Landscaping in Lubbock, TX
Plan a yard that fits 18 inches of rain a year. We connect Lubbock-area homeowners with independent local lawn care, landscaping, sprinkler and tree companies for free, no-obligation quotes on water-wise landscaping, bed work and turf changes.
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Why water-wise landscaping fits Lubbock
Lubbock is semi-arid. NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport show 18.33 inches of precipitation a year, with about 70% of it (12.85 inches) falling from April through September. May is the wettest month at 2.69 inches, while January and February average only 0.65 inches each. July’s average high is 93.4 °F.
Most green lawns here run on irrigation for much of the summer. The city’s supply comes from Ogallala groundwater well fields and surface lakes including Lake Alan Henry, and the City of Lubbock limits lawn irrigation to two assigned days a week. A water-wise design works with those limits: less turf where nobody walks, suitable grass where people do, and beds watered only where the plants are.
What a water-wise landscaping project can include
Every yard is different, and the company you choose will suggest a plan after seeing the site. Common pieces of a Lubbock landscaping quote include:
- Turf reduction. Removing grass from strips, slopes and corners that are hard to water evenly and replacing it with mulch, gravel or planting beds.
- Grass choice for the lawn you keep. Texas A&M AgriLife’s Turfgrass Selection for Texas rates bermudagrass drought tolerance as “very good to excellent” and says buffalograss is “best adapted for areas with annual rainfall of 25 inches or less” and “does well as a low-maintenance lawn grass from Central to West Texas.” Zoysiagrass is adapted where bermudagrass is.
- Mulched beds. Cost guides list mulch at about $75–$150 per cubic yard.
- Irrigation changes. Converting bed zones from spray heads to drip, or redesigning zones so turf and beds are watered separately.
- Design. Some homeowners pay for a design first; cost guides list $500–$3,000.
Ask each company which plants they recommend for your sun, soil and watering zone, and why. The natural vegetation on the common soils around Lubbock is short grasses, including blue grama and buffalograss, according to USDA soil descriptions, which is one reason buffalograss turns up in so many water-wise plans.
Soil, wind and grass: the Lubbock basics
Soils around Lubbock, such as the Amarillo, Acuff and Olton series described by USDA’s NRCS, formed in wind-laid sediments and are alkaline, with a calcium-carbonate (caliche-type) layer typically 30–60 inches down. Depth varies from yard to yard, and graded subdivision lots can differ. Alkaline soil can cause iron chlorosis, which turns grass yellow or striped; AgriLife and TCEQ’s guide Managing Lawn Problems in Texas says St. Augustine grass is most susceptible.
Spring is the windiest season in Lubbock, so a good layout keeps spray from drifting onto sidewalks and driveways. The City of Idalou’s landscaping guidance, for example, asks for sprinkler layouts “that limit the impact of the wind” and heads that emit large drops rather than a fine mist, and it recommends drip where possible.
AgriLife also notes that St. Augustinegrass is “less drought tolerant than bermudagrass or zoysiagrass” and can grow in West Texas only “with more supplemental irrigation,” while tall fescue’s use “is limited to North Texas.” For more on choosing turf, read choosing grass for Lubbock.
Watering a new landscape under the City schedule
The City of Lubbock’s 2026 schedule assigns two irrigation days by the last digit of your address:
- Addresses ending in 0, 3, 4 or 9: Monday and Thursday
- Addresses ending in 1, 5 or 6: Tuesday and Friday
- Addresses ending in 2, 7 or 8: Wednesday and Saturday
- No Sunday irrigation; hand watering is allowed any time
From April 1 to September 30, the City’s guidance lists watering hours of midnight–10 a.m. or 6 p.m.–midnight and about 1.5 inches per zone per week. From October 1 to March 31 the same days apply, and the City says to water only above 35 °F; City Code §22.03.133(b)(2) makes it an offense to irrigate during freezing weather or precipitation. Check the current schedule and any drought stage at mylubbock.us before you set your controller. Wolfforth has its own drought plan, so check with the City of Wolfforth; Shallowater follows Lubbock’s schedule. Our Lubbock watering schedule guide has more detail.
Licensing for irrigation work
In Texas, sprinkler and irrigation installation, repair and maintenance for hire must be done by, or under the supervision of, a TCEQ-licensed Landscape Irrigator, whose LI license number must appear on their advertising. Homeowners may work on their own home’s system. Ask for the LI number and verify it with TCEQ. Backflow testing requires a TCEQ-licensed backflow prevention assembly tester. New automatic systems in Lubbock County must include rain or moisture shut-off technology (30 TAC §344.62(j)).
This is general information, not legal advice.
How to compare landscaping quotes
Describe the goal
Tell us what you want to change: less mowing, a lower water bill, a new front bed or a full redesign. Add photos or rough measurements if you have them.
Get on-site estimates
The independent companies you are matched with look at sun, slope, soil and the existing sprinkler zones before pricing the job.
Compare line by line
Check that each quote lists turf removal, soil prep, plant sizes, mulch depth, hardscape and irrigation changes separately, plus who handles cleanup and haul-away.
Typical ranges are on our Lubbock lawn care prices page. If you plan new turf, see sod installation; for existing sprinkler problems, read sprinkler repair in Lubbock first. Landscaping quotes are available across the area, including:
Frequently asked questions
How much does landscaping cost in Lubbock?
Online cost guides (2025–2026) report about $1,500–$5,000 for a front yard, $5,000–$25,000 for a backyard, $75–$150 per cubic yard of mulch and $500–$3,000 for a design. These are estimates, not quotes. Your price depends on yard size, how much turf comes out, hardscape, irrigation changes and plant choices, so compare written quotes from more than one company.
What is water-wise landscaping?
Water-wise landscaping plans a yard around the water it will actually get. In Lubbock that means about 18.33 inches of rain a year and a twice-weekly City irrigation schedule. Common steps include keeping turf where it is used, choosing grasses suited to West Texas such as bermudagrass or buffalograss, mulching beds, and watering beds with drip instead of spray heads.
Does a landscaper need a license to add drip irrigation in Texas?
If the work is for hire, yes. Texas requires sprinkler and irrigation installation, repair and maintenance for hire to be done by, or under the supervision of, a TCEQ-licensed Landscape Irrigator, and the LI number must appear on their advertising. Homeowners may work on their own system. Ask for the LI number and verify it with TCEQ. This is general information, not legal advice.
Should I replace my St. Augustine lawn in Lubbock?
That is your call, but Texas A&M AgriLife says St. Augustinegrass is less drought tolerant than bermudagrass or zoysiagrass and can grow in West Texas only with more supplemental irrigation. It can also be killed by severe winters in the northern third of the state. Many homeowners ask landscapers to price a switch to bermudagrass or buffalograss.
When is a good time to plan a landscaping project?
Planning can happen any time. For planting and new turf, many homeowners look at Lubbock’s freeze dates: NOAA puts the median last spring freeze on April 4 and the median first fall freeze on November 2. Ask each company how they schedule planting around those dates and around the City’s watering days.
Get your yard on a schedule before the next heat wave.
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