Family-Owned & Operated · Chicago's North Shore
Premium residential landscaping for Highland Park, Lake Forest, and the North Shore's finest properties — designed, built, and cared for by the ZAVTEK family. We're not the low-cost option. We're the one you keep.
What We Do
Property-wide plans built around how you actually live outside — sightlines, seasons, and structure that looks intentional year-round.
Walkways, patios, and stonework that anchor the landscape — engineered for freeze-thaw, finished to estate standard.
Premium plant material selected for our North Shore microclimates — boxwood structure, hydrangea bloom, shade-garden depth.
Standing water, foundation runoff, ravine-edge erosion — diagnosed at the source and corrected so the landscape above can thrive.
Weekly care from the same dedicated crew — converting to a weekly fall leaf program each October so the property never slips.
Soft-wash siding, brick, and stone, plus gutter service — bundled naturally with maintenance visits.
Complete Service List
Communities We Serve
Our Work
BeforeAfter
Entry bed renovation — Highland Park.
The ZAVTEK Standard
Hand-cut edges, amended soil, details that show from the street.
Zone 5 plants, North Shore soils and microclimates — learned on these blocks.
Measured quotes, written agreements, one honest number.
The owner walks your property and answers your calls.
Built and planted for the next decade, not the next photo.
Rooted in Excellence Maintenance Plans
Come home every week to a lawn that's simply done — no equipment, no Saturdays lost.
Everything in Essentials, plus the details that make a landscape read cared-for from the street.
Complete lawn and landscape care with the turf renovation program built in — peace of mind, in writing, with photos.
The Family Behind the Work
ZAVTEK Landscape is a family company led by Jonathan Zavala — Lake County raised, first-generation. Our crews do the work; the ZAVTEK family stands behind it. When we say owner-led, we mean the person who walks your property and builds your quote is the same person accountable for the result, season after season.
We deliberately keep our client list focused. Quality over volume means every property gets trained eyes on every visit, materials chosen to last in Zone 5, and the kind of detail — a hand-cut edge, a properly amended bed — that neighbors notice from the street.
That's what Rooted in Excellence means to us: work that endures, relationships that last, and pride in every property that carries our name.
Where We Serve
Our core focus is Highland Park and Lake Forest and the shore corridor around them — from Lake Bluff down through Deerfield, Riverwoods, Lincolnshire, and Winnetka. We also warmly welcome clients in Libertyville, Barrington, and throughout Lake County undertaking substantial, high-quality projects — if you value exceptional craftsmanship, we're the right fit.
Client Voices
"ZAVTEK transformed our property completely. The attention to detail on every visit is something we've never experienced with any landscape crew before."
"Professional, punctual, and they treat our estate like it's their own. The monthly inspection report is a feature no other landscaper has ever offered us."
"Showed up same day after the big storm. Driveway and walkways were cleared perfectly. We've been clients ever since."
Read more on our Google Business Profile.
Ready to Root Your Vision?
One walkthrough, one measured quote, one honest conversation about what your property can be. Jonathan's team personally reviews every request and responds within 24 hours.
Questions
Yes. Our core focus is Highland Park, Lake Forest, and the neighboring North Shore communities, including Winnetka, Deerfield, Riverwoods, and Lincolnshire — and we warmly welcome clients from Libertyville, Barrington, and throughout Lake County undertaking substantial, high-quality projects.
Yes — ZAVTEK Landscape LLC carries general liability insurance, and Jonathan is an Illinois-licensed commercial pesticide applicator, which also means our fertilization programs are fully phosphorus-compliant under Illinois law.
We walk the property with you and digitally measure it — square footage, bed lines, plant counts. Your written quote is built from those measurements and delivered within 24 hours.
Yes — plant material we install carries a one-year replacement warranty when paired with a watering agreement or operational irrigation.
Your program converts automatically in early October from weekly mowing to weekly leaf removal and bed cutbacks through the end of the season — the property never has an off month.
Yes — for Standard and Premier maintenance clients, pet waste pickup is available as an add-on billed per visit. It isn't offered on the Essentials plan.
No, and by design. We maintain a clear standard of excellence in materials, detail, and care. Clients choose ZAVTEK for craftsmanship that endures — not for the lowest bid.
Journal
What actually thrives under mature oaks and maples in Zone 5 — and what to stop replanting.
Site SolutionsStanding water is a symptom. Here's how estate drainage actually gets solved.
PlanningAcreage changes the math — phasing, materials, and maintenance for bigger lots.
