Landscape design in Castle Rock starts with water. Ivy Street Design has designed Denver metro landscapes since 1992, and in Castle Rock the Town's landscape rules for new homes and the way water is billed shape nearly every choice in the yard.

Quick Summary

• Homes permitted and built in Castle Rock after Jan. 1, 2023 follow the Town's ColoradoScape requirement: no turf in the front yard and no more than 500 square feet in the back yard.
• When a new-home landscape plan is approved, the Town sets a water budget that goes with it.
• Homeowners can design their own plan, but the water budget does not change if the plan uses thirstier plants.
• The Town offers landscape design review, free for the first three reviews.
• Existing homes are not covered by the new-home turf rule, and the Town has run turf replacement rebates since 2009.
• Winter is a good time to design, so planting can start when irrigation season opens on May 1.

What does landscape design in Castle Rock have to account for?

Three things: the Town's turf rules for new homes, a water budget tied to your approved plan, and your HOA's landscape standards. A good Castle Rock design treats those as the starting frame, then builds the patio, paths, fire feature, and planting inside it.

The Town of Castle Rock says almost 50 percent of the water used annually goes to irrigation. That is why the Town cares so much about plant types, design, and irrigation equipment. For a homeowner it also explains why the yard is where most of a water bill is decided.

Ivy Street Design works with this every day as a Denver landscape architecture and design firm. We do site analysis first, present the design in 3D, and can observe construction. We can work design-only or design-build, so you can take the plan to your own builder or have us carry it forward.

What are Castle Rock's turf rules for new homes?

For homes permitted and built after Jan. 1, 2023, the Town's ColoradoScape requirement allows no turf in the front yard and no more than 500 square feet in the back yard. The rule is part of Ordinance No. 2022-025. It applies to new homes and new commercial properties, not to older homes.

In practice, builders submit landscape plans for new homes, and the Town reviews and approves them. Once a plan is approved, the Town encourages homeowners to follow it, because it was used to set their water budget.

If you live in a newer neighborhood, check what your builder's plan and your HOA allow before you design anything. If your home is older, the new-home turf rule does not cover you, but the water costs behind it still do.

How does the water budget affect your design?

Once a landscape plan is approved, the Town sets a corresponding water budget. Homeowners can design their own plan, but the budget does not change. If higher water use plants are installed, the Town warns that usage could rise into a higher, more expensive billing tier.

That makes plant selection a financial decision as much as an aesthetic one. A planting plan grouped by water need, with drip irrigation sized to each zone, keeps the yard inside its budget. Mixing thirsty and tough plants on one zone is the most common way yards drift over.

The Town also gives a useful reference for how usage looks across a year. Its average customer uses about 5,000 gallons per month in winter and about 15,000 in summer, and outdoor watering is the majority of yearly use. A design that cuts summer irrigation is the lever that matters most.

What can you build in a yard with little or no turf?

Quite a lot. Without a front lawn, the front yard becomes planted beds, stone, groundcovers, ornamental grasses, a clear entry path, and lighting. A strong design gives you structure and seasonal color without a mowing schedule.

Here is how we usually think about the pieces:

• Entry and paths: Stone or paver walks give the front yard its shape and replace the visual weight a lawn used to carry.
• Planting layers: Grasses, perennials, shrubs, and groundcovers in groups, so texture reads from the street in every season.
• Gravel and mulch zones: Cover bare soil and suit plants that prefer drier conditions.
• Back yard living space: A patio, seating area, or fire feature gets the footprint, and the 500 square feet of allowed turf, if you want any, goes where kids or pets actually use it.
• Lighting: Path and accent lights carry the design after dark. See our landscape lighting guide.

For hardscape choices that hold up on the Front Range, read our patio materials comparison.

How do HOA rules fit in?

Colorado's SB23-178 requires HOAs to allow water-wise landscapes, and the Town notes HOAs must develop at least three preapproved front yard landscape designs for residents. Your HOA still has its own approval process, so a design should be checked against your community's standards before drawings are finalized.

The Town gives one example of how specific this can get. In the Macanta community, backyard landscape plans must be preapproved by the Town when the builder's preapproved plan will not be installed. Homeowners must also pass a final landscape and irrigation inspection under the developer or builder agreement.

Ask your HOA or builder for current requirements in writing at the start. It saves redesign later.

When should you plan and plant in Castle Rock?

Design in winter, plant in spring. Castle Rock's irrigation season runs May 1 to Sept. 30, and the Town's temporary irrigation exemption for new plantings is only needed during that season. It allows daily watering of new sod for 21 days and of seed or other plant material for 30 days. The Town does not grant these exemptions in July.

That timing favors a spring planting window. Finishing drawings, HOA review, and pricing over winter means the crew can start as soon as conditions allow. Our related guide, when to start a landscape project in Colorado, covers the schedule in more detail.

Is there help for existing yards?

Yes. The Town runs a ColoradoScape rebate program for replacing turf, launched in 2009. A Town water official put the rate at $3.25 per square foot in a March 2026 news report. Confirm the current amount and rules with the Town before you plan around it.

A redesign of an older yard is often where design pays off. You decide which lawn areas earn their water, then replace the rest with planting and stone that look intentional rather than leftover.

How does Ivy Street Design approach a Castle Rock yard?

We start with the lot: sun, slope, drainage, views, and how you use the space. Then we layer the plan: hardscape and structures first, planting and irrigation zones next, lighting last. You see it in 3D before anything is built.

For neighboring communities, see our posts on Castle Pines and Greenwood Village.

Castle Rock Landscape Design FAQ

Can I have a lawn in Castle Rock?

It depends on your home. Homes permitted and built after Jan. 1, 2023 may have no front yard turf and up to 500 square feet in the back yard. Older homes are not covered by that rule. Check your builder plan and HOA standards first.

Does the Town review landscape plans for homeowners?

Yes. The Town encourages review of homeowner-designed plans and says its design review services are free for the first three reviews. Submission is by email through the Town's form.

Will a different plan lower my water budget?

No. The Town states that a homeowner can design their own plan, but the water budget set with the approved plan will not change. Using higher water plants can push usage into a higher billing tier.

Are there rebates for replacing turf?

The Town has offered ColoradoScape rebates since 2009. A March 2026 news report quoted $3.25 per square foot. Confirm the current rate with the Town before you commit.

Do you offer design-only service for Castle Rock homes?

Yes. Ivy Street Design offers design-only or design-build, so you can hand the plan to your own contractor or keep it with us.

Call Ivy Street Design at (303) 320-0362 or visit ivystreetdesign.com to schedule a consultation.