From Construction Site to Finished Lake Home

When the homeowners of this lake home began wrapping up construction on their new cabin, they knew the next step was creating an outdoor space that felt just as intentional and finished as the home itself.

After searching online for landscaping companies, they found Precision and reached out for help. Their biggest concern was the significant elevation change around their walkout basement. With sandy soil and varying grades throughout the property, retaining walls would be an important part of creating a stable, functional landscape.

But functionality wasn’t the only priority. The homeowners wanted their retaining walls and landscaping to complement the look of their new cabin and create a finished outdoor space they could enjoy throughout the summer.

Because of the property’s elevation changes, the retaining walls needed to do more than simply look good. They needed to help manage the grade, control water, and create a landscape that would remain functional over time.

Precision designed and installed Belgard Ashlar Tandem retaining walls around the home, creating clean, defined spaces while complementing the cabin’s overall aesthetic.

One of the biggest challenges of the project was reshaping the property around the house and retaining walls. Construction had left much of the yard disturbed, so proper grading was essential.

With the yard torn up from construction, establishing a new lawn was another major priority.

The homeowners initially chose to hydroseed, but as the project progressed, they decided that sod was the better option for their needs. They wanted to be able to enjoy their new lake home and outdoor space as much as possible that summer rather than waiting for a newly seeded lawn to establish.

Installing sod provided an immediate transformation and gave the property the finished appearance they were looking for.

For a lake home where the outdoor space is such an important part of the property, an irrigation system was an easy decision.

Precision installed a lake pump irrigation system to provide reliable watering for the new lawn and landscape. Precision Electric also provided the electrical work needed to power the irrigation system, allowing the landscaping and electrical teams to work together as part of one complete project.

Water management was another important consideration. Three drop-box drains were installed to help manage watershed from the home’s roof, preventing water from pooling in the yard or running toward neighboring properties.

These drainage solutions may not be the most noticeable part of the finished landscape, but they play an important role in protecting the property and maintaining the work that went into the landscape.

The final touches helped tie the entire property together.

A bullet rock garden bed was installed around the septic heads along the roadside, creating a clean, intentional appearance while working around an otherwise necessary but less visually appealing feature of the property.

Every element—from the retaining walls and grading to the sod, irrigation, drainage, and rock garden—was designed to work together.

The homeowners chose Precision because of the team’s experience with retaining walls and ability to understand what they were envisioning for their property.

They didn’t just need someone to install landscaping. They needed a team that could take the picture they had in their heads and turn it into a finished landscape that was both functional and visually appealing.

From managing significant elevation changes and sandy soil to creating proper drainage and installing a finished lawn, this lake home project required careful planning and coordination.

The result was a complete transformation: a once-disturbed construction site became a finished lake-home landscape designed to complement the cabin, manage the property’s unique terrain, and give the homeowners an outdoor space they could enjoy right away.

• Belgard Ashlar Tandem retaining walls
• Lake pump irrigation system
• Sod installation
• 96 yards of soil
• 64 yards for rough grading
• 32 yards of screened topsoil for final grading
• 3 drop-box drains
• Electrical service for the irrigation system
• Bullet rock garden bed around septic heads

A great landscape isn’t just about what you see. It’s about how everything works together—from the grade beneath your feet to the water moving through the property and the lawn growing above it. For this lake home, thoughtful planning and the right combination of landscaping, irrigation, drainage, and electrical work created an outdoor space that was ready to be enjoyed.