GUIDES AND RESOURCES FOR YOUR NEEDS
Landscapes in the valley are changing. Clients want lower water bills, fire-smart yards, and habitat, and new codes are reshaping what gets built. These free guides help the people who design, install, and manage our landscapes lead that change.
Landscape & Irrigation Pros
For contractors, irrigators, and maintenance crews. Efficient irrigation, fire and habitat practices, and working with Beyond Lawn clients.
Property Managers
For managers who oversee landscapes for owners. Water tracking tools, contract language, and a year-round checklist.
Developers & Designers
For developers, architects, planners, and designers. Valley conditions, Colorado law, county code, and design beyond turf.
Sustainable Landscaping
Waterwise work is new work, not less work. A converted landscape still needs design, installation, irrigation, and ongoing care, and it needs skilled people to do it well. Beyond Lawn doesn't compete with contractors or tell clients who to hire. Our job is to build demand for waterwise work and point clients to people who can do it.
What's in the guide:
- What's changing in client demand, codes, and incentives
- Four steps to getting the most from the irrigation systems you inherit
- Waterwise is firewise: the 0–5 and 5–30 foot zones, and maintenance as mitigation
- Landscapes for wildlife: bloom succession, overwintering habitat, and going easy on chemicals
- Installation and care: site prep, establishment, seasonal care, and plant selection
- How evaluations and rebates help your clients say yes
- Certifications, training, and the preferred professional list
Average Eagle County landscape
~35,000 gallons per season
Certifications clients look for
QWEL, CIT, or CLIA
Establishment period
About three seasons
Landscape Management
Healthy landscapes mean fewer surprises. A leak or an overwatered zone can run for weeks before anyone notices, and it usually shows up as a high bill, a dead tree, or a soggy foundation. This guide gives property managers the tools and checklists to catch problems early and work well with their landscape contractors.
What's in the guide:
- Water data and tools: usage tracking, water budgets, smart controllers, and property logs
- Waterwise care written into the scope of work, with contract checklists
- Qualifications to look for when hiring
- A seasonal checklist from early spring through winter shutdown
- Fire mitigation around buildings
- Low-effort ways to support wildlife
Check every zone
At startup and mid-season
System blowout
Usually early to mid-October
Hire for
Certified irrigation staff
Landscape Design
Design decisions set a property's water use for decades. Turfgrass takes about twice the water of other plant types while providing little ecological benefit, and the layout, palette, and irrigation chosen at design determine what a landscape needs long after hand-off. This guide covers what makes designing in the valley distinct, the codes for new and redeveloped landscapes, and how to turn change into opportunity.
What's in the guide:
- Designing for the valley: hardiness, microclimates, soils, slopes, snow, and browse
- Colorado law for new and redeveloped landscapes
- Eagle County landscape code: turf, irrigation, plant palette, and warranty
- Moving beyond lawn: Coloradoscape, meadows, and functional turf
- Designing for habitat and corridors
- Firewise design from the building out
This guide is for information only and is not legal advice.
No new nonfunctional turf
SB 24-005, HB 25-1113
Pre-approved waterwise HOA designs
SB 23-178
Noncombustible first 5 feet
Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code
