Forde & O’Malley Son’s LLC

Routine maintenance and small planting work don't require a Quincy permit. Anything within 100 feet of a wetland resource — the bay shoreline, Black's Creek, Town Brook, the Town River, named ponds — requires a Notice of Intent with the Quincy Conservation Commission. Work on coastal banks or near dune systems has additional state-tier review under the Wetlands Protection Act. Retaining walls over four feet need a building permit and engineer-stamped plans through the Inspectional Services Department, and pools require a permit plus four-foot fencing. Quincy doesn't have an aggressive private-property tree bylaw, but public shade trees and trees within wetland buffers are protected.

Quincy pricing runs closer to the inner-suburban band — above Plymouth County average but below Boston. Weekly mowing on a typical lot lands $45-$80, spring cleanups $250-$650, and fall cleanups $300-$800 depending on tree cover. Mulch installs run $85-$120 per yard. A 300-square-foot bluestone patio usually lands $10,000-$16,000, with ledge-driven excavation pushing the upper end on West Quincy or Wollaston Hill lots. Full design-build projects in Wollaston, Merrymount, or Squantum commonly start near $25,000 and can run past $80,000 for coastal renovations involving drainage, hardscape, and salt-tolerant plant palettes.

Massachusetts requires a written contract and a Home Improvement Contractor registration for most residential landscaping work; ask for the registration number and check it before paying a deposit.

More on permits, costs, rebates and common questions, plus every other landscaping contractor serving the town, on the Landscaping in Quincy page.