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Landscaping · Chatham, MA

Landscaping in Chatham, Massachusetts

Compare contractors serving Chatham, Barnstable County — call them directly, or send one request and let the ones who want the job come to you.

30 contractors serving Chatham — including 8 based in town.

Contractors serving Chatham

Claimed listings within 5 miles come first, then the rest by rating, then distance. Google ratings as of October 2026. How we list and rank contractors

Landscaping in Chatham — what to know

Site & seasonal factors

Landscaping isn't a Mass Save program, but Chatham's coastal setting drives the work. The Conservation Commission enforces the Wetlands Protection Act across the 100-foot buffer of any wetland or salt marsh, the 200-foot Riverfront Area, and coastal resource areas — dunes, coastal banks, beaches, and land subject to coastal storm flowage. With water on three sides, much of Chatham falls inside these zones, so grading, walls, and plantings near the shore routinely need an Order of Conditions.

Chatham's sandy outwash soil drains fast and holds little moisture or nutrients, so beds need heavy amendment and irrigation. Salt-tolerant plants — bayberry, beach plum, hydrangea, rugosa rose, switchgrass — are the staples close to the water.

Permits in Chatham

Chatham's Conservation Commission is highly active because so much of town is coastal. Grading, walls, plantings, or hardscape within 100 feet of a coastal bank, dune, salt marsh, or wetland — or in a flood or velocity zone — needs an Order of Conditions under the Wetlands Protection Act, and bank-stabilization work draws heavy scrutiny. The Building Department typically requires a permit for retaining walls over four feet of exposed height. Pools need building and electrical permits with fencing. Title 5 septic setbacks also constrain where plantings and grading can go on many lots.

Typical project cost

Chatham pricing is among the highest on the Cape, driven by the affluent second-home market, salt-tolerant material costs, and the premium for hauling soil onto sandy lots. Weekly mowing on a small lot runs $50-80, spring cleanup $350-700, fall cleanup $400-900, and bark mulch $90-130 per yard installed. Bluestone patios run $12-18K. Full design-build coastal grounds — salt-tolerant plantings, masonry, irrigation, lighting, and full-service caretaking — commonly run $40-150K, and oceanfront estates go well beyond.

About Chatham homes

Chatham sits at the elbow of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, with about 6,607 year-round residents but 7,529 housing units — a count that exceeds population because most homes are seasonal or second homes. The median home is roughly 50 years old, ranging from in-village cottages to oceanfront and harborfront estates.

This is a high-end summer-resort economy that drives a deep design-build and full-service caretaking market. The whole town is shaped by salt air, sandy soil, and water on three sides — Pleasant Bay, Nantucket Sound, and the Atlantic — which sets both the plant palette and the regulatory regime.

Common questions — Landscaping in Chatham

What plants survive Chatham's salt air and sandy soil?
Salt- and drought-tolerant choices: bayberry, beach plum, rugosa rose, panicle hydrangea, juniper, switchgrass, and Russian sage. The sandy outwash drains fast, so beds need compost amendment and reliable irrigation, especially close to the water.
Do I need Conservation Commission approval near the water?
Almost certainly if you're within 100 feet of a coastal bank, dune, salt marsh, or wetland, or in a flood or velocity zone. With water on three sides, most Chatham lots fall in these areas, and the Conservation Commission reviews grading, walls, and plantings under the Wetlands Protection Act.
Can a landscaper manage my Chatham home while I'm away?
Yes — full-service caretaking is a core Cape Cod offering. Many Chatham firms handle spring and fall cleanups, weekly summer maintenance, plant health care, irrigation, and storm prep scheduled around your seasonal visits.
How does my septic system limit landscaping?
Title 5 sets setbacks between the leach field and wells, structures, and water. Keep trees and large shrubs clear of the field — roots clog the lines — and a landscaper familiar with Chatham lots will design around the system and its setbacks.
Do I need a permit for a retaining wall in Chatham?
The Building Department generally requires a permit for walls over four feet of exposed height. Walls in coastal resource areas or wetland buffers also need Conservation Commission approval, and any coastal-bank stabilization faces especially close review.

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