Stone Master MP

Routine maintenance and small planting work don't need a Framingham permit. Work within 100 feet of the Sudbury River, Foss Reservoir, Lake Cochituate, Farm Pond, or any other wetland resource requires a Notice of Intent with the Framingham Conservation Commission. The Foss Reservoir watershed has additional restrictions because of its drinking-water status. Retaining walls over four feet need a building permit and engineer-stamped plans through the Building Department, and pools require a permit plus four-foot fencing. Framingham doesn't have an aggressive private-property tree bylaw, but public shade trees and trees within wetland buffers are protected.

Framingham pricing runs in the mid-range for MetroWest — below Newton and Wellesley but above outer Worcester County. Weekly mowing on a typical Framingham lot lands $45-$80, spring cleanups $250-$650, and fall cleanups $300-$850 depending on canopy. Mulch installs commonly run $90-$120 per yard. A 300-square-foot bluestone patio in Nobscot or Saxonville usually falls $10,000-$16,500. Full design-build projects on larger quarter-acre or half-acre lots commonly start at $22,000 and reach $70,000 or more for projects involving hardscape, irrigation, planting, and lighting.

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 Framingham page.