Landscaping in Orangeburg, NY
Orangeburg mixes 1950s ranches with newer builds on former campus land. The common projects are full backyard makeovers: grade, drain, patio, fence, and planting in one scope with one crew.
Working in Orangeburg
Orangeburg is a hamlet of about 3 square miles in the Town of Orangetown, between Blauvelt to the north and Tappan to the south. It stayed rural until the late 1950s, when developers built suburban housing for young families, and many of its neighborhoods date from that building period. The hamlet is also home to the Rockland Psychiatric Center, and the town bought 348 acres of the former state hospital land in 2003.
Soil maps show much of Orangeburg as urban land and Wethersfield urban land complex, which means the original soil was cut, filled, and mixed when the houses went in. There is Haven loam on some of the flatter ground and Sloan silt loam along the stream corridors. Sloan is very poorly drained, with a seasonal water table within about a foot of the surface from November to June.
Sparkill Creek runs through Orangeburg on its way from Clausland Mountain to the Hudson. On compacted house lots and along the creek, yards hold standing water, lawns thin out, and patios settle when the base is built on the wrong material. Our Orangeburg projects usually start with grading and drainage and then move on to the patio, fence, and lawn.
What we build in Orangeburg
Full backyard rebuild in one scope
Many Orangeburg backyards have not been reworked since the house was built. We regrade, install drainage, build the patio on a compacted stone base, add low-voltage lighting, and finish with beds and lawn, all with one crew on one schedule. A licensed electrician installs the lighting transformer.
Hardscape & LightingReplacing old Orangeburg pipe
Orangeburg pipe, a fiber pipe made in the hamlet, was a standard material for outdoor drainage before plastic pipe took over. When we dig up an old downspout or yard drain line and find it crushed or collapsed, we replace it with solid PVC at the correct pitch and a cleanout.
Drainage & ExcavationGrading a flat yard so it drains
Flat, compacted yards here hold puddles for days. We cut a steady fall away from the house, add topsoil where the grade is low, and send the water to a swale, a dry well, or the street where the town allows it.
Drainage & ExcavationPrivacy fence on the surveyed line
Once the yard is rebuilt, most owners want it closed in. We install vinyl or cedar privacy fencing from the survey, keep it at 6 feet or under in the rear so no permit is needed, and hang gates wide enough for a mower or wheelbarrow.
Fencing & PrivacyOutdoor kitchen on the new patio
A patio built for cooking needs a base designed for the weight of the island. We build a straight or L-shaped island with a built-in grill and counter space, and licensed trades run the gas and electric.
Outdoor Kitchens & LivingSod and lawn repair after construction
Equipment and material storage leave bare, compacted ground at the end of a big project. We loosen the soil, add topsoil, and lay sod or seed, then set the property up for spring and fall cleanups.
Seasonal & SpecialtyText a few photos of the area or send the form. We come out, walk it with you, and send a written scope and a fixed price.
Before you build in Orangeburg
Permits and rules in Orangeburg
Orangetown Town Hall is in Orangeburg at 26 Orangeburg Road, and its Office of Building, Zoning, Planning, Administration and Enforcement handles permits for the hamlet. The town's list of projects that need a building permit includes retaining walls, decks, sheds over 100 square feet in residential districts, and some fences and freestanding walls. By code, fences of 6 feet or less on a one- or two-family lot do not need a permit, and taller fences need one and must be set back two thirds of their height from the lot line.
Fence height is measured from the average finished grade next to the fence, as the Building Inspector determines, which matters on a yard we have just regraded. Front yard fences are limited to 4 1/2 feet, and corner lots have a 35 foot sight triangle where nothing over 2 1/2 feet can stand.
A drain or driveway connection to a town road needs a written permit from the Superintendent of Highways, and the owner builds the connection and its drainage to the edge of the pavement. Orangetown treats anything other than stormwater entering a catch basin or yard inlet as an illicit discharge. We send only clean roof and surface water toward the street, and we file under our Rockland County Home Improvement License, H-25-001.
When to schedule work in Orangeburg
On the Sloan soils and older fill, the water table is highest from late fall through spring, so we schedule grading and drainage from late spring through early fall. A full backyard rebuild runs grading first, hardscape second, and fence and lawn last, and a spring start leaves time to finish before leaf season.
Orangetown's green waste pickup starts on scheduled Mondays, with material in biodegradable paper bags on the lawn at the curb, not on the road or sidewalk. The fall leaf program vacuums piles placed on the lawn within the first 10 feet of the property, starting in early November, with a final pickup after December 1. The town does not collect grass clippings, so we mulch them in or haul them away.
All services in Orangeburg
Guides for Orangeburg homeowners
- Yard drainage in Rockland County. Most wet yards in Rockland come down to clay soil, a bad grade, and roof water with nowhere to go.
- Hudson Valley seasonal yard checklist. The lower Hudson Valley gets hard winters, wet springs, and a long leaf season, and a yard that is checked at the right times avoids most of the expensive repairs.
- Regrading a yard to slope away from the house. When the ground next to a house is flat or tilts toward the foundation, rain runs to the wall and soaks in beside it.
- Downspout drainage options: where roof water should go. Most wet basements and soggy foundation beds we look at in Rockland and Bergen start at a downspout that empties within a foot or two of the wall.
Nearby
We also work in Piermont, Blauvelt, Sparkill, Tappan, Nyack, West Nyack, Pearl River, Valley Cottage, and across Rockland County.
Questions
Can you do the whole backyard, or do I need separate contractors?
We do grading, drainage, patio, lighting, fence, outdoor kitchen, and lawn in one scope. Gas and electric are done by licensed trades we coordinate.
What is Orangeburg pipe, and could my house have it?
It is a fiber drain pipe that was made in Orangeburg and used for outdoor drainage before plastic pipe. Older houses can still have it in downspout and yard drain lines, and we replace it when it has collapsed.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Orangeburg?
Not for a fence of 6 feet or less on a one- or two-family lot. Taller fences need an Orangetown permit and a setback from the line.
Will a new patio settle on a graded lot?
It can if it is built on loose fill. We dig out soft material under the patio area and build a compacted stone base so the surface stays level.
How long does a full backyard build take?
Most run three to six weeks on site, depending on scope. We give you a start date and a finish date with the written price.
Can my downspouts drain to the street?
Sometimes. A connection to a town road needs a permit from the Superintendent of Highways, and only clean stormwater can go to the street.
What is the Orangetown leaf pickup schedule?
The fall leaf program starts in early November with vacuum pickup of lawn piles, and a final pass comes after December 1. After that, leaves must be bagged.
Why does part of my yard stay wet from fall to spring?
Soils along the stream corridors hold a high water table from November to June. We regrade and drain those areas, or plant them with shrubs that tolerate wet ground.
Something to haul away first? See junk removal in Orangeburg.
Have a project in Orangeburg? Tell us about it.
Three quick steps. We call you back to set up a free on-site estimate, usually the same day.
- Call or text(845) 367-4123
- Emailgeneral@landtechenterprise.com
- Based inPomona, NY
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If it is urgent, call or text (845) 367-4123.