Short Hills, Millburn, Summit:
luxury yards, built to live in.
MintScapes designs and builds full landscape projects across Union and Essex County’s luxury inner suburbs — pool surrounds, outdoor kitchens, pergolas, pool houses, planting. Family-scaled, professionally executed.
Short Hills, Millburn, Summit, Madison, and Chatham form the spine of Union and Essex County luxury. Top-tier schools, NJ Transit Midtown Direct access, and a buyer pool that has both the budget and the standards for full landscape projects. The typical project here is a complete yard — hardscape, planting, lighting, irrigation, often a pool surround, usually an outdoor kitchen.
Pool installations are the leading indicator. When Custom Pool Pros, Sharkey, or Panetta install a new pool, the homeowner is six to nine months from needing the rest: coping detailing, decking, planting around the pool, a pool house or pergola, lighting. That whole second project is our scope. We coordinate directly with the pool builder on permits and sequencing.
The typical buyer here has lived in the house for two to five years, finished the interior renovation, and is now ready to tackle the outside. They’ve usually been quoted by one or two larger firms and are looking for a studio that’ll actually answer the phone and run the project end-to-end. That’s our lane.
Full landscape, end to end.
Outdoor kitchens
Built-in grills, prep counters, refrigeration, gas and electric. Sized to the way you actually entertain.
See the servicePergolas & shade
Often paired with the kitchen and pool. Louvered aluminum is the upgrade pick for full-summer use.
See the servicePorcelain pavers
The modern pool-deck and patio choice. UV-stable, freeze-safe, slip-rated.
See the service- What's typical project size in Short Hills, Millburn, and Summit?
- $200K–$500K for a full landscape redesign with pool surround, outdoor kitchen, pergola, and planting. Single-element projects (just a kitchen, just a pergola) are commonly $50K–$150K. The luxury end of the bracket — full estate-level work with pool houses, water features, and substantial planting — runs $500K+.
- Do you work alongside an existing pool builder?
- Yes — pool installations are often the trigger for the broader project. We coordinate with the pool builder on coping, decking, equipment placement, and lighting paths. The pool surround, planting around it, and the rest of the yard are our scope. We can recommend pool builders we've worked alongside if you need one.
- Permits in Millburn and Summit?
- Building permits for any structure (pergola, pool house, outdoor kitchen with utilities), zoning for setbacks and lot coverage, separate electrical/gas/plumbing for utility work. Most projects also need a soil moving permit. Both towns are responsive — typical permit timeline is 4–8 weeks for a well-prepared package.
- What other Union and Essex luxury towns do you work in?
- Summit, Short Hills, Millburn, Madison, Chatham, New Providence, Berkeley Heights, and the upper end of West Orange and Livingston. The corridor from Summit through Short Hills to Madison is our core Union/Essex luxury territory.