A DIY landscaping project can completely transform your outdoor space. Whether you’re installing a new patio, refreshing garden beds, creating a walkway, building a fire pit, or giving your yard a much-needed makeover, there’s something rewarding about doing the work yourself.
But there’s also nothing quite like getting halfway through a project and realizing you’re short on stone, mulch, soil, or another essential material.
Professional landscapers know that keeping a project on schedule starts well before the first shovel hits the ground. Careful planning, accurate material estimates, dependable product availability, and a relationship with a knowledgeable local landscaping supply company can make all the difference.
At Royalton Supply, we help professional landscapers and DIY homeowners get the materials they need to turn outdoor ideas into finished projects. Here are a few contractor-inspired strategies to help keep your next DIY landscaping project moving.
Plan the Entire Landscaping Project Before You Start
It’s tempting to grab a shovel and start digging as soon as inspiration strikes. Professional landscapers know better.
Before beginning your project, map out exactly what you want to accomplish. Determine the size of the area, the materials you’ll need, where those materials will go, and the order in which each step needs to happen.
If you’re installing a patio or walkway, for example, the project may require more than the decorative material you see on the surface. Proper preparation and base materials may also be necessary.
Taking time to understand the entire project helps prevent unexpected trips to the store and delays once work begins.
Calculate How Much Landscaping Material You’ll Need
Estimating material quantities is one of the most important parts of planning a DIY landscape project.
Order too little and you could run out halfway through the job. Order too much and you may be left wondering what to do with a pile of extra material.
Carefully measure the length, width, and depth of the area you’re working with before ordering bulk landscaping materials.
Royalton Supply’s Material Calculator can help take some of the guesswork out of determining how much material your project may require.
Whether you’re purchasing mulch, decorative stone, gravel, soil, or other landscape supplies, starting with accurate measurements can help you order more confidently and keep your project moving.
Check Landscaping Material Availability Early
You found the perfect decorative stone for your project. You’ve planned the entire weekend around getting the work finished. Then you discover the material you want isn’t available in the quantity you need.
That’s a delay that can often be avoided.
Before setting your project date, check with your local landscape supply company about product availability.
Popular landscaping materials can be in high demand, particularly during the busiest parts of spring, summer, and fall. If you have your heart set on a particular stone, mulch, or other material, checking availability ahead of time gives you an opportunity to plan accordingly.
Don’t Underestimate the Value of a Local Landscaping Supplier
DIY doesn’t have to mean doing absolutely everything alone.
One advantage professional landscapers have is knowing who to call when they have a product question or need help sourcing materials.
Homeowners can take advantage of that expertise too.
Working with a knowledgeable landscaping materials supplier gives you a resource when you’re unsure about quantities, products, or other aspects of your project.
Instead of wandering through the aisles of a big box store hoping you’ve selected the right material, you can talk with people who work with landscaping products every day.
Royalton Supply’s Ask the Expert resource is another way DIYers can get help before or during a landscaping project.
Consider Landscape Material Delivery
Here’s something many first-time DIYers underestimate: landscaping materials are heavy.
Really heavy.
A small project can require a surprising amount of stone, mulch, soil, or other bulk material. Trying to transport everything yourself can require multiple trips and consume valuable project time.
That’s why landscape material delivery can be an important part of keeping your project on schedule.
Having materials delivered allows you to spend less time transporting supplies and more time actually working on your landscape.
Before delivery day, determine where the materials should be placed so they’re convenient to your work area without blocking driveways, sidewalks, or other areas you’ll need to access.
Have Your Materials Ready Before Project Day
Don’t make Saturday morning the time you start figuring out what you need for your Saturday project.
Whenever possible, have your landscaping materials selected, ordered, and ready before the work begins.
Professional landscapers don’t want crews standing around waiting for materials, and your DIY project shouldn’t lose valuable time for the same reason.
Preparing ahead means that when you’re ready to work, you can work.
Leave Room for the Unexpected
Even the best-planned landscaping project can come with surprises.
You might uncover roots while digging. The weather may change. The project could require more material than anticipated. A step you thought would take an hour may take three.
Give yourself some flexibility when creating your project timeline.
If you’re transforming your backyard before a graduation party, family gathering, or summer cookout, don’t plan to spread the last load of mulch an hour before everyone arrives.
A little extra time can make the entire DIY experience far less stressful.
Keep Your DIY Landscaping Project Moving with Royalton Supply
A successful landscaping project isn’t just about how the finished space looks. It’s also about getting from the idea to the finished project without unnecessary headaches.
Planning ahead, measuring carefully, checking material availability, scheduling delivery, and working with a dependable local landscaping supply company can help prevent avoidable delays.
At Royalton Supply, we’re here to help DIYers and professional landscapers find the materials they need to create beautiful outdoor spaces.
From decorative stone, mulch, soil, and other landscaping supplies to helpful resources and convenient material delivery, we can help you spend less time searching for supplies and more time transforming your property.
Before you dig, spread, build, or install, make Royalton Supply part of your DIY landscaping project plan.
