South Shore Green Inc.

Routine maintenance and small planting work don't need a Plymouth permit. Work within 100 feet of any wetland resource — the Eel River, Town Brook, Billington Sea, Long Pond, Great Herring Pond, cranberry bogs, the bay shoreline — requires a Notice of Intent with the Plymouth Conservation Commission. Coastal bank work has additional state-tier review. Properties adjacent to active cranberry bogs have additional considerations because of flooding cycles and water management. Retaining walls over four feet need a building permit and engineer-stamped plans through the Building Department. Pools require a permit plus four-foot fencing. Plymouth doesn't have an aggressive private-property tree bylaw, but coastal banks and trees within wetland buffers are protected.

Plymouth pricing runs in the mid-range for the South Shore, with significant variation based on lot size and location. Weekly mowing on a typical Plymouth lot lands $50-$95, spring cleanups $300-$800 (larger lots run higher), and fall cleanups $375-$1,100 because of leaf and pine needle volume. Mulch installs commonly run $85-$120 per yard. A 300-square-foot bluestone patio usually falls $10,000-$16,500, with bayfront installations sometimes higher because of access. Full design-build projects on larger Pine Hills or coastal lots commonly start at $25,000 and routinely pass $90,000 for projects involving hardscape, irrigation, planting, lighting, and deer-resistant design.

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 Plymouth page.