Down To Earth Landscaping, Inc.

What Down To Earth Landscaping, Inc. does

Down To Earth Landscaping, Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned full-service landscape services company headquartered in Jackson, New Jersey, operating across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Founded in 1986 by Bill Merkler and Walter Bostian as a college side business, the firm has grown over 40 years into a 251-500 employee operation serving five distinct customer segments: residential homeowners, commercial properties, homeowner associations, municipal/government clients, and homebuilders. The company provides an integrated service portfolio spanning landscape design and build, hardscapes, outdoor kitchens, fire features, artificial turf, night lighting, irrigation (residential and commercial), site work and erosion control, site amenities, and grounds maintenance, plus seasonal snow removal.

The company differentiates through vertically integrated operations, including company-owned nursery locations that produce plant material in-house, an in-house team of landscape designers, agronomists, and arborists, and a Dedicated Area Manager Program that assigns a single accountable relationship owner to each HOA and commercial account. Design work is produced using AutoCAD plans, conceptual hand drawings, and 3D renderings. Channel partnerships with eight major national and regional homebuilders — D.R. Horton, Lennar, PulteGroup, NVR/Ryan Homes, Toll Brothers, Dream Finders Homes, Tri Pointe Homes, and Hovnanian Enterprises — anchor the commercial site work line. The GTM is sales-led and direct: customers initiate contact through phone, email, or website quote request forms, with dedicated estimating and construction administration teams supporting commercial bids.

The revenue model combines one-time project-based revenue (design/build, site work, hardscape installations) with recurring contract revenue (grounds maintenance for commercial, HOA, and municipal clients) and seasonal revenue (snow removal). All pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. There is no disclosed external investment, no parent company, no subsidiary structure, and no AI/ML product surface. The company is founder-operated with both co-founders still in place after 40+ years, and reports no recent M&A, funding, or leadership changes in the source material.

Name

Down To Earth Landscaping, Inc.

Legal name

Down To Earth Landscaping, Inc.

Website

https://downtoearthlandscaping.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Down To Earth Landscaping, Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned full-service landscape design, build, and maintenance contractor headquartered in Jackson, New Jersey, serving residential homeowners, commercial properties, HOAs, municipalities, and homebuilders across five Mid-Atlantic states plus Washington, D.C.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Services

NAICS

Landscaping Services (561730)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Design, Build & Installation (Hardscapes/Softscapes) (BPABADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commercial Landscaping & Grounds Maintenance (IMAIAIAA), Residential Landscape Design (HSAIABAA), Landscape Construction & Hardscaping (Patios, Retaining Walls, Outdoor Structures) (IMAIAIAE)

Keywords

• Landscape design
• Landscape construction
• Grounds maintenance
• Hardscape installation
• Irrigation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Jackson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Landscape Design & Build Services: One-time project-based revenue from landscape design, construction, hardscape installation, outdoor kitchens, fire features, artificial turf, irrigation systems, and night lighting installations for residential and commercial clients.
2. Grounds Maintenance Contracts: Recurring revenue from ongoing grounds maintenance services including mowing, pruning, fertilization, weed control, mulching, and seasonal cleanups for commercial properties, HOAs, and municipal clients.
3. Commercial Site Work Services: Project-based revenue from site work services including grading, sod installation, excavation, drainage installation, hydro-seeding, and erosion control for homebuilders and commercial developers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Down To Earth Landscaping, Inc. provides full-service landscape design, construction, and ongoing grounds maintenance for residential homeowners, commercial properties, homeowner associations, municipalities, and homebuilders across the Mid-Atlantic region. Offerings span landscape design and build, hardscape installation, outdoor kitchens, artificial turf, irrigation, night lighting, fire features, commercial site work, snow removal, and recurring maintenance programs.

Product overview

Down To Earth Landscaping, Inc. is a full-service landscaping company offering residential and commercial landscape design, construction, and maintenance services. The company's product portfolio consists of integrated service modules spanning landscape design and build, hardscapes, outdoor kitchens, artificial turf, night lighting, fire features, irrigation systems (residential and commercial), grounds maintenance (commercial, HOA, horticultural, municipal), snow removal, site work, and site amenities. These services are offered as distinct but complementary offerings that can be bundled or selected individually for both residential homeowners and commercial property managers, HOAs, and municipal clients across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landscape Design & Build Full-service landscape design and construction for residential and commercial properties, including conceptual hand drawings, 3D renderings, and AutoCAD plans issued for construction. Serves homeowners and commercial property owners transforming outdoor spaces.
• Hardscapes Hardscape design and installation including pavers, permeable pavers, natural stone, stone and brick veneer, retaining walls, seating walls, and drainage solutions for residential properties.
• Outdoor Kitchens Design and build of outdoor kitchens and entertainment spaces including built-in grills, side burners, sinks, storage, refrigerators, trash receptacles, and bar tops for residential homeowners.
• Artificial Turf Installation of artificial turf for putting greens, pet areas, dog runs, amenity spaces, and play spaces with low maintenance requirements and long lifespan, for residential and commercial customers.
• Night Lighting Landscape lighting design and installation services including path lights, up-lights, down-lights, wall lights, and step lights for safe transitions and aesthetic enhancement at residential and commercial sites.
• Fire Features Design and installation of fire features including fire pits, fireplaces, and fire tables, available in woodburning, propane, and natural gas options, to extend outdoor usage into cooler seasons for residential customers.
• Residential Irrigation Complete irrigation solutions for residential landscapes including drip irrigation, spray heads, zone-customizable timers, renovation, startups, winterization, and design services for homeowners.
• Commercial Irrigation Commercial irrigation services including audits, installation, basin aerator and fountain installation, irrigation installation, aerators, and fountains for water conservation across commercial properties.
• Commercial Landscape Installation Full-service commercial landscape installation with estimating and construction administration, project management, local site supervision, and transition to ownership and maintenance for commercial property clients.
• Commercial Site Work Site work and erosion control services including grading, sod, excavation, drain installation, site maintenance, stabilization through hydro-seeding and temporary to permanent seeding, and erosion control methods for homebuilders and commercial developers.
• Commercial Hardscape Commercial hardscape construction for corporate campuses, retail centers, hospitality, municipal, and multi-family developments, including pavers, retaining walls, and site amenities.
• Site Amenities Site amenities installation including bike racks, benches and seating, trash and recycling receptacles, bollards, planters, site furnishings, and custom amenities like playground accessories, dog waste stations, fountains, and shade structures for commercial sites.
• Commercial Maintenance Comprehensive grounds maintenance for commercial sites with dedicated area managers, site condition evaluations, and multi-year landscape health plans.
• HOA Maintenance Landscape maintenance solutions for homeowner associations including seasonal landscape planning, regular mowing, pruning, plant health care, and seasonal flower rotation, with a dedicated area manager assigned to each community.
• Horticultural Maintenance Horticultural maintenance services including bed edging, weed control, fertilization, pruning, insect and disease control, spring and fall cleanups, custom potting, mulching, perennial gardening maintenance, and planting of bulbs and annuals.
• Municipal Maintenance Landscape maintenance services for municipal properties and public facilities, including park and public grounds care.
• Snow Removal

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10 years of reliable service for community association clients
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• D.R. HortoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational homebuilder for whom Down To Earth provides landscape installation services including hydroseeding, sod installation, planting packages, and public infrastructure landscapes for new residential communities.
• LennarcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational homebuilder receiving landscape site work and installation services for new housing developments across the East Coast market.
• PulteGroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor homebuilder partner for landscape construction and installation services in residential community developments.
• NVR (Ryan Homes)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHomebuilder receiving landscape site work, sod, and planting services for new residential construction projects.
• Toll BrotherscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLuxury homebuilder partner for whom Down To Earth provides landscape installation services including installations in communities like Sea Breeze at Lacey (Toll Brothers Community).
• Dream Finders HomescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional homebuilder receiving landscape site work and installation services for new residential developments.
• Tri Pointe HomescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWest Coast-based homebuilder with East Coast operations where Down To Earth provides landscape installation services.
• Hovnanian EnterprisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational homebuilder receiving comprehensive landscape site work and installation services across multiple developments.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TruGreen Lawn Care: Memphis, Tennessee-based national lawn care franchisor (subsidiary of ServiceMaster). Broad incumbent because it delivers residential lawn fertilization, weed/pest control at massive scale — overlapping segment but narrower service scope (no design-build, hardscape, or snow) and primarily franchise-driven.
• Asplundh Tree Expert: Pennsylvania-headquartered national vegetation management and tree care company. Broad incumbent because of overlap in tree/landscape services but core business is utility line clearance rather than residential or HOA landscape maintenance.

Direct peers

• SavATree: Bedford Hills, New York-based tree care and landscape services company serving the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Direct peer because of overlapping tree care, plant health, and landscape maintenance services aimed at residential, commercial, and HOA customers in the same regional footprint.
• Level Green Landscaping: Maryland-based commercial landscape company serving the DC/Mid-Atlantic region with grounds maintenance, landscape installation, and irrigation services. Direct peer because of tight geographic overlap, similar commercial/HOA customer focus, and equivalent service portfolio.
• Ruppert Landscape: Maryland-headquartered full-service commercial and residential landscape company serving the Mid-Atlantic. Direct peer given overlapping geography (DC/MD/PA/VA), similar design-build-plus-maintenance model, and comparable customer mix including HOAs and homebuilders.
• Yellowstone Landscape: Nationally scaled commercial landscape services provider based in Bunnell, Florida. Direct peer because it competes head-to-head for commercial grounds maintenance, irrigation, and landscape installation contracts across multiple U.S. regions with a comparable full-service operating model.
• BrightView Landscapes: Largest U.S. commercial landscape services company (NYSE: BV), headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. Direct peer because it offers the same commercial landscape installation, maintenance, and snow removal services at significantly greater scale across overlapping East Coast geographies.
• Bartlett Tree Experts: Stamford, Connecticut-headquartered tree care and landscape services company operating across the Eastern U.S. Direct peer because of closely aligned arboriculture, plant health care, and residential/commercial landscape services with similar East Coast density.
• Davey Tree Expert Company: Employee-owned national provider of tree care, arboriculture, and landscape services headquartered in Kent, Ohio. Direct peer given overlapping arboriculture, landscape maintenance, and commercial grounds-care offerings across the Eastern U.S.

Others

• SiteOne Landscape Supply: Roswell, Georgia-based national distributor of landscape supplies (NYSE: SITE) serving professional landscapers. Ecosystem supplier rather than direct competitor — comparable because its customer base is essentially companies like Down To Earth, and its scale provides a public-market read-through on industry economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5-SIhFM0QXtG6ss1mZvMUw
• Facebookfacebook.com/downtoearthlandscapinginc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/down-to-earth-landscaping-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/downtoearth_landscapinginc
• Pinterestpinterest.com/downtoearthlandscapinginc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Down To Earth Landscaping, Inc.