What areas does Blue Tree serve for West Chester outdoor projects?

Blue Tree works from its Skippack headquarters and serves West Chester and all of Chester County, along with Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, Lehigh, Berks, and Philadelphia Counties. The full service area covers Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Berks, and Philadelphia Counties. Chad Ochnich holds ICPI certification for interlocking concrete pavement, ensuring structural integrity on every hardscape project over the varied soils of the region.

Landscaping & Outdoor Living in West Chester, PA

Why West Chester Homeowners Have Trusted Blue Tree Since 1983

Our story started in 1983, and from our Schwenksville headquarters on Skippack Pike we have designed and built across Chester County and the surrounding region for more than four decades. What began as a small residential landscape operation has grown into a full-service design-build firm with 70 to 90 team members, six degree-holding designers with a combined 100-plus years of experience, and a production calendar that spans pools, patios, landscapes, turf care, and year-round maintenance.

Our headquarters is at 4494 Skippack Pike, and we have worked across Chester County for decades. We file permits with West Goshen, East Bradford, Westtown, and the surrounding townships, we know the clay and rocky Piedmont soils of the area, and we understand exactly what it takes to build well on West Chester's mix of historic-borough and estate properties.

What matters most to us is the relationship. We are building pools and patios for the children of clients we worked with 25 years ago. Our designers develop friendships with homeowners that last long after the project is complete. As Jeff, our founder, was told early on: "All you have in life is your reputation." That advice has guided every decision we have made for more than four decades, and it is why West Chester homeowners continue to trust Blue Tree with their most important outdoor projects.

A paved stone walkway curves beside a landscaped garden with shrubs and flowers, leading to a patio area near a white house and a black metal fence. Outdoor seating and a grill are visible under a covered patio.

Every Outdoor Living Service You Need
One Company, One Point of Contact

Blue Tree is not just a landscaping company. We are a full-service residential design-build firm that handles every element of your outdoor space, from concept to completion to ongoing care. That means one designer, one team, and one company for the entire project.

Clean rectilinear geometric gunite pool with sharp coping and blue water

Custom Pool Construction

Blue Tree Outdoor Living is one of the only full-service design-build firms serving West Chester that handles custom pool construction in-house, from design and permitting through excavation, plumbing, plaster, and decking. We have been building inground pools for 15 years using premium Jandy equipment, and our approach is different: we do not just build the pool and leave. We design the entire backyard environment, including the pool, patio, landscaping, lighting, and drainage, as one integrated project. That is what turnkey means at Blue Tree.

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Layered ornamental planting bed design with mixed shrubs, perennials, and stone edging

Landscape Design & Installation

Our landscape design and installation services are led by degree-holding designers who create custom plans using CAD software and 3D renderings. We source approximately 90 percent of our plant material from local growers, design for four-season interest and long-term performance, and back every planting with a one-year warranty. Whether you need a foundation planting refresh, a native garden installation, or a complete property transformation, our design team builds the plan around your vision, lifestyle, and budget.

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Multi-pattern paver patio with seat wall and planted borders at a Pennsylvania home

Hardscape Design & Installation

From paver patios and outdoor kitchens to retaining walls, fire pits, and walkways, our hardscape design and installation services transform your property with durable, low-maintenance materials. All work complies with West Goshen, East Bradford, and surrounding township building codes. Our designers integrate hardscape elements with the surrounding landscape and pool environment to create a cohesive outdoor living space, not a collection of disconnected projects.

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Blue Tree technician treating a healthy green lawn in Southeastern PA

Healthy Yards
Programs

Our Healthy Yards turf care programs address the specific challenges of maintaining a lawn in West Chester: clay and rocky Piedmont soils, Zone 6b/7a temperature swings, seasonal weed pressure, and drainage issues. Services include fertilization, aeration, overseeding, weed control, mosquito and tick treatments, and drainage solutions. Mark, our turf care manager with 20 years of experience, oversees every program personally.

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Landscape lighting illuminating a home and yard by Blue Tree Outdoor Living

Premier Outdoor Services

Blue Tree's Premier Outdoor Services maintenance services keep your entire outdoor investment looking and performing its best year-round. Pool opening and closing, paver restoration, bed maintenance, seasonal clean-ups, pruning, mulching, and more, all managed through a single point of contact.

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Communities We Serve In and Around West Chester

From our Schwenksville headquarters on Skippack Pike, we serve homeowners in West Chester and the surrounding communities. Whether you are near the historic borough, on an estate in East Bradford, or in a newer development toward Westtown, our team knows your terrain, your soil, and the township requirements that affect your project.

West Chester & Surrounding Townships

West Chester · West Goshen · East Goshen · Westtown

Toward the Brandywine Valley

East Bradford · Birmingham · Chadds Ford

Toward Exton & Downingtown

Exton · Downingtown · Lionville

Toward Malvern & Frazer

Malvern · Frazer · Willistown

Toward Kennett Square & Unionville

Kennett Square · Unionville · Pocopson

Toward Thornbury & Glen Mills

Thornbury · Glen Mills · Cheyney

Designed for West Chester's Climate, Soil, and Character

West Chester Borough is the Chester County seat and one of the most walkable historic downtowns in the region. The borough's mix of Victorian-era residential lots, restored historic blocks, and newer infill construction creates a wide range of project conditions. West Chester Borough administers its own building and codes department. Portions of the borough fall within the historic district review overlay, which requires approval from the Chester County Historic Preservation Network for visible exterior changes including fencing, wall construction, and some hardscape additions visible from the street. Older residential lots in the borough trend smaller than suburban counterparts, and pools on these lots often require a zoning hearing board variance for setback or impervious-surface relief. Blue Tree is experienced with the variance application process for borough pool projects. Lead soil testing is recommended before installing planting beds on lots with pre-1978 construction and older demolition fill. The Brandywine Creek tributaries that run near the borough's perimeter introduce riparian buffer setbacks on some adjacent properties. Chester County Conservation District stormwater review applies to major grading projects. Blue Tree has served West Chester Borough and the surrounding townships since 1983.

Soil around West Chester is a mix of clay and rocky Piedmont ground, with serpentine in some areas. Clay holds moisture and rock complicates excavation for pools and footings, so both have to be addressed during installation, not discovered after the fact. Soil amendment is part of nearly every planting project we complete here, and proper drainage design is built into every hardscape and pool plan.

We also design around realities West Chester homeowners know: deer pressure is significant on the wooded and estate lots, freeze-thaw cycles heave shallow-rooted plants and shift improperly based pavers, and the surrounding townships hold their own permitting, design, and stormwater standards. After more than four decades of building across the region, we have filed those permits and met those standards on properties throughout Chester County. That institutional knowledge is something no newcomer can replicate.

A spacious backyard patio with stone pavers, outdoor dining table and chairs under a large umbrella, a white gazebo, landscaped plants, and green trees in the background.

13 to 14 Years. That's the average tenure of a Blue Tree employee. In an industry where turnover is measured in months, our people stay for decades. They stay because the culture is built on respect, collaboration, and the kind of work they're proud to put their name on.

What Our Clients Say

Curated Transformations

Browse recent projects from across Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Berks, and Philadelphia Counties.

Serving West Chester and the Surrounding Area

Blue Tree works from our Schwenksville headquarters on Skippack Pike and builds throughout West Chester and Chester County. We also serve homeowners across Chester County and into Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, Lehigh, Berks, and Philadelphia Counties.

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The Pennsylvania State Capitol building, a nod to Blue Tree's Southeastern Pennsylvania roots

Common Questions

Blue Tree serves the Borough of West Chester, West Goshen Township, West Bradford Township, and surrounding Chester County communities with landscape design and installation, custom pool construction, patio and hardscape projects, Healthy Yards turf and pest management programs, and Premier Outdoor Services. The West Chester area's mix of historic borough homes and newer suburban development in West Goshen means our team handles everything from sensitive, era-appropriate landscape design near the borough's historic district to full pool and entertainment builds on newer large lots. Request a Free Consultation to discuss your property.

West Chester Borough's historic district introduces an additional layer of review for exterior work on contributing properties, which affects landscaping and hardscape visible from the street. The Brandywine Creek headwaters system near parts of West Chester and West Bradford Township brings PA DEP Chapter 105 considerations for any work near regulated waterways or wetlands. Cecil sandy loam soils dominate most of Chester County, but the Brandywine watershed areas can have Worsham series wet clay soils in low-lying zones. Spotted Lanternfly quarantine is county-wide, Japanese beetle grub cycles run June through August, and deer pressure is consistent throughout the region.

Permit requirements depend on your exact address. West Chester Borough properties go through Borough offices, which also coordinate historic district review for contributing structures. West Goshen and West Bradford Township properties go through those respective townships for building and grading permits. For any site disturbance at or above one acre, a PA DEP Chapter 102 erosion and sedimentation control plan is required through the Chester County Conservation District. Properties near Brandywine Creek tributaries may trigger PA DEP Chapter 105 floodplain and wetlands review. Blue Tree handles permit coordination as a standard part of our project process throughout the West Chester area.

West Chester is solidly in USDA zone 7a, with the spring planting window opening late March through May and the fall window running mid-September through mid-November. Cecil sandy loam soils throughout most of Chester County support a broad native and ornamental plant palette. For historic borough properties, we often use period-appropriate plantings like climbing hydrangea, boxwood, and dogwood that complement Victorian and Federal architectural styles. On newer suburban lots in West Goshen, we design for deer resistance and low-maintenance using switchgrass, inkberry holly, and spicebush. Penn State Cooperative Extension Chester County guides our regional variety selections.

Blue Tree Outdoor Living has been in business for 43 years, founded in Norristown in 1983 and headquartered at our Schwenksville design center since 2008. Chester County has been central to our service territory from the beginning. Our team averages 13 to 14 year employee tenure, so the crew that works in West Chester knows the borough's character, the township offices, and the soil conditions specific to this part of the county. We have 15 years of pool construction experience throughout Southeastern PA and back every pool shell with a lifetime structural warranty.

West Chester presents a unique combination of historic character and growing affluence that rewards a contractor who understands both design sensitivity and technical depth. Blue Tree's multi-designer team is comfortable working through historic district considerations in the borough and scaling up to large pool and patio projects in West Goshen. Chad Ochnich holds ICPI certification for interlocking concrete pavement, ensuring structural integrity on every hardscape project over Chester County's varied soils. We serve all of Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Berks, and Philadelphia Counties. Request a Free Consultation to begin planning your project.

Pools, Landscapes, and Hardscapes in West Chester, PA

Why West Chester Homeowners Have Trusted Blue Tree Since 1983