Landscaping · Edgartown, MA

Landscaping in Edgartown, Massachusetts

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50 contractors serving Edgartown — including 3 based in town.

Contractors serving Edgartown

Landscaping in Edgartown — what to know

Site & seasonal factors

Edgartown is in Eversource electric territory, so Mass Save is fully available for building efficiency work. It has no application to landscape work.

For landscaping, the binding rules are island-specific. The Wetlands Protection Act applies through the Edgartown Conservation Commission with strict 100-foot buffers around the great ponds (Sengekontacket, Edgartown Great Pond, Cape Pogue, Pocha) and along all coastal resources. The Martha's Vineyard Commission reviews larger projects as Developments of Regional Impact, and certain clearing or hardscape thresholds trigger that review. Properties on Chappaquiddick add another logistical layer — every truckload of stone or loam goes over on the Chappy Ferry.

Permits in Edgartown

Retaining walls 4 feet and taller need engineered plans and a Building Department permit per MA State Building Code. The Edgartown Historic District Commission reviews exterior changes — including walls, fences, and visible hardscape — across a wide downtown overlay. Conservation Commission review applies to work within 100 feet of any wetland or coastal resource, which is most of the buildable land in town. Allow 10–16 weeks for permitting on a project that touches all three (Building, Historic, ConCom).

Typical project cost

Edgartown landscaping prices are among the highest in MA. Vineyard ferry logistics, a tight specialized labor pool, and a deep-pocket seasonal market all push pricing up. Weekly mow service on a typical lot runs $90–$180. A 350 sq ft bluestone patio installed runs $18,000–$32,000. Crushed-shell drives, a Vineyard signature, run $15–$30 per square foot installed depending on edging. On Chappaquiddick, add 10–20% for the ferry overhead on every load.

About Edgartown homes

Edgartown is a Martha's Vineyard town with 5,159 year-round residents and 5,176 housing units — more dwellings than people, again the signature seasonal-market pattern. Median home age is around 43 years on average, but that hides a town that ranges from 18th-century captains' houses on North Water Street to 1990s-and-newer construction in Katama and on Chappaquiddick.

The town's character splits sharply between the dense historic village (where exterior changes are tightly reviewed) and the larger-lot outer neighborhoods on the coast and ponds, where Wetlands Act and MVC review dominate.

Common questions — Landscaping in Edgartown

Does the Edgartown Historic District Commission really review yard walls?
Yes. The HDC overlay covers a large share of the village, and exterior changes visible from a public way — including walls, fences over a threshold height, and significant hardscape — need approval. Working with a contractor who routinely files with the Edgartown HDC is the difference between a 6-week and 16-week timeline.
Why does the Conservation Commission get involved in so many Edgartown jobs?
Because so much of the town sits within 100 feet of a pond, marsh, or shoreline. The great ponds and the harbor essentially blanket the buildable land with overlapping buffers under the Wetlands Protection Act, and Edgartown ConCom enforces them carefully.
Can I expand my lawn down toward Edgartown Great Pond?
Almost certainly not without a Notice of Intent. The Edgartown Great Pond watershed has known nitrogen issues and ConCom is restrictive about new lawn area in the buffer. Native plantings and managed meadow areas are far more likely to be approved.
Is working on Chappaquiddick really that much more expensive?
Materially, yes. Every material and crew vehicle uses the Chappy Ferry, which adds time and per-trip cost. Most Vineyard contractors charge a Chappy premium, sometimes bundled into the unit price rather than itemized.
How early do I need to book for a summer Edgartown install?
By the previous fall for anything substantial. The combination of HDC, ConCom, MVC, and high-season crew booking means May–July installs need to be designed, permitted, and material-ordered by winter.