Sereti in stone landscape

Any landscaping within 100 feet of Lake Quinsigamond, the Quinsigamond and Quaboag-area wetlands, or the town's streams and ponds falls under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and requires review by the Shrewsbury Conservation Commission — typically a Request for Determination or a Notice of Intent for grading, clearing, or new hardscape in the buffer. Retaining walls over four feet generally need a building permit and engineered drawings, and in-ground pools require permitting and barrier compliance. Confirm any tree-removal limits with the town before clearing larger specimens near the right-of-way.

Routine maintenance in Shrewsbury runs about $45–$85 per weekly mow for a typical suburban lot, with spring cleanups landing around $250–$700 and fall cleanups $300–$900 depending on canopy and leaf volume. Mulch is roughly $90–$140 per cubic yard installed. A new irrigation system for an average property runs about $4,500–$9,500. Hardscape is the bigger spend: a bluestone or paver patio commonly falls in the $9,000–$18,000 range, and a full design-build front-to-back renovation can run $20,000 well into six figures for larger lake-area lots.

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 Shrewsbury page.