Landscaping Services in Pacific Grove, CA

Paso Robles Landscaping designs and builds gardens, patios, walkways and outdoor living spaces for homes in Pacific Grove. Pacific Grove is a town of small lots, old cottages, Monterey pines and coast live oaks, salty fog, and the monarch butterflies that winter in its groves. The City protects many of those trees, the Monterey Peninsula's watering limits never switch off, and part of town sits in the Asilomar Dunes habitat area. We plan for each of those before we draw a single path. Call 805-712-4440 or request a free estimate.

Pacific Grove at a Glance

Tree Permits Come First in Pacific Grove

The City's tree permit rules require a permit, except in an emergency, to substantially prune or remove:

• Any Gowen cypress, regardless of size
• Coast live oak, Monterey cypress, shore pine, Torrey pine or Monterey pine 6 inches or more in trunk diameter, measured 54 inches above grade
• Any other private tree 12 inches or more in diameter
• Any street tree, and trees on public property 6 inches or more
• Any tree in or within 100 yards of a designated monarch sanctuary

"Substantial" pruning means taking more than 25 percent of a tree's live branches in a year, any live limb 6 inches or larger, or any root 4 inches or larger. That root rule matters for landscaping: a new patio base, wall footing or irrigation trench near a protected tree can cross it. We locate the big roots early and route the work around them.

If a tree does have to come out, the City typically asks for a certified arborist report, and each removed tree is replaced with at least one 5-gallon tree from the same canopy group, planted within 60 days of approval with photo confirmation. Under Municipal Code 12.20, a protected tree can't be removed just to open a view or get more sun unless it is replaced. Tree work itself must be done by a contractor with a City business license and a D-49 tree service classification, so we bring in a licensed tree crew when it's needed.

Monarch Season and the Asilomar Dunes

Near the Monarch Grove Sanctuary and the Washington Park site, every tree within 100 yards is protected, and the City's tree page says pruning and removal there is off-limits from October 1 to May 1. If your home is close to either site, we schedule any tree-related work for the summer window and keep the rest of the job away from the canopy during monarch season.

In the Asilomar Dunes neighborhood, tree work tied to new construction can need a Coastal Development Permit, and the City asks owners to call the Planning Department at (831) 648-3190 first. Dune lots also suit a lighter touch: native dune and coastal plants, sand-set paths, and less irrigation. We confirm per lot.

Two Watering Days a Week

Pacific Grove is a California American Water community inside the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, so Rule 162 sets the schedule year-round: irrigation on Wednesdays and Saturdays only, no watering from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., nothing during or for 48 hours after measurable rain, and leaks fixed within 72 hours of notice. Ponds and fountains have to recirculate. A landscaper working on site may irrigate on up to two days a week.

With only two days, the system has to be right. We split beds and any remaining turf onto separate zones, run drip under mulch, size each run so the soil takes the water instead of the gutter, and add a smart controller with a rain sensor.

The MPWMD Lawn Rebate in Plain Terms

The District's lawn removal rebate pays $1.00 per square foot for up to 2,500 square feet, and at least 250 square feet has to come out. The fine print, as listed by MPWMD on October 6, 2026:

• The lawn must be green, mowed and regularly watered, with two years of water records to show it
• Don't remove anything until the District has prequalified the project and done a pre-inspection
• Replacement can be low-water plants or permeable surfaces such as mulch, decomposed granite or synthetic turf; concrete and grouted pavers don't count, and the lawn can't simply move elsewhere on the lot
• Any irrigation in the converted area must be drip, with at least three inches of mulch on planted ground
• The owner signs a recorded deed restriction against putting lawn back for fifteen years
• Everything must be finished within 120 days of the prequalification letter, subject to funding

The District's residential rebates also cover weather-based controllers ($100 for up to four stations, plus $10 for each added station) and rain cisterns. Call MPWMD at 831-658-5601 before you start.

Designing a Small Pacific Grove Lot

The City's tree chapter notes that, under the zoning code, site coverage in residential districts (buildings plus impervious surfaces) is capped at 60 percent, and it encourages owners over that limit to pull out paving and plant trees. Permeable choices such as decomposed granite, gravel, sand-set flagstone and stepping stones keep more of the lot open. Raised beds, a compact patio under a pergola or lattice cover, and a gate and path through a side yard make a small Victorian or cottage lot work harder. We confirm per lot whether a project needs City design or coastal approval.

Services for Pacific Grove Homes

Most Pacific Grove projects mix permeable hardscape, low-water planting and careful work near trees:

• Landscape design and planting plans
• Low-water and native gardens on drip irrigation
• Lawn replacement planned around the rebate rules
• Walkways, steps and gravel and decomposed granite
• Patios in pavers, flagstone or concrete
• Pergolas and patio covers
• Decks and raised garden beds
• Low-voltage lighting

Planning a spa or pool? A licensed pool builder handles the pool under its own contract. We can lay out and build the garden, decking and lighting around it.

Working Near Pacific Grove

Our crews also build in Monterey, Pebble Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea and Salinas. The Monterey County landscaping page covers the rest of the county, and our areas we serve page lists every San Luis Obispo County community near our Paso Robles yard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to trim a tree in Pacific Grove?

Only for substantial pruning of a protected tree: more than 25 percent of the live branches in a year, a live limb 6 inches or larger, or a root 4 inches or larger. Protected trees include native pines, oaks and cypress from 6 inches, other private trees from 12 inches, all Gowen cypress, street trees and trees near monarch sanctuaries.

Can trees near the monarch sanctuary be pruned in fall?

No. Trees in or within 100 yards of a designated monarch sanctuary are protected, and the City lists pruning and removal there as prohibited from October 1 to May 1.

What do I have to plant if a tree is removed?

The City requires at least one 5-gallon replacement tree from the same canopy group for each tree removed, planted within 60 days of permit approval, with a photo sent to the City.

When can I water my Pacific Grove garden?

Under MPWMD Rule 162, irrigation is allowed only on Wednesdays and Saturdays and never between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. A landscaper on site may irrigate on up to two days a week.

Is there a rebate to replace my lawn?

MPWMD pays $1.00 per square foot for up to 2,500 square feet, with a 250-square-foot minimum. The District must prequalify and pre-inspect the lawn before it is removed, and a deed restriction is recorded.