Home/Service areas/Clarksville & River Hill
Acreage and septic
Landscaping & tree care in Clarksville & River Hill
Clarksville and River Hill properties are large, and a good deal of the ground you might want to plant is spoken for by a septic field.
On large western Howard County lots the first question for any substantial build is where the septic system and its reserve area actually are. You cannot pave over a drainfield, you should not plant trees into it, and finding out after the design is finished is an expensive way to learn.
The upside of the acreage is that these properties can carry real landscape structure — a drive approach that means something, screen planting that gives genuine privacy rather than a token hedge, and space for water features large enough to be heard from the house.
What we do in Clarksville & River Hill
Local rules worth knowing
What governs work in Clarksville & River Hill.
Ask any tree company for their licence number
Maryland requires commercial roadside tree work to be carried out under a Licensed Tree Expert, and a firm doing the physical work must have at least one on staff. The DNR Forest Service licenses LTEs on experience, education and an examination. Ours is #1798. It is a fair question to ask anyone quoting you tree work.
Forest Conservation on larger Howard County parcels
Howard County's Department of Planning and Zoning administers the Forest Conservation Act, requiring an approved Forest Conservation Plan as a condition of approval for certain development projects. A 2026 policy update added a public meeting requirement where a project with a net tract area of five acres or more proposes clearing at least 75% of a priority forest retention area. On acreage, this is worth checking early.
Regulations change. These notes summarise published guidance from the agencies named and are a starting point, not legal advice — we confirm the current position for your specific property before any permit-affecting work begins.
Questions we get asked in Clarksville & River Hill
Straight answers.
Can you plant trees over a septic drainfield?
No — tree roots and drainfields are a bad combination, and the reserve area needs protecting too. On large Clarksville and River Hill lots we locate the system before designing, and use the area for shallow-rooted planting or lawn rather than structure.
What does screen planting cost on a large lot?
It depends far more on the size of stock than the number of plants. Smaller stock establishes better and costs less but takes longer to screen; semi-mature trees screen immediately and cost considerably more. We price both so the choice is yours.
Nearby