MRD Landscaping & Lawn Care

Routine mowing and planting need no Bellingham permit. Work within 100 feet of any brook, pond, or wetland — common given the town's headwater geography — requires a Notice of Intent with the Bellingham Conservation Commission. Retaining walls over four feet generally need a building permit and engineer-stamped plans through the Building Department. Pools require a permit plus four-foot fencing. New hardscape that adds significant impervious area near a resource area can trigger stormwater review. There's no broad private tree bylaw, but trees and grading within wetland buffers are protected, and seasonal high water tables make drainage permitting more relevant here than in drier towns.

Bellingham pricing runs in the mid-range for southern Norfolk County, below Boston-metro rates. Weekly mowing on a typical subdivision lot lands $45-$80, spring cleanups $250-$650, and fall cleanups $300-$750. Mulch installs commonly run $75-$110 per yard. A 300-square-foot paver patio usually falls $9,000-$14,500, with wet lots pushing higher because of drainage and base prep. Full design-build projects start around $18,000 and can pass $60,000 when drainage correction, hardscape, and updated planting on an older subdivision lot are combined.

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 Bellingham page.