Landscape

Buying surplus landscape: what to know

Edging, wall block, landscape fabric, rock and the half-pallet of pavers a patio job left behind. Landscape material is bulky, cheap per piece and expensive to move, which makes buying it three streets over instead of across town the whole point.

Check before you buy

• Check wall block and edging for color runs

  like pavers, concrete landscape block varies by production lot. Mixing lots works in a border if you alternate, not if one section changes shade.

• Measure bulk material honestly

  'about a yard' of rock varies by a truckload. A yard is 27 cubic feet, so pace off the pile and do the math before agreeing to move it.

• Unroll a stretch of landscape fabric

  fabric stored in sun goes brittle and tears like paper. It should stretch slightly and resist a thumb push.

• For plants and sod, timing beats price

  sod is alive and dying from the moment it is cut. Same-day pickup or no deal, and spring and fall plantings take; August ones struggle.

Rather have it installed? The directory has local landscaping pros you can message directly, and the cost guide shows what jobs like yours run locally.

Also browse: Masonry & Pavers · Decking · Other