Mass Home Comfort
Find contractors
Landscaping · Tisbury, MA

Landscaping in Tisbury, Massachusetts

Compare contractors serving Tisbury, Dukes County — call them directly, or send one request and let qualified pros come to you.

50 contractors serving Tisbury.

Contractors serving Tisbury

Landscaping in Tisbury — what to know

Site & seasonal factors

Tisbury is in Eversource electric territory, so Mass Save is available for home efficiency work. Mass Save doesn't fund landscaping.

For landscape work, the binding rules are Vineyard-specific. The Wetlands Protection Act applies through the Tisbury Conservation Commission, with strict 100-foot buffers around Lagoon Pond, Tashmoo, and the harbor. The Martha's Vineyard Commission (MVC) reviews larger projects as Developments of Regional Impact, and certain clearing or impervious-area thresholds trigger MVC review. The William Street Historic District Commission reviews exterior changes for properties in that overlay.

Permits in Tisbury

MA State Building Code requires engineered plans and a Building Department permit for retaining walls 4 feet and taller. ConCom review applies to work within 100 feet of any wetland, pond, or coastal resource — most of the buildable land in town. The William Street HDC reviews exterior changes on covered properties. Permit timelines on the Vineyard run long: allow 10–16 weeks for projects that touch multiple reviewers.

Typical project cost

Tisbury landscaping prices sit in the high Vineyard band — ferry logistics, a tight specialized labor pool, and a deep seasonal market all push pricing up. Weekly mow service on a typical lot runs $85–$160. A 300 sq ft bluestone patio installed runs $15,000–$26,000. Crushed-shell driveways, a Vineyard signature, run $14–$28 per square foot installed. Lagoon Pond–adjacent projects carry several thousand in extra soft costs for surveys, ConCom filings, and stormwater plans.

About Tisbury homes

Tisbury — the town that includes Vineyard Haven, the Vineyard's main ferry port — has 4,809 year-round residents and 3,126 housing units, with a median home age around 47 years. The town's character splits between the dense, walkable Vineyard Haven village around Main Street and Owen Park, and the more spread-out residential neighborhoods along Lagoon Pond and the inner harbor.

Lagoon Pond is the town's dominant water feature and a primary driver of how landscape work gets permitted on a large share of properties. The William Street Historic District covers a stretch of 19th-century houses where exterior changes are tightly reviewed.

Common questions — Landscaping in Tisbury

Does the William Street Historic District really review yard walls?
Inside the overlay, exterior changes visible from a public way — including walls, fences over a threshold height, and significant hardscape — can require Historic District Commission review. Your landscaper should confirm whether your address is in the overlay before designing anything visible from the street.
Can I install irrigation near Lagoon Pond?
Often yes, but you'll need ConCom approval if the system extends into the 100-foot pond buffer, and the design typically has to limit overspray and nitrogen runoff. Lagoon Pond has known water-quality issues and the Tisbury ConCom takes nitrogen seriously.
When does the MVC get involved in a landscape project?
MVC review (DRI status) kicks in on larger projects — significant land disturbance, clearing thresholds, sizeable hardscape additions. A typical residential patio or wall doesn't trigger it. A sweeping landscape redesign on a Lagoon Pond–facing lot can.
How much does the ferry add to material costs?
Most Vineyard contractors bundle the ferry surcharge into per-square-foot pricing rather than itemizing, but expect 15–25% more for the same patio you'd build in Falmouth. Specialty stone and large trees add even more because of trip count.
How early do I need to book for a summer install?
By the previous fall for anything substantial. The combination of HDC, ConCom, and seasonal crew booking on the island means May–July installs need to be designed, permitted, and material-ordered by winter to be realistic.

Landscaping contractors in nearby towns

Oak BluffsWest TisburyFalmouthEdgartownMashpeeGosnoldAquinnahChilmark