CalLandscaper Mag - Summer Issue - 2026

CalLandscaper Cal Landscaper 2026 SUMMER ISSUE

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Trimble Precision Meets John Deere Power

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CONTENTS CalLandscaper Magazine

MCCORMICK LANDSCAPE SERVICE, INC.

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Trimble Precision Meets John Deere Power

MARIPOSA LANDSCAPES, INC.

14

Mariposa Landscapes, Inc. delivers California-Friendly Landscape Reconstruction at USC

06

TURF CONVERSION

19

The Coming Commercial Turf Conversion Rush

14

INDUSTRY NEWS K&D Landscaping: The Newest Seat at

23 the Leadership Table: Why the Trades are Hiring Innovation Leaders

On the cover: Photo credit: Kenneth Mitchell, McCormick Landscape Service, Inc.

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www.CalLandscaper .com PUBLISHER: Kerry Hoover khoover@calcontractor.com EDITOR: Brian Hoover, Senior Editor ART DIRECTOR: Aldo Myftari 4

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SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: Gerald De Guzman FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION: Please call: (909) 772-3121 CalLandscaper is published 6 times each year by Construction Marketing Services, LLC. Copyright © 2025. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

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TRIMBLE PRECISION MEETS JOHN DEERE POWER McCormick Landscape Service combines Trimble grade-control technology, a Burchland grading blade and the John Deere 335 P-Tier to dramatically reduce grading time on a major CSUB athletic field project.

By Brian Hoover, Editor / Photos provided by Coastline Equipment

Above: John Deere 335 P-Tier compact track loader from Coastline Equipment equipped with a Burchland precisiongrading attachment and Trimble technology.

W

hen John McCormick suffered a devastating injury while working as a diesel mechanic in the Kern County oil fields, he could have allowed the accident to define his future.

Instead, it became the unlikely beginning of a family landscape business that continues to grow nearly four decades later.

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McCormick’s hand was severed when an engine unexpectedly turned over while he was working on it. Surgeons successfully reattached the hand, but the recovery left the 21-year-old mechanic unable to immediately return to the oil fields.

Tired of sitting at home while he healed, McCormick began mowing lawns and completing landscape

maintenance projects in his neighborhood. One customer led to another, and in 1987, McCormick Professional Landscape Service was born. “My father grew tired of sitting around during his recovery, so he started a lawn and gardening business,” says his son, Jonathon McCormick, CFO and co-owner of what is now McCormick Landscape C alL an d s c ape r.com

Left: Jonathon McCormick, CFO, McCormick Landscape Service, Inc.

Service, Inc. “He started mowing lawns in the neighborhood, and it grew from there.”

Today, the Bakersfield-based company provides commercial landscape installation and maintenance, tree trimming and removal, irrigation, grading, drainage and other construction-related

services throughout Kern County.

McCormick Landscape Service holds California C-27 Landscaping, C-53 Swimming Pool and C-49 Tree Service licenses. Its staff also includes a certified arborist and professionals with irrigation auditing, qualified applicator and other industry credentials.

GROWING UP IN THE BUSINESS Jonathon McCormick cannot remember a time when the family business was not part of his life. In its early years, the family operated a nursery on its property and grew many of the plants used on landscape projects. Jonathon’s childhood responsibilities included watering nursery stock and helping wherever needed. “I’ve grown up doing it my entire life,” he says.

“Straight out of high school, I went to college full time while also working full time.”

McCormick earned a business degree from California State University, Bakersfield, and officially joined the company in 2003. He became a managing partner in 2012 and now oversees day-to-day operations. His parents remain owners but have stepped back from daily management.

Below: McCormick Landscape Service, Inc. begins construction on the Hardt Baseball Field Turf Project at California State University, Bakersfield.

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Above: A John Deere 335 P-Tier compact track loader equipped with a Burchland precision-grading attachment and Trimble GNSS machine-control technology performs the second grading cut on Hardt Field.

The company gradually progressed from residential lawn maintenance into landscape construction and commercial work.

It incorporated around 2000, later added swimming pool construction and purchased an established tree service in 2012. “We do commercial landscape installation, maintenance, tree trimming and removal, grading and drainage,” says McCormick. “We’re strictly commercial now, and about 99.9% of our work is in Kern County.”

The company generally employs approximately 25 people and has recently experienced significant growth in public works. “I’ve always had a small niche in public works, but I never really got too big into it,” McCormick says. “Over the last year to year and a half, I’ve really pushed that side of our business, and it has just been blowing up.”

TRANSFORMING A COLLEGE BASEBALL FIELD One project demonstrating the company’s expanding capabilities is the Hardt Baseball Field Turf Project at California State University, Bakersfield. McCormick Landscape Service was brought onto the project as a subcontractor to Bakersfield-based Anderson 8

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Group International after previously completing work at the university.

The approximately 115,000-squarefoot field was originally natural grass and is being converted to artificial turf. McCormick Landscape Service is responsible for nearly all preparation work leading up to the turf installation.

Its scope includes removing the existing turf, excavating six inches below final grade, installing drainage, compacting the subgrade and placing four inches of base material followed by two inches of fine material. The company is also installing a perimeter border that will provide an anchoring point for the synthetic turf. “We’re doing everything except installing the turf,” says McCormick. “This includes all the underground work and preparation.”

Excavating six inches across the field meant removing approximately 2,000 cubic yards of material while maintaining tight tolerances across the entire playing surface.

Under conventional methods, survey stakes would have been placed throughout the field while an employee repeatedly checked elevations with a laser or grade rod.

McCormick saw an opportunity to use a more efficient approach.

COMBINING JOHN DEERE POWER WITH GPS PRECISION McCormick Landscape Service worked with Coastline Equipment’s Bakersfield branch to rent a new John Deere 335 P-Tier compact track loader equipped with a Burchland precision-grading attachment and Trimble GNSS machine-control technology. The system connected the Trimble Earthworks Grade Control Platform with the John Deere compact track loader and Burchland LGX Laser Grader. Trimble Earthworks placed live design information, elevation data and cut-and-fill guidance in front of the operator while automatically controlling the grading blade according to the project’s digital model.

McCormick already owned a John Deere 325 compact track loader but wanted additional power to push the heavy grading attachment through the existing turf and underlying soil. “We wanted the additional horsepower to help us get it done faster, but we also didn’t want anything too big because there are tight areas we have to get into,” he says. “The John Deere 335 P-Tier was the perfect machine.” { Continued on page 10 } C alL an d s c ape r.com

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Above and left: Different stages of the turf-removal process in preparation for the installation of new turf.

Below left: A John Deere 335 P-Tier compact track loader equipped with a Burchland precision-grading attachment and Trimble GNSS machine-control technology removes the old turf.

The large-frame compact track loader produces 118 gross horsepower and provided the power, hydraulic capacity, stability and maneuverability required for the project. It was large enough to efficiently grade the field but compact enough to work around curbs, field edges and confined areas that would have been difficult to access with a full-sized motor grader or dozer.

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TURNING A COMPACT TRACK LOADER INTO A PRECISION GRADER The Burchland LGX Laser Grader transforms a skid steer or compact track loader into a precision grading machine. A stabilizing skid plate helps isolate the blade from the pitching and movement of the carrier, allowing the cutting edge to maintain a more consistent elevation.

On the CSUB project, the attachment was paired with Trimble grade control. Project plans and survey points were uploaded into the system, and a GNSS base station transmitted positioning corrections to the machine. A display inside the cab showed the operator the machine’s location, design elevation and whether the grading attachment was above or below the required surface. A handheld Trimble rover allowed the crew to establish control points, verify elevations and view the project on a digital grid.

Once automatic control was activated, the operator primarily focused on steering and forward travel. The system continually raised, lowered and tilted the grading attachment to follow the field’s programmed contours. “You push the stick forward, and the blade adjusts to the grade that it is set at,” says McCormick. “It automatically goes up, down and side to side. You can cut across a slope, and it adjusts on its own as you’re moving.”

That automatic adjustment was particularly useful while removing the existing turf. A conventional bucket can dig too deeply into C alL an d s c ape r.com

Above: Trimble handheld rover system and onboard monitor.

softer areas, removing excess soil and disturbing the subgrade.

The precision blade automatically corrected itself whenever it began moving below the programmed elevation. After testing different travel speeds, the crew found that operating at approximately 50% to 60% of the machine’s creep-mode speed produced the best results.

FROM TWO WEEKS TO THREE DAYS The John Deere 335 P-Tier, Burchland grading attachment and Trimble machine-control technology delivered an immediate increase in productivity. McCormick estimates that completing the excavation and grading conventionally could have required approximately two weeks. Using the GPS-guided setup, the company completed the cutting portion in three days. The crew then spent another three days loading and removing the excavated material. “It cut my labor costs dramatically,” he says. “If I had done this by hand, it probably would have taken two weeks to do the cutting.

We got it done in three days.”

The system also reduced the checking and reworking normally required to maintain tight grade tolerances. Instead of having someone continually stop the operation to check elevations, the plans and survey points CalLandscap er.com

were already available inside the machine. The ability to excavate accurately also helped control material quantities. Across a 115,000-square-foot surface, even a small variation in excavation depth could result in additional truckloads of exported soil or imported aggregate.

A SURPRISINGLY SMALL LEARNING CURVE Despite the sophistication of the technology, McCormick found the system easy to learn. Coastline Equipment Trimble specialist Brian Girouard helped establish control points, upload the design and configure the equipment. “It was so easy to get this system set up and going,” he says. “Within 20 minutes, I was cutting the field, and I was having a blast.”

After operating the machine for two days, McCormick turned it over to his construction operations manager. Although the manager had compact equipment experience, he had never operated a GPS-guided grading system. “I told him to get in the tractor, push three buttons and drive forward,” McCormick says. “That’s all he had to do, and he cut half the field himself.”

Machine control does not eliminate the need for operators who understand soil conditions, drainage

and construction sequencing.

However, its ease of use can shorten the time required for an equipment operator to become productive with precision grading.

TECHNOLOGY FOR FUTURE GROWTH The CSUB project was McCormick Landscape Service’s first major opportunity to use GPS machine control on an active jobsite.

It also tested Coastline Equipment’s ability to respond within a short mobilization period. “I called Brian at Coastline and told him I had a week to get mobilized,” says McCormick.

“He responded immediately, and once he helped us learn how to upload the plans and points, the system took over and was very user-friendly.”

McCormick has worked with Coastline Equipment for approximately two years and has purchased equipment through its Bakersfield location. His primary sales contact is Kevin Kizzar.

“Everyone at Coastline Equipment has been very nice and helpful,” he says. “They always answer their phones. Whatever question I have, they either have the answer or they get the answer.”

The McCormick family also has a long history with John Deere equipment. A skid steer purchased

by John McCormick around 2002 S UM M E R / 2 0 2 6

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Above left: A Trimble base station positioned in the stands maintained connections with 26 to 30 satellites at all times.

Above right: The operator’s view from the cab of the John Deere 335 P-Tier compact track loader.

remains in service at a family recreational property in the mountains north of Fresno. “That machine is still running and performing great,” Jonathon says.

“We’ve always liked John Deere, and our field experience with these machines has kept us coming back.”

McCormick sees Trimble technology as an investment with applications extending far beyond athletic fields. The system can be used to locate grades, elevations and survey points and can be installed on compatible compact track loaders, excavators, motor graders and other equipment.

He can already envision using it to establish elevations for an upcoming block wall and a potential metal-building project.

Rather than relying solely on tape measures, stringlines and repeated manual calculations, the company will be able to digitally establish and verify project elevations.

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MOVING BEYOND TRADITIONAL LANDSCAPING The Hardt Baseball Field Turf Project represents more than another successful landscape installation. It is helping position McCormick Landscape Service to pursue a wider range of grading, underground and public works projects.

Jonathon has applied for his California General Engineering “A” contractor license, which would support the company’s continued expansion into grading and underground construction.

“I’m already doing a lot of that work anyway,” he says.

“This is going to open up new opportunities for us.”

As that side of the company grows, McCormick expects to invest in additional equipment.

Compact excavators are high on his list, with a midsized excavator and motor grader potentially

following as the company’s project mix evolves.

For a business that began with mowing neighborhood lawns, the ability to compete for sophisticated public works and site-development projects marks an impressive evolution. Yet even as McCormick Landscape Service adopts GNSS positioning, automatic grade control and larger equipment, its foundation remains unchanged: a family business built around responsiveness, customer service and a willingness to take on the next challenge. “My dad started it in 1987, and I’ve grown up doing it my entire life,” says McCormick. “Now we’re moving into different areas, taking on more public works and looking at grading and underground work.

We’re busy, we’re growing, and there are a lot of opportunities ahead.” CL

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Above: Some of the Mariposa Landscapes, Inc. team members on the USC Landscape Reconstruction Project.

Mariposa Landscapes, Inc. Delivers CaliforniaFriendly Landscape Reconstruction at USC

By Brian Hoover | Photos provided by Mariposa Landscapes, Inc.

F

or more than four decades, Mariposa Landscapes, Inc. has been helping shape and maintain some of Southern California and Arizona’s most visible outdoor environments.

Founded in 1981 by Terry Noriega, the company began with what Mariposa still proudly describes as “two men and one truck.” Today, that small Southern California landscape operation has grown into one of the region’s largest and most respected landscape service providers, with more than 1,000 employees and operations serving 14

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communities from Santa Barbara to San Diego, as well as major markets in Arizona.

Noriega founded Mariposa with a vision of providing highquality landscape construction and maintenance services throughout Southern California.

During the past 45 years, the company has expanded from a small local operation into a major landscape contractor serving clients throughout the public and private sectors. Along the way, Mariposa has earned more than 100 industry awards, including

multiple Sweepstakes, President’s and First Place honors recognizing its commitment to quality, safety and innovation.

Mariposa Landscapes remains family owned and operated, with Noriega still serving as president and two of his daughters involved in the company. Over the years, the firm has expanded from its original landscape roots into a comprehensive operation that includes landscape maintenance, landscape construction and professional tree care. The Mariposa family of companies C alL an d s c ape r.com

Left: Mariposa crew member transporting tree for planting on the USC Landscape Reconstruction Project.

includes Mariposa Landscapes, Inc. in California, Mariposa Tree Management and Mariposa Landscape Arizona, Inc. Mariposa serves Southern California and Arizona through multiple branch locations, including Irwindale, Fontana, Bermuda Dunes, Santa Ana and Phoenix.

From these locations, the company manages projects ranging from local municipal improvements to major institutional and commercial developments across the region.

“Our largest percentage of work is landscape maintenance,” says Ricardo Escobedo, marketing sales manager for Mariposa Landscapes, Inc. “From there, it is landscape construction and tree work. We perform the full scope of landscape services, including hardscape, planting, irrigation and tree care.”

Mariposa’s primary clients include universities, municipalities, transportation agencies, commercial developers, homeowner associations and private property owners. Although much of the company’s work is performed for public-sector and institutional clients, Mariposa also maintains a significant portfolio of private commercial and residential properties. Its full-service capabilities include landscape maintenance and construction, irrigation installation and upgrades, water management and irrigation auditing, tree planting and professional arbor care.

CalLandscap er.com

That full-service capability is currently on display at the University of Southern California, where Mariposa is performing a series of concurrent landscape reconstruction projects on the USC campus. Internally, the company refers to the work simply as its USC landscape reconstruction project, consisting of three adjacent NCAP landscape update areas.

Officially, the work consists of three separate projects being completed concurrently and side by side: the BMH, or Booth Hall, NCAP Landscape Updates; the MUS South Side NCAP Landscape Updates; and the THH, or Taper Hall, NCAP Landscape Updates.

Collectively, the work may be described as the USC Campus Landscape Renovation Project.

The work began May 18, 2026, with an estimated construction completion date of late August, 2026. Following construction, Mariposa will provide an additional 90-day landscape establishment and maintenance period. The schedule has been tight, with Mariposa crews working to complete the improvements before the campus sees heavier traffic from new student orientation, student move-ins, athletics and daily tours.

According to Escobedo, the project involves three plaza-type areas surrounded by campus buildings. These locations are

connected not only to each other, but also to the broader USC landscape experience. Before Mariposa arrived, the areas included turf, aging mulch, exposed dirt, weeds and struggling plant material.

“It is a unique area because of the buildings that surround it and the shadows they cast,” says Escobedo. “They were not seeing a lot of plant growth, and with the heat in California right now, they were seeing a lot of plant material decline. The goal was to transition these spaces into a California landscape that is more temperature friendly and better suited to the environment.”

Mariposa’s scope includes a grow-kill process, demolition and removals, irrigation installation, tree and shrub planting, steel edging, decomposed granite, decorative pebble and a 90-day establishment maintenance period. From breaking ground through completion, Mariposa’s crews are responsible for removing designated existing landscape materials, preparing and grading the soil, trenching and installing new irrigation infrastructure, installing new planting and trees, placing steel edging and adding decomposed granite, cobble, decorative pebble and other landscape finishes.

The comprehensive renovation is intended to create updated outdoor environments that meet USC’s campus standards while S UM M E R / 2 0 2 6

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supporting improved irrigation efficiency and long-term water management.

The result will be a cleaner, more durable and more sustainable landscape palette designed to better handle Southern California heat, campus foot traffic and the microclimates created by nearby buildings. The renovated areas will feature a diverse mix of drought-conscious plants, new trees and decorative landscape elements selected to enhance the campus environment while reducing water

(Top) Planting numerous shrubs.

(Middle) Placing steel edging in planter areas.

(Bottom) Unloading shrubs from Mariposa truck for planting.

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demand and improving long-term maintainability.

Plant procurement proved to be one of the more challenging aspects of the project.

The design called for a diverse range of specific Californiafriendly plant material, including oak trees and other selected species. Because the project moved forward late in the planting season, Mariposa had to work beyond its typical supplier base to secure the quantities and varieties required. “One of the biggest challenges was procuring the plant material,” says Escobedo. “It was not only specific to a California landscape, but we also needed the right amounts. We had to look to vendors in different areas that we do not typically pull from to make the project happen.”

In addition to locating the specified plants and trees, Mariposa was required to procure several uncommon or specialized landscape materials called for in the project plans. Securing the correct species, quantities and materials while maintaining the compressed construction schedule required extensive coordination with vendors outside the company’s normal supplier network.

The active university setting presented another significant operational challenge. Because work was taking place simultaneously in multiple areas of an operating C alL an d s c ape r.com

campus, Mariposa had to carefully coordinate scheduling, access, safety measures and material deliveries to minimize disruption to students, faculty, visitors and daily university activities.

Crews have included approximately eight workers per day on a regular work shift, led by Superintendent Luis Navarro and Foreman Jose Garcia. Navarro has been vital to coordinating the crews, schedule and daily construction activities, while Garcia has played a critical role in project layout and field execution.

Equipment on the job has included mini excavators and skid steers for demolition, removals, material handling and site preparation. The compact machines are particularly well suited to working within the confined campus plazas and around existing buildings, pedestrian routes and improvements. They have been used to remove existing materials, excavate irrigation trenches, perform minor grading, move soil and decorative materials and

prepare the planting areas for installation.

The USC work is also representative of a larger trend Mariposa is seeing across its markets. Landscape is no longer viewed as simply the finishing touch on a building or campus project. Increasingly, owners, universities, municipalities, commercial property managers and homeowner associations are recognizing the importance of outdoor spaces that are attractive, efficient, maintainable and better suited to local climate conditions.

Above: Various types of drought tolerant landscape design irrigation placed around SC campus.

“I think things are booming right now,” says Escobedo. “From the period of COVID on, there has been a very specific, growing need for landscaping in general. It was one of those construction niches that never stopped moving during COVID, and now we are seeing it held to an even higher level of importance.”

Above: Mariposa team members discuss particulars of the job, including mulch placement throughout the project.

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Above: The work that Mariposa Landscapes, Inc. is performing at the University of Southern California is part of the overall Native and Climate-Adapted Plant Master Plan.

That importance extends across all of Mariposa’s core service lines.

In maintenance, the company provides turf management, irrigation management, integrated pest management, seasonal planting, athletic turf maintenance, parking lot sweeping, color design, clean-up and debris removal. Water management services, irrigation system auditing and system upgrades also help property owners improve efficiency and respond to increasingly important conservation goals.

In construction, Mariposa performs site preparation and grading, native plant restoration, playground construction, irrigation system installation, park construction, tree and shrub planting, athletic field construction and drainage system setup. Through its tree care operation, the company provides trimming, pruning, on-site diagnosis, hazardous tree removal, stump grinding, disease and pest treatment, tree planting and GIS tree mapping.

Mariposa’s growth has also been supported by technology and training, to include AI integration and the use of AI-power tools. The 18

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company utilizes modern fleet resources, digital irrigation monitoring, GIS mapping, tree management tools and inspection systems to help improve efficiency and long-term performance. The company also emphasizes safety, staff training, drought-tolerant landscape design, integrated pest management and sustainable land care practices.

For Mariposa, the USC project is a strong example of what the company does best: take an existing landscape that is no longer performing and rebuild it into a functional, attractive and more resilient outdoor environment. “We have worked with USC in the past, many years ago, but this is the first time in the recent era that we have been able to provide this type of work for them,” says Escobedo.

“They had a full plan, and we were able to deliver that for them.”

As the final decomposed granite, decorative pebble, edging and planting work comes together, the finished USC landscape will give students, staff, visitors and campus guests a refreshed series of outdoor spaces designed for Southern California conditions. The

improvements will also provide USC with more efficient irrigation infrastructure and a landscape palette designed to perform more successfully within the shaded, high-traffic and heat-affected microclimates surrounding Booth Hall, MUS South Side and Taper Hall.

For Mariposa Landscapes, Inc., it is another opportunity to show how horticultural knowledge, experienced crews and construction capability can transform high-profile properties one landscape at a time. From two men and one truck in 1981 to more than 1,000 employees today, Mariposa Landscapes, Inc. continues to build on a legacy of responsive service, family leadership and sustainable landscape solutions throughout California and Arizona. Its continued growth, more than 100 industry awards and ability to successfully deliver complex public, institutional and privatesector projects demonstrate how far the family-owned company has come during its first 45 years. CL

C alL an d s c ape r.com

The Coming Commercial Turf Conversion Rush California’s approaching restrictions on irrigating nonfunctional turf could create one of the landscape industry’s largest statewide opportunities in decades

By Brian Hoover, Editor

Left: Use of potable drinking water to irrigate nonfunctional turf on nonresidential properties is facing a staged statewide prohibition beginning in January, 2027.

A

cross California, broad expanses of ornamental lawn remain a familiar part of office parks, industrial campuses, hospitals, schools, government buildings, retail centers, streetscapes and CalLandscap er.com

homeowners association common areas. Much of that grass is maintained for appearance but is rarely walked on, played on or used for any practical purpose.

The future of those landscapes is about to change.

California Assembly Bill 1572 establishes a phased statewide prohibition on using potable drinking water to irrigate nonfunctional turf on many nonresidential properties. Stateowned and most local government properties are affected beginning January 1, 2027. Commercial, industrial and most institutional properties follow on January 1, 2028, while homeowners association common areas generally become subject to the prohibition on January 1, 2029.

Certain public properties in disadvantaged communities have a later deadline tied partly to the availability of state funding.

For California’s C-27 landscape contractors, the approaching deadlines could create a substantial volume of assessment, design, irrigation, installation and long-term maintenance S UM M E R / 2 0 2 6

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Left: Grass used at for athletic fields, playgrounds, recreation, picnicking, student gatherings, ceremonies, events, or other regular community activities is considered functional turf and can continue to be irrigated with potable water. For a school or university campus, the key question becomes: Is this grass actually used by students and faculty, or is it essentially decorative?

work. Contractors who want to participate in this transition, however, will need to understand far more than how to remove grass and install drought-tolerant plants.

WHAT IS NONFUNCTIONAL TURF? Under AB 1572, functional turf is generally grass located within a recreational-use area or community space. Examples include sports fields, playgrounds, golf courses, picnic grounds, pet exercise areas and turf designated for formal or informal gatherings. Grass that is enclosed or permanently inaccessible for recreation or assembly is not considered functional. The law also specifically includes turf within street rights-of-way and parking lots in its definition of nonfunctional turf.

Likely examples include narrow grass strips between parking lots and sidewalks, ornamental lawns surrounding commercial buildings, inaccessible slopes, roadway medians and turf islands maintained almost entirely for appearance. The law does not directly order property owners to remove the grass. Instead, it 20

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prohibits the use of potable water to irrigate qualifying nonfunctional turf. Potable water may still be used when necessary to protect existing trees and other perennial non-turf plants or to address an immediate health or safety need.

Simply shutting off the sprinklers, however, is unlikely to be an acceptable long-term solution for most properties.

Dead turf can create problems involving weeds, dust, erosion, fire exposure, appearance and property value. Owners and managers will need practical replacement landscapes that remain attractive, safe and economical to maintain. That is where landscape contractors enter the picture.

START WITH AN INVENTORY, NOT A SHOVEL The first step should be a property-wide landscape assessment. Contractors can help owners determine which turf appears functional, which is likely nonfunctional and which areas require further review. The assessment should document turf square footage, irrigation water sources, meter locations,

valves, existing hydrozones, soil conditions, slopes, drainage patterns, mature trees and the condition of the irrigation system.

Photographs and clearly marked site plans can provide owners with a working inventory for budgeting and compliance planning.

Property owners, landscape architects, facility managers and local water providers should be involved early. A grass area that appears unused may still be designated as an employee gathering area, pet exercise space, picnic lawn or other functional community space. Classification should be based on how an area is designated and used, not merely how it looks during one site visit.

Owners of commercial, industrial and institutional properties with more than 5,000 square feet of irrigated area will be required to certify compliance beginning June 30, 2030, and every three years thereafter through 2039. Covered HOA and commoninterest-development properties with more than 5,000 square feet of irrigated common area begin their certification cycle June 30, 2031.

California water suppliers are also preparing for implementation. The Department of Water Resources is developing geographic data intended to help suppliers identify commercial landscapes and distinguish between functional C alL an d s c ape r.com

Above: According to California Assembly Bill 1572, potable water may still be used when necessary to protect existing trees and other perennial non-turf plants.

and nonfunctional turf. The state currently expects that project to be completed by spring 2027.

REBATES WILL VARY ACROSS CALIFORNIA Unlike the statewide law, turfreplacement rebates are generally administered locally. Incentive amounts, eligible properties, planting requirements and application procedures can vary significantly among water agencies.

Some programs require a minimum percentage of living plant material, irrigation modifications, permeable surfaces or stormwater-retention features. Others may limit the number of square feet eligible for reimbursement or exclude projects that use synthetic turf.

Contractors should never assume that one agency’s requirements apply in another service area. Property owners should contact their water provider and receive written approval before removing turf or beginning construction. California’s Save Our CalLandscap er.com

Above: UC guidance recommends mulch as part of turf conversion because it reduces moisture loss and weeds.

Water campaign provides a ZIP Code-based tool to help property owners locate participating local rebate programs.

Contractors who can assist with measurements, applications, photographs, planting plans and completion documents may provide an increasingly valuable service. On large properties, rebate coordination could become an important part of the overall conversion proposal.

PROTECT THE TREES One of the greatest risks in turf conversion is failing to account for mature trees that have depended on lawn sprinklers for many years. When overhead irrigation is removed, those trees can suddenly lose a substantial portion of their established water supply.

Contractors should identify the tree species, canopy size, general health and probable root zone before demolition begins.

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21

Left: Future designs may include mixing succulents with California natives, ornamental grasses, flowering perennials and shade trees.

Tree irrigation may need to be separated from former turf zones and converted to dedicated bubblers, dripline rings or other systems designed to distribute water through the active root area.

Directing a small amount of water against the trunk is generally not an adequate substitute for the broad irrigation pattern previously provided by turf sprinklers.

Protecting mature trees is particularly important at parking lots, schools, campuses, shopping centers and pedestrian areas.

Large trees provide shade, reduce surface temperatures and deliver visual value that cannot be quickly replaced with new nursery stock.

AB 1572 expressly allows potable irrigation when needed to maintain the health of trees and other perennial non-turf plants.

CALIFORNIA WILL NOT HAVE ONE REPLACEMENT LANDSCAPE A successful turf conversion in San Diego may look very different from one in Sacramento, Fresno, Monterey, Redding or the Sierra foothills. Plant selections must account for regional climate, summer heat, winter cold, wind, soil, rainfall, fire exposure and available maintenance. Coastal properties may support plant material that struggles in the 22

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Central Valley, while high-desert and mountain communities must consider freezing temperatures and shorter growing seasons.

The objective should not be to cover every former lawn with gravel. Successful projects can combine California native and climate-appropriate trees, shrubs, flowering perennials, ornamental grasses, groundcovers, mulch, boulders and permeable walkways.

Rain gardens, vegetated swales, dry creek beds and shallow basins can also capture runoff while adding visual interest. A corporate campus may require a structured plant palette and defined gathering areas, while an industrial property may benefit from larger plant masses, simplified irrigation and lower maintenance requirements.

REBUILDING THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM Turf conversions create an opportunity to correct irrigation problems that may have existed for years. Former spray zones should be evaluated rather than simply capped. Contractors may need to install new valves, filtration, pressure regulation, dripline, tree irrigation and separate hydrozones. Weatherbased controllers, flow sensors and master valves can help property managers identify leaks and control water use across large sites.

The establishment period also requires careful planning. California native and water-efficient plants still need dependable irrigation while developing their root systems. Reducing water use does not mean neglecting new plant material.

A STATEWIDE LANDSCAPE MARKET California is not entering another temporary “cash-for-grass” campaign. AB 1572 creates permanent changes affecting public, commercial, industrial, institutional and HOA properties across the state. The contractors best positioned for the work will be those capable of offering a complete conversion process: site assessment, turf classification assistance, rebate coordination, planting design, tree protection, irrigation reconstruction, installation and establishment maintenance.

The work will not occur all at once. Large campuses, commercial portfolios, municipalities and HOA communities may need phased budgets and several construction seasons to complete their conversions. For California’s C-27 contractors, the opportunity begins now. Companies that start educating clients, documenting turf and developing realistic conversion plans before the deadlines arrive can help shape California’s next generation of commercial landscapes, properties that use less drinking water while remaining green, functional, attractive and valuable. CL C alL an d s c ape r.com

INDUSTRY NEWS

THE NEWEST SEAT AT THE LEADERSHIP TABLE: Why the Trades Are Hiring Innovation Leaders

By Justin White, CEO, K&D Landscaping

F

ive years ago, this role didn’t exist in our industry. Today I believe it will become one of the most important seats at the leadership table for every serious trades company in America.

Last week I promoted Sean Laux to Leader of Innovation and Technology at K&D Landscaping.

The announcement got attention, but not for the reason you might think. The questions I got weren’t about Sean. They were about the role. What does an innovation leader actually do? Why does a landscaping company need one?

And should I be building this position too?

Here’s my answer. Yes. And soon.

A ROLE THAT DIDN’T EXIST For decades, technology in the trades meant IT. If a company was big enough to have a technology department at all, that team was focused on keeping servers running, protecting data, and managing software licenses.

Important work. But it was defensive. It kept the lights on. It didn’t move the business forward.

What’s happening now is different. Three forces are hitting our industry at the same time.

Artificial intelligence is changing how we estimate, schedule, communicate, and make decisions.

Autonomous equipment is real and working. At K&D we run a Kress Voyager autonomous mower at Level 5 autonomy, the first in California. And electrification is rewriting our fleets. Our Branch 805 location in San Luis Obispo

CalLandscap er.com

launched with an all electric equipment lineup from day one.

None of that is IT work. It’s innovation work. And it needs an owner.

WHY BUILDING TOOLS ISN’T ENOUGH Here’s the part most companies get wrong. They think this role is about building or buying technology. It’s not. It’s about adoption.

Sean builds, yes. But the bigger part of his job is coaching our team on how to use technology, implementing it in the field, and helping people manage change.

You can build the best tools in the world, but if no one uses them, it doesn’t matter. The graveyard of trades technology is full of great software that crews never opened.

That’s why this role reports to leadership and sits on our executive team. Innovation isn’t a project. It’s a discipline. It touches every department, every crew, every process. It needs someone who can write a workflow in the morning and stand in front of a field crew in the afternoon.

THE REAL REASON THIS MATTERS At K&D, we aren’t chasing AI to squeeze out a few efficiency points. We believe this technology wave will drive us to a $100,000 minimum wage for our team. That’s our North Star. Not just in the office. In the field.

That’s the story the trades should be telling. This isn’t about replacing people. It’s about

Justin White, CEO, K&D Landscaping

making skilled trade work pay like the essential career it is.

The companies that figure out innovation and adoption will be the ones that can afford to pay their people more, promote from within, and compete for the next generation of talent.

WHAT’S COMING Over the next six months, we’re sharing exactly what we’ve built.

At NALP Elevate in Tampa this November, we’ll roll out our full executive stack AI solution and show the industry what’s under the hood.

If you run a trades company and you’re wondering whether you need this role, you’re already asking the right question. The companies that create it now will set the pace. The ones that wait will spend the next decade catching up.

Raise the bar or get comfortable being average.

Justin White is CEO of K&D Landscaping in Watsonville, California, founder of The Disruptors community for trades leaders, and host of the TradesTalk podcast. CL S UM M E R / 2 0 2 6

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