Jeff Wortham & Associates

Quite simply: the best you can get! Our home was built in Orinda in 1960 on a half-acre. The infrastructure and plantings were old and parts of it had been repaired and patched-together over many years. We hired Jeff Wortham and Associates to do a complete refresh of our property, bringing it up-to-date and fully functioning once again. Jeff has extensive experience both in construction and landscape architecture, so he really understands what needs to be done so the outcome will be lasting and beautiful. He also has a long history in the East Bay Area and beyond and he has cultivated relationships with quality contractors. Our project was huge and included drainage, irrigation, fencing, new concrete, masonry, pool rehab, lighting, soil amendment, wrought iron, and, of course, lots of site-specific planting. Jeff incorporated our existing heirloom trees into his plan as well; knowing what to plant near the big trees and how to balance it all out. The new plantings filled-in beautifully and quickly. Jeff planned our landscape with color appearing all year and listened to us to include some sentimental favorites, as well. The overall best thing that Jeff did for us was to redesign our outdoor spaces in ways we often hadn't imagined. The way we now use our property makes much more sense and we often comment that it feels like we have doubled our living area. If you are still not convinced, I highly suggest going to YouTube to watch some of Jeff's wonderful and instructive videos. He is a wealth of knowledge.

Not a day has passed since the completion of my landscaping project that I haven't marveled at the transformation that Jeff has wrought in the difficult terrain of my crumbling back slope. I had known for several years that I needed to shore up the eroding hillside, and I wanted to carve out a more usable space for relaxing and entertaining, but I was hesitant to entrust the complex work to anyone until I met with Jeff. I was struck immediately by his vast practical experience and his artistic vision, and I knew I had found the right architect for the job. The design stage was a joy of collaboration, as Jeff is both an attentive listener and a patient teacher. I had only the most rough ideas about the elements I wanted -- a Santa Barbara-style outdoor fireplace, and a water feature -- and untutored aspirations about the plantings ("let's make all the plants blue!"). Jeff was able to translate these preferences into a design plan that was sensible, creative -- and entirely stunning. Given the complexities of the project in such intense terrain, I decided to retain Jeff as Project Manager, and with his guidance we then selected the best installer for the job. The project began right on time, and Jeff kept it on track throughout, despite the inevitable change-orders and unexpected challenges. He is a direct, decisive problem-solver, which gave me great peace of mind and the confidence that I was spending my landscaping budget wisely. People always tell horror stories about their major renovations. Not me. I had a wonderful time, watching Jeff conjure beauty from the rubble.

We worked with Jeff on a backyard project that included landscape design, outdoor pavilion structure and project management. We interviewed a few designers before choosing Jeff. We appreciated his attention to details, his transparency, his relationships with various contractors/sub-contractors and his focus on high quality work. Jeff treated our project like it was his own. We used Jeff to oversee the project and it went well, he kept the contractors on track, was proactive and would often have solutions to problems before we even knew there was an issue. Jeff is good with communicating over phone/text and is responsive, so we never felt like we had to chase him down to get questions answered. We would use Jeff again for future projects and we're happy to speak about our experience with anyone considering working with Jeff.

We came to Jeff Wortham & Associates for inspiration and help to redesign our 40 year old dull backyard. What we have now is an outdoor oasis destination beyond anything we could have hoped for. Jeff opened up our views, recommended beautiful plants we had no idea existed, specified hardscapes that included a handsome combination of natural stone and cement, and re-designed and extended our swimming pool and spa. His knowledge of plants, landscaping, lighting, pools and pool equipment is excellent. After giving us a very through set of plans, we hired Jeff Wortham as our Project Manager. Jeff interviewed contractors, reviewed bids, approved invoices, and kept our project moving forward and on budget. If you are looking for a professional landscape architect and able project manager, I heartily recommend Jeff Wortham.

We engaged Jeff to do both landscape design and project management (PM) on a significant lanscape reno (total cost $550K). Cannot recommend Jeff highly enough. Incredible design. Key points on PM role: Our initial aspirations exceeded our budget. For example, we originally wanted to completely relocate the pool to another part of the property. Ultimately, it was unnecessary because Jeff was able to modify the design to incorporate and remodel the existing pool; the result was as good or better than what we had intended. Jeff helped us to the same with a few other elements of our original wish list, allowing us to stay on budget with no loss of function or aesthetic. These included modifying / updating an exterior deck / staircase in lieu of a complete replacement. Jeff made the contractor identification, bidding and selection process pretty painless. As noted, his design plans were highly detailed - but we would not have been able to reconcile those plans to the final contractor bids and assumed scope of work. There were instances in which contractors overbid certain elements (for example, a particular piece of scope was picked up by two different contractors - so in effect double counted), and others where it was critical the contractors understand detailed design specifics to avoid misunderstandings on scope once under contract that the project under way. As the project progressed, Jeff reviewed all contractor invoices and in several cases identified billing errors and situations where we had been billed more than progress to date would have warranted. We had at least 6 different contractors (excluding subs) involved in various elements of the project, and consequently a number of dependencies with respect to sequencing the work and ensuring alignment between contractors - particularly the landscape, concrete, pool, stone, countertop fabricators and electrician. Another key point - Jeff guided us on where and when to purchase order the wide variety of materials and appliances for the project so that these did not create bottlenecks later in the process. This was especially important at the time because of the supply issues impacting certain materials, and lead times for certain of our key components were 6+ months. Jeff and his assistant were in frequent regular contact with the contractors and regularly performed site visits to assess progress, adherence to design and quality. Our contractors were generally very good and conscientious, but on a project of this scale it's inevitable that things can slip - and Jeff's attention prevented this and where required corrected. Just one example that would not have occurred to us: Jeff would not allow concrete to be poured until he determined that the ground was moist enough - minimizing the chance of cracking later. We believe that engaging Jeff for PM services more than paid for itself, and likely resulted in higher quality than if we were relying on a GC.

Pleased to give a 5-star review for Jeff Wortham's landscape design and project management work. For years we had been ready to remove the pool from our 0.6 acre downslope lot, but we struggled to imagine what to do with the space once the pool was out, and we hesitated to take on what felt like a monumental task to get rid of the pool. On the recommendation of a neighbor, we first engaged Jeff to help us envision a new use for the backyard area, down two full flights from our home's main living space. He started by asking pointed questions -- what would really make us use the space? What would increase its value to us, or to potential future buyers? He listened to our responses and developed a couple of alternative plans. When we wanted small quirky additions (an outside counter and fridge, a deer-proof vegetable garden box) he didn't miss a beat and seamlessly incorporated them. Due to Jeff's help envisioning a new use of our space, we moved over just a few months from paralysis to enthusiasm. We then asked Jeff to take on project management: he obtained and reviewed bids from multiple contractors and then, after we engaged the contractors, maintained communications and made sure work unfolded as planned. Throughout the project management phase, Jeff kept us informed about delays (inevitable, it seems, in a project of this nature, given permit processes and weather fluctuations), advised about material selections, and made sure the contractors attended to details and delivered quality work. All this led us to a project completed well within the promised range of time with results we love! The eyesore of a pool is gone and in its place is a lovely, flat, nicely landscaped area for conversation. Our backyard now opens up to beautiful oaks that had previously felt much more remote. All in all, we're very pleased to have had a person with Jeff's skill, design experience, and eye for detail assist us in both the conception and execution phases of our project.

We are delighted with our front yard landscaping project thanks to Jeff's masterful design. Your plan displays a keen sense of design and artistry. The design process was engaging and fun. The plant selection meeting was efficient, painless and very informative. You sure know your plants! Your attention to detail during both the design and construction phase was appreciated and added to our confidence in the job. Wu was there both for placing the boulders and finalizing the plant placement; he was thoughtful, knowledgeable and a great help. If you are ever in the neighborhood, you should drop by, walk up and admire your work. Mark and Pat

When searching for landscape architects for our backyard renovation (a complete overhaul), I looked at a bunch of websites of people and companies that were recommended to me, and I kept coming back to pictures of Jeff's work. I love his style, and his work is consistently impressive. His services are not cheap, but you definitely are going to get what you pay for here. Jeff has always been very professional and easy to work with. His plans are well thought-out and thorough, and the end result is amazing. He provided useful insight about what components to add to our yard (what we'd use, what we ultimately might regret, etc.). He made sure we understood the design process and that all of our questions were answered. He came with us to pick out materials and was very patient with us while we made decisions. He is invested in his work, and wants your end result to be both practical and beautiful. After our plans were drafted, we also hired Jeff to manage the project. This was an *extremely* valuable service to us! He helped us review bids and select contractors, and he oversaw the work from start to finish. He was in regular contact with the contractors and with us. Since he is the one who drafted the plans, he was able to respond quickly and knowledgeably when inevitable issues arose (they were mostly fairly minor, but things happen!). We really, really liked working with Jeff and are incredibly happy with the end product. The process was very smooth and enjoyable. Highly recommended!

Learn from our mistakes! Hire Jeff from the beginning. :) We first hired a well known landscape designer, since we were impressed with the photos on their Houzz profile. One member of the team came and asked us questions, while the other member of the team created the design. Their prices were crazy expensive, but we went with them. They created a story board with the photos I had saved on Houzz and just gave us back our first idea: a large deck with a fireplace. There was no discussion with the designer and even minor changes were going to require more money. As we went to bid the project, we received two proposals. Luckily, our third contractor questioned the design and said he could not bid on the project without detailed plans (i.e, plants to use, materials, lighting and irrigation details). He recommended we reach out to Jeff. Jeff came to our house and spent time asking us the right questions….How do we want to use the space? What is important to us? What needs to stay? What can go? We quickly realized that the previous plan did not meet our needs at all. We decided it was worth starting over with Jeff. Jeff listened to our asks, but also had wonderful advice based on his years of experience. He came up with two different designs for our backyard and spent a lot of time with us discussing the pros and the cons of each. We were so thankful he saved us from going down the path of the fireplace and deck … and we ended up with a design that not only better met our needs, but was also gorgeous. Jeff also spent time discussing flowers, materials, and lighting. He provided detailed specs for us to provide to bidders. Now we were able to compare apple-to-apple quotes, which was a tremendous help. This also prevented any major surprises along the way during construction/building. Jeff was kind, personable, responsive and knowledgeable. We love looking at our yard every day and using it almost as often. We would definitely use him again.

We enjoyed working with Jeff on our complete landscaping overhaul. Jeff was professional, patient and full of landscape design knowledge. He did a great job of combining my and my husbands ideas to make a great cohesive look. Our home is on the side of a hill, so the 3D designs that Jeff provided were helpful for us to better envision his plans. We recommend Jeff to others who are looking for great landscape design help!

We highly recommend Jeff and his team. We were introduced to Jeff by friends that used him 18 months prior to ur engagement. Their design was great, the planting looked fantastic and their experience with Jeff was very positive. Based on that we engaged Jeff to redesign a tired, non professionally designed, 80’s style front and back yard in our new property. We wanted a fresh, more functional, low maintenance yard with much improved curb appeal. Jeff’s process was great. He invested a fair amount of time and effort to understand how we would use the yard. He visited our old house to understand what we liked and disliked about our prior landscape(s). We discussed the backyard kitchen needs and location, where to put veggie boxes and cutting flowers, how big (or small) to make a lawn area for our lab and future grandkids, etc. Jeff’s team surveyed the property, tested the soil, measured sun exposure and determine the optimum sight lines for seating areas and the fire pit. They prepared two alternatives from which we honed the design down thru a few meetings to optimize the design. Jeff provided a thumb drive with pictures and descriptions of all plants in the plan. The plan is a very detailed engineered plan with all necessary construction drawings, irrigation design, lighting design and plant design. In our case it need to be approved by an HOA and it went thru that process with no issues. The result is amazing. After 5 years from completion it has grown in as Jeff had planned and looks even better. We have a native landscape front yard with no turf and very little maintenance. It is stunning and we’re proud that it won a landscape award from our HOA & sub division. The back yard is perfect. The outdoor kitchen (Jeff’s design) is used year round. We entertained frequently (prior to Covid) and always receive rave complements on the look and functionality of the yard. The best complement was our daughter and her husband asked to use the yard for their wedding. We hosted 120 people for a wedding, dinner and dancing and it worked perfectly. Obviously we love our yard. It’s a credit to Jeff for how it came out. It is low maintenance, water smart and amazing looking. His creativity and attention to detail made all the difference in the world.

We have worked with Jeff on two projects. A backyard remodel with pergola in 2010 and a front yard remodel in 2020 (including plant updates in the back yard). On both projects we have been greatly impressed with Jeff's work. He really took the time to understand what we were trying to achieve and provided two conceptual sketches as a starting point for the final design. He has a huge library of plant images that he reviewed with us. We really needed this because we don't know that much about plants. It really helps to see how the plants will look together in real-world settings. We would not hesitate to hire Jeff again.