Savannah Landscape Architect
Evergreen Design Group
Licensed Landscape Architecture Firm Serving Savannah and Chatham County
As a licensed Savannah landscape architect, Evergreen Design Group provides land planning, landscape architecture, tree disposition plans, and irrigation design services to land developers, civil engineers, architects, and design-build contractors in Savannah and the greater Chatham County market. Licensed to practice landscape architecture in Georgia.
Our practice is exclusively B2B. We work as a coordinated subconsultant and project partner to development and design teams — not homeowners — and our deliverables are structured for permit submittal, technical review, and direct integration with your civil and architectural scope. We do not subcontract your landscape architecture, land planning, or irrigation design scope to third parties.
We are licensed to practice landscape architecture in Georgia and have been serving the state’s development market since 2005. Our headquarters in Bluffton, South Carolina — approximately 25 miles from downtown Savannah — gives our team genuine familiarity with the coastal Georgia and Lowcountry development environment, its regulatory agencies, and the site conditions that shape every project in this region.
Landscape Architecture Firm in Savannah, GA
Evergreen Design Group is a landscape architecture firm in Savannah operating at both a local and national scale. We hold active licensure in 43 states, including active Georgia registration — and our team brings direct project experience navigating the City of Savannah’s development review process, Savannah’s tree ordinance and live oak protections, Chatham County stormwater requirements, Georgia EPD irrigation standards, and the historic district regulatory overlays that affect development in and adjacent to Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District.
As a landscape architecture firm serving Savannah, we bring jurisdiction-specific knowledge of the regulatory and site conditions that distinguish the coastal Georgia market from inland development environments. Chatham County’s low-lying terrain, high water tables, salt exposure, and the stormwater and buffer requirements that govern development across the county are foundational design constraints we address on every project — not afterthoughts.
Our Savannah landscape architecture practice is exclusively B2B. Our clients are architects, civil engineers, land developers, and design-build contractors who need a Savannah landscape architect who understands entitlement timelines, delivers construction-ready documentation, and integrates cleanly into their project teams.
What Makes Savannah a Technically Demanding Market for Landscape Architecture
Savannah is one of the most active development markets on the Georgia coast, with sustained growth in residential communities, mixed-use projects, commercial development, and institutional investment across Chatham County and its adjacent counties. That growth environment brings a regulatory framework and a set of site conditions that require landscape architecture scope to be more than a planting plan attached to a civil set.
Savannah’s Tree Ordinance and Live Oak Protections
Savannah has one of the more rigorously enforced municipal tree ordinances in coastal Georgia. The City of Savannah Development Services ordinance protects a defined list of heritage and specimen trees — with live oaks carrying the most significant protection thresholds — and requires detailed tree survey documentation, preservation planning, and mitigation for any regulated removal. For development sites within city limits, tree disposition work is not optional; it is a required component of the development review process. Our tree disposition plans identify and assess regulated trees by species, caliper, and condition; delineate critical root zones and proposed construction impact areas; determine which trees qualify for preservation and which require mitigation; and specify replacement planting to satisfy the city’s mitigation requirements. We format these plans to support Savannah’s development review submittal process and coordinate with certified arborists when field condition assessment requires it.
Chatham County Stormwater and Low-Lying Site Conditions
Much of Chatham County sits at low elevation with high water tables, poorly draining soils, and significant susceptibility to flooding — conditions that directly affect how development sites are graded, how stormwater is managed, and how landscape systems are designed and planted. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division administers the state’s NPDES Construction General Permit program for land-disturbing activities of one acre or more, and Chatham County and the City of Savannah both maintain post-construction stormwater requirements that landscape architecture contributes to through vegetated BMP design, buffer planting documentation, and stormwater pond stabilization plans. Understanding how to design planting systems that perform in saturated soils, high water table conditions, and coastal storm surge areas is foundational to delivering landscape architecture that works in this market.
Historic District Regulatory Overlay
Development within or adjacent to Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District — and the city’s broader network of local historic districts — involves an additional layer of regulatory review through the Metropolitan Planning Commission and, in some cases, the Historic Savannah Foundation. Height, setback, materials, and landscape character standards all apply within these areas. For projects with any historic district adjacency, landscape architecture scope must account for these overlay requirements from the initial design stage.
Coastal Climate and Salt Exposure
Savannah’s humid subtropical climate, combined with its coastal proximity, creates a demanding environment for landscape systems. Summer heat and humidity accelerate both plant growth and disease pressure; salt spray and brackish soil conditions in lower-elevation areas restrict species selection; and tropical storm and hurricane exposure requires grading and drainage strategies that account for high-intensity rainfall events. We design with these conditions as baseline assumptions on every Savannah project — not as site-specific exceptions.
Georgia EPD Outdoor Water Use Requirements
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division administers outdoor water use schedules and drought response requirements that govern irrigation system design and operation across the state. Our irrigation designs are developed in full compliance with these requirements, including scheduling restrictions and the technical requirements for irrigation system registration where applicable. EPD compliance is built into every Savannah irrigation design package from the outset.
Landscape Architecture Services We Provide in Savannah
Evergreen Design Group is a single-source provider. Your project team works with one firm — not a patchwork of outside consultants — for all landscape architecture and related design disciplines.
Site layout and open space planning for residential subdivisions, multifamily communities, mixed-use projects, and commercial developments across Savannah and Chatham County. Our land planning services integrate directly with your civil engineer’s site layout, addressing tree ordinance compliance from the initial layout stage, storm-water BMP siting, buffer yard requirements, open space configurations, and amenity placement calibrated to the project’s development program and the applicable jurisdiction’s review standards.
Early land planning coordination is critical in Savannah because tree conservation zones, stormwater BMP locations, historic district setbacks, and coastal buffer requirements create interdependencies between landscape architecture and civil engineering decisions that must be resolved before the civil plan set is substantially developed. Bringing land planning into the site layout conversation at the outset consistently produces cleaner submittals and protects entitlement timelines.
Code-compliant planting plans developed for Savannah’s coastal climate conditions, tree ordinance mitigation requirements, stormwater BMP vegetation specifications, and project-specific landscape character. We select species appropriate to the coastal Georgia environment — salt tolerance, heat and humidity performance, and high water table compatibility all factor into our species recommendations. Commonly specified species in this market include live oak, cabbage palm, wax myrtle, bald cypress, southern magnolia, sweetgum, loblolly pine, muhly grass, and a range of salt-tolerant shrubs and groundcovers suited to each site’s exposure and maintenance profile.
Comprehensive tree survey and disposition documentation prepared to meet Savannah’s tree ordinance requirements and Chatham County development standards. Our plans include field-verified tree inventories, caliper and condition assessment, critical root zone delineation, regulated tree removal impact analysis, mitigation calculations, and replacement planting specifications. We prepare these plans in a format that supports City of Savannah and Chatham County development review submittal and coordinate with your civil team and arborist throughout the process.
Engineered irrigation systems designed for Savannah’s variable rainfall patterns, sandy and mixed coastal soils, and Georgia EPD outdoor water use schedule requirements. Our irrigation design team produces zoned system layouts, controller and equipment specifications, flow and pressure calculations, backflow prevention documentation, and point-of-connection details formatted to support permit submittal and contractor installation. For commercial and multifamily projects, we prepare water budget calculations and irrigation scheduling documentation as required by local review agencies.
Pool complexes, clubhouses, dog parks, multi-use trails, pocket parks, and structured outdoor recreation areas for master-planned communities and multifamily developments across the Savannah market. Designs are developed to HOA standards, City of Savannah and Chatham County building codes, ADA accessibility requirements, and long-term operational maintenance parameters — with material and planting specifications calibrated to coastal climate durability.
Pedestrian plazas, walkway systems, seat walls, retaining structures, entry features, and structured outdoor spaces for commercial, mixed-use, and institutional projects. In the Savannah market, hardscape material selection must account for salt air exposure, high humidity, frequent rainfall and surface drainage requirements, and — on historic district-adjacent projects — materials compatibility with local design standards. We specify accordingly, with all hardscape documentation coordinated directly with your civil and architectural drawings.
Project Types We Support in the Savannah Market
Evergreen Design Group supports landscape architecture and land planning scope across a wide range of development types in Savannah and the surrounding coastal Georgia region. All project work is B2B — performed for developers, civil engineers, architects, and design-build contractors. Our active project types in this market include:
- Single-family residential subdivisions and master-planned communities in Chatham, Bryan, Effingham, and Liberty counties
- Multifamily and build-to-rent communities across the Savannah metro
- Mixed-use and town center developments
- Retail centers, pad sites, and commercial outparcels
- Office, corporate, and institutional campus projects
- Industrial parks, logistics facilities, and port-adjacent industrial development
- Senior living and continuing care communities
- Municipal parks, greenways, and civic facilities
- Hospitality and resort-adjacent development
- Historic district infill and adaptive reuse projects requiring landscape architecture documentation
Why Development Teams in Savannah Work with Evergreen Design Group
Licensed in Georgia — In-House. Evergreen Design Group is licensed to practice landscape architecture in Georgia. All deliverables produced for Georgia projects are performed under our Georgia licensure by our licensed professionals. That means consistent quality, clear accountability, and a single point of coordination for your civil and architectural team throughout the project.
Coastal Georgia Market Proximity. Our Bluffton, SC headquarters is approximately 25 miles from downtown Savannah. We are not a distant national firm operating from a remote office — we are a neighbor to this market with genuine familiarity with the Lowcountry and coastal Georgia development environment, its regulatory agencies, and the site conditions that distinguish projects here from inland Georgia markets.
Savannah Tree Ordinance and Coastal Regulatory Fluency. Savannah’s tree ordinance and live oak protection standards, the stormwater management requirements that apply across Chatham County’s low-lying terrain, and the historic district overlay requirements affecting development in and adjacent to Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District are not generic knowledge. We understand how these requirements affect development scope and design decisions, and we incorporate them from the site planning stage forward — not as permit submittal corrections.
Subconsultant Structure Across the Coastal Georgia Market. The majority of our Savannah engagements are structured as subconsultant relationships with civil engineering or architecture firms. We operate within your project structure — coordinating with your team, responding to your schedule, and delivering in your preferred format throughout the design and entitlement process.
Integrated Scope — Single Point of Contact. Land planning, landscape architecture, tree disposition plans, irrigation design, community amenities, and hardscape are all delivered under one contract by our in-house licensed professionals. There is no coordination gap between a separate irrigation consultant and your landscape architect. This integrated approach reduces errors, eliminates handoff delays, and produces a coordinated permit submittal package your civil engineer can work with directly.
21 Years of National Practice, Genuine Coastal Experience. We have been practicing landscape architecture since 2005 across 43 states. The breadth of that practice informs how we approach regulatory complexity, schedule management, and technical coordination — but it does not replace the site-specific and market-specific knowledge that comes from sustained work in coastal environments like Savannah’s.
Frequently Asked Questions: Savannah Landscape Architect
Is Evergreen Design Group licensed to practice landscape architecture in Georgia?
Yes. Evergreen Design Group is licensed to practice landscape architecture in Georgia. All landscape architectural services for Georgia projects are performed under our Georgia licensure by our licensed professionals. Landscape architecture in Georgia is regulated by the Georgia Board of Landscape Architects under the Secretary of State’s Professional Licensing Boards Division.
Do you work with homeowners or individual residential clients?
No. Our practice is exclusively B2B. We serve land developers, civil engineers, architects, and design-build contractors. We do not take on individual homeowner projects.
What does land planning in Savannah involve for commercial development projects?
Land planning in Savannah involves developing site plans, open space configurations, buffer yard layouts, tree preservation zone integration, stormwater BMP siting, and streetscape frameworks that satisfy the City of Savannah’s and Chatham County’s zoning and development review requirements. It must also address Savannah’s tree ordinance compliance, Georgia EPD stormwater requirements, historic district overlay standards where applicable, and coastal buffer requirements — all coordinated with your civil engineer from the initial site layout stage. Our land planning services in Savannah are performed in-house with no subcontracting of scope.
What does a tree disposition plan include for Savannah projects?
For projects subject to Savannah’s tree ordinance, our tree disposition plans include a field-verified tree inventory, species and caliper documentation, condition assessment, critical root zone delineation, regulated tree removal analysis, mitigation ratio calculations, and a replacement planting plan specifying species, caliper, and placement. Plans are formatted to support City of Savannah development review submittal. For projects in Chatham County outside city limits, documentation is calibrated to the County’s specific submittal requirements.
Do you work in counties surrounding Savannah, such as Bryan, Effingham, or Liberty County?
Yes. We regularly work on projects in the counties surrounding Chatham County, each of which has its own development review processes and landscape requirements. Bryan, Effingham, and Liberty counties are all within our active service area for coastal Georgia, as are Glynn and Camden counties to the south.
How do stormwater requirements affect landscape architecture scope in Chatham County?
Most significant development projects in Chatham County require stormwater management plans that include vegetated BMP components — bioretention areas, wet detention ponds, vegetated swales, and similar features. Landscape architecture scope on these projects includes planting plans for BMP areas, vegetated buffer documentation, and post-construction stabilization specifications. We prepare these deliverables in direct coordination with your civil engineer of record as a standard component of our Savannah project scope.
How does Savannah’s coastal location affect species selection and planting design?
Coastal proximity introduces salt spray exposure, high humidity, sandy or mixed coastal soils, and high water table conditions that restrict species selection and affect long-term plant performance. We design planting plans with these baseline conditions in mind — selecting species with demonstrated coastal tolerance and calibrating irrigation and soil preparation specifications to the site’s actual conditions rather than generic regional standards.
Do historic district requirements affect landscape architecture work in Savannah?
Yes, for projects within or adjacent to Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District or the city’s local historic districts. These areas involve review by the Metropolitan Planning Commission and, on some projects, the Historic Savannah Foundation. Landscape character standards, materials compatibility requirements, and setback rules all apply within these areas. We research and incorporate applicable historic district standards from the initial design stage on every project with historic district adjacency.
Can you serve as a subconsultant to a civil engineering or architecture firm on a Savannah project?
Yes — that is one of our most common engagement structures in this market. We integrate into your project team and deliver the full landscape architecture scope as a subconsultant, coordinating directly with your project manager and other disciplines throughout the design and entitlement process.
When should a landscape architect be engaged on a Savannah development project?
As early as possible — ideally at the site planning stage, before the civil plan set is finalized. Early engagement allows tree conservation areas, buffer yards, stormwater BMP locations, and amenity placement to be integrated into the site layout before those decisions are locked in. In Savannah specifically, early engagement is particularly important because tree ordinance compliance zones, historic district setback constraints, and stormwater buffer requirements must be resolved at the site planning stage — not retrofitted into a finalized civil layout.
What types of commercial projects does Evergreen Design Group handle in Savannah?
We work across commercial, multifamily residential, mixed-use, industrial, and institutional project types throughout Savannah and Chatham County. Common project types include multifamily and build-to-rent communities, master-planned residential communities, retail and commercial development, port-adjacent industrial facilities, senior living communities, and hospitality-adjacent projects. All work is B2B — performed for developers, architects, civil engineers, and design-build contractors.
Scope Your Savannah Project with Our Team
If you have a commercial or multifamily project in Savannah or coastal Georgia and need a licensed landscape architect — for land planning, tree disposition plans, planting plans, irrigation design, hardscape, or full-scope landscape architecture — contact Evergreen Design Group. We’ll review your project details and provide a clear proposal. Most projects receive a response within one business day.
Get in Touch with Us
Have a commercial, multifamily, or development project in Savannah or coastal Georgia? Fill out the form below and we’ll respond within one business day with availability and next steps.