Arizona has 502 landscape design companies in this directory, 26% of the 1,953 landscape companies listed statewide. Each one says on its own website that it produces design work, which can mean a hand-drawn planting plan, a scaled site plan, a 3D rendering or a full design-build package. Most of them want to build what they draw: 424 of the 502, or 84%, design and install, while the remaining 78 do not list installation next to their design service.
That split shapes how you hire. A design-only firm hands you drawings, and you can take those drawings to several installers for bids. A design-build company carries the plan through construction with its own crews, so one company is responsible for both the idea and the result. Neither route is automatically better. Drawings you own outright give you freedom to shop the installation, while a design-build contract keeps the design and the build under one roof and one point of contact. Landscape architects are registered by the Arizona Board of Technical Registration, which is separate from the Registrar of Contractors, so a firm may hold one credential, the other, both or neither.
Design companies in Arizona rarely stop at design. Of the 502, 345 also build hardscape such as patios, walls and walkways, 263 install irrigation, 255 build outdoor kitchens and fire features, 234 install artificial turf, 233 work on commercial and HOA properties and 222 install landscape lighting. About half, 240, also offer ongoing maintenance. Smaller groups handle tree care (125), desert and xeriscape installs (122) and pools (109). Because so many designers also sell construction, it is reasonable to ask whether a plan has been drawn around the products and services that company installs, and whether it would draw an alternative if you asked.
Landscape Design by city
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Phoenix
115design companies 52 with a licence matched -
Tucson
57design companies 29 with a licence matched -
Scottsdale
44design companies 23 with a licence matched -
Mesa
36design companies 15 with a licence matched -
Gilbert
26design companies 15 with a licence matched -
Chandler
21design companies 11 with a licence matched -
Peoria
18design companies 11 with a licence matched -
Tempe
15design companies 8 with a licence matched -
Glendale
14design companies 8 with a licence matched -
Queen Creek
12design companies 8 with a licence matched -
Prescott
11design companies 6 with a licence matched -
Prescott Valley
11design companies 5 with a licence matched -
Surprise
8design companies 7 with a licence matched -
Cave Creek
8design companies 3 with a licence matched
Smaller lists, on each city's main page: Yuma (7), Flagstaff (7), Avondale (7), San Tan Valley (6), El Mirage (6), Goodyear (6), Lake Havasu City (5), Marana (5), Buckeye (4), Maricopa (4), Apache Junction (4), Kingman (4), Show Low (4), Sedona (4), Chino Valley (3), Anthem (3), Paradise Valley (3), Casa Grande (2), Fort Mohave (2), Cottonwood (2), Camp Verde (2), Sierra Vista (2), Oro Valley (2), Wickenburg (2), Bullhead City (1), Vail (1), Litchfield Park (1), Rio Rico (1), Sahuarita (1), Cornville (1), Waddell (1), Fountain Hills (1), Overgaard (1), Wittmann (1).
A design job usually starts with a site visit where the designer measures the yard, notes existing plants, slopes, utilities and views, and asks how you want to use the space. From there you should expect a concept, one or more rounds of revisions and a final plan. Before you sign, get in writing how many revisions are included, what the finished drawings will show, and whether you receive a plant list with quantities and container sizes. Ask whether the plan includes an irrigation layout and a lighting layout, because a planting plan without them leaves the installer to fill in those decisions. If the company also builds, ask whether the design fee is credited against installation when you go ahead with them, and what happens to the drawings if you do not.
Location changes the plant palette. Low-desert cities such as the Phoenix metro, Tucson and Yuma are hot and dry, while Flagstaff, Prescott and Prescott Valley get winters and freezes, so a plan drawn for one region will not always suit another. Ask the designer to explain why each plant was chosen for your yard, how much space it will need once it fills in, and which areas will need regular water. A good plan should also show where rock, decomposed granite or turf goes and how drainage leaves the yard.
On licensing, 264 of the 502 design companies, or 53%, matched an active Registrar of Contractors licence on the posting list dated 7 October 2026, and 198 of those hold a 21-class licence covering hardscape and irrigation work. The other 238 could not be matched on the ROC list, which can happen when a firm trades under a different name from its licence or does not publish a licence number. Ask any company which licence class covers the specific work in your quote, and look the company up at the ROC's free contractor search before you sign anything.
Design companies cluster in the larger cities. Phoenix has 115 of them, Tucson 57, Scottsdale 44 and Mesa 36, and 14 cities have their own page in this directory. Scottsdale stands out for its share: 44 of its 109 listed companies offer design, or 40%, compared with 27% in Phoenix. Smaller towns have a handful each, such as 7 in Flagstaff, 7 in Yuma and 4 in Sedona, so homeowners outside the metro areas often find their designer in a neighbouring city.
Common questions about landscape design in Arizona
Should I hire a design-only firm or a design-build landscape company in Arizona?
It depends on how you want to buy the installation. Of Arizona's 502 landscape design companies in this directory, 424 design and install, so design-build is the common model. A design-only plan lets you collect several installation bids from the same drawings. A design-build contract keeps one company responsible for both. Either way, confirm in writing who owns the drawings and how many revisions are included.
Is a landscape design fee credited toward installation?
Some design-build companies credit part or all of the design fee if you hire them to install the plan, and others charge it separately. With 424 of 502 Arizona design companies also installing, it is a common question to settle early. Ask for the credit terms in writing, what happens to the fee if you use another installer, and whether you keep a full copy of the plan either way.
What should a finished landscape design plan include?
At minimum, a scaled layout showing planting areas, hardscape, turf or rock, and a plant list with quantities and sizes. Ask whether irrigation and lighting layouts are part of the plan, since 263 of Arizona's 502 design companies install irrigation and 222 install lighting, and many fold those layouts into the drawings. A 3D rendering is helpful for visualising the result but is not a substitute for a dimensioned plan.
How do I check whether an Arizona landscape design company is licensed?
Search the company at the Registrar of Contractors' free contractor search. Of the 502 design companies in this directory, 264 matched an active ROC licence on the 7 October 2026 posting list and 198 hold a 21-class licence. Ask the company which licence class covers the work it is quoting. Landscape architects are registered separately by the Arizona Board of Technical Registration.
Where do I find a landscape designer in a smaller Arizona town?
Fewer firms list design outside the big metros. The directory shows 7 design companies in Flagstaff, 7 in Yuma, 5 in Lake Havasu City and 4 each in Sedona, Kingman and Show Low, against 115 in Phoenix and 57 in Tucson. Many designers travel for larger projects, so ask a firm from a nearby city whether it works in your town and how site visits are handled.
All landscape companies
Landscape Companies in Arizona lists every company in the directory by city, with companies that design and install first.