Richmond, land disturbance of 4,000 square feet or more needs a permit, and 2,500 square feet or more inside a Chesapeake Bay Protection Area (City of Richmond Public Utilities, read 2026-10-18). The state's own baseline is higher: 10,000 square feet, or 2,500 inside a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area, and a locality may lower the limits (Va. Code 62.1-44.15:55). Ask the company whether your lot is in a Preservation Area and whether your job crosses the limit.
What is buried in the ground
Virginia law says no one may begin an excavation without first submitting a locate request, and a notice stays valid for 15 working days (Va. Code 56-265.17). Virginia 811 is free, gives the approximate location of buried utility lines, and its site tells people to contact it three days before digging. Ask the company who will file the request and when. See Virginia 811 for how it works.
Any gas, electric or plumbing
An outdoor kitchen or fire feature with a gas line, power or water is more than hardscape work. Virginia requires a master tradesman license for electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors (Va. Code 54.1-1100). The City of Richmond says electrical, mechanical and plumbing work for a project is done under a separate trade permit. Tell the company at the start if you want any of these, so it can plan for the right trades.
Permits, zoning and your HOA
The city's Permits and Inspections page and the other pages we read name no patio rule, so the office or the company has to confirm it for your lot.
If you live in an owners' association, tell the company and check your community's rules (see the questions below).
When you want the work done
Say the month you have in mind. For a new lawn, Virginia Cooperative Extension says cool-season grasses are ideally established in late summer to early fall, with spring as the second-best time, and warm-season grasses in late spring to mid-summer. A newly sodded or seeded lawn needs more frequent watering for its first three to four weeks. For lawn and planting jobs, see landscaping in Richmond.
Questions about getting a quote
Will I pay anything to be matched with a company for my Richmond yard?
Not to Richmond Hardscaping. Our service to you is free, and the company may pay us for the referral. What you pay is the company's own quote for the job. Ask whether that quote includes permit fees, because the City of Richmond's Permits and Inspections page links a fee schedule, and ask whether a visit to your yard before the quote carries a charge.
When will a company call me after I leave a message?
A person returns your message within one business day. After that, the timing is between you and the company, so give your ZIP code and the month you want the work.
What should I have ready before I call?
Six things: what you want built and its size, the slope and drainage of the yard, what you know about buried lines, any gas, electric or plumbing you want, your permit and HOA questions, and the month you want the work done.
How can I check a company before I hire it?
Use DPOR's License Lookup for the company's license class and specialties. DPOR also links two consumer guides on hiring a contractor from its contractors page. A landscape architect in Virginia must be licensed by the state board (Va. Code 54.1-400), so if a company uses that title, ask for the license.
Who gets the permits?
In the city of Richmond, building permits are applied for through the Online Permit Portal, and zoning staff review Certificates of Zoning Compliance and Accessory Structure Permits there. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing work for a project is done under a separate trade permit, and the Permits and Inspections page links a fee schedule. So ask which of these the quote covers, who files each one and who pays the fees.
Does a retaining wall in Richmond need a building permit?
Virginia's building code lists retaining walls supporting less than three feet of unbalanced fill as exempt from a building permit, unless they are built to hold back certain liquids or carry a surcharge other than ordinary fill, and zoning rules still apply (13VAC5-63-80). The City of Richmond's FAQ also lists retaining walls supporting less than 3 feet of fill, and concrete or masonry walls up to 6 feet above finished grade, as not needing a building permit (City of Richmond, read 2026-10-18). Ask the Permits and Inspections office or the company about your lot.
Can my HOA fine me over a patio or wall in Richmond?
Virginia caps what an owners' association board can charge for a rule violation at $50 per offense or $10 a day, after written notice and a chance to correct it (Va. Code 55.1-1819). The law does not decide whether your patio or planting is approved. That depends on your community's own documents, so read them before the company starts.
Which specialty does a patio or wall need?
DPOR's landscape service contracting specialty covers retaining walls built for landscaping purposes. Other specialties cover masonry, concrete and irrigation, and the rule text we read names no separate hardscaping specialty (18VAC50-22-30). Ask the company which license it works under and confirm with DPOR.
Who does the work
Richmond Hardscaping is a referral service operated by R&S. We pass your request to an independent local company, which does the work.
Richmond Hardscaping does not build, plant or install anything. The company you are connected with agrees on the price with you.