Owner-Operated · Chicago's North Shore
Premium residential landscaping for Highland Park, Lake Forest, and the North Shore. Jonathan Zavala walks your property, writes your quote, and answers for the result. We're not the low-cost option. We're the one you keep.
What We Do
We plan the whole property around how you use it. That covers sightlines, what's in bloom each season, and enough structure that the yard still looks finished in winter.
Walkways, patios, and stonework. We excavate properly and compact the base so the surface stays level through freeze-thaw.
Plants chosen for North Shore conditions. Boxwood for year-round structure, hydrangea for summer bloom, and shade plants that fill in under mature trees.
Standing water, foundation runoff, and erosion along ravine edges. We find where the water is coming from and correct it there.
Weekly care from the same crew all season. In October the program switches to weekly leaf removal, so the property stays kept through fall.
Soft washing for siding, brick, and stone, plus gutter cleaning. Both are easy to schedule alongside maintenance visits.
Complete Service List
Communities We Serve
Our Work
BeforeAfter
Entry bed renovation, Highland Park.
The ZAVTEK Standard
Bed edges cut by hand. Soil amended before planting. It shows from the street.
Zone 5 plants and North Shore soils. We work in them every week.
Measured quotes, written agreements, and one clear price.
Jonathan walks your property and answers your calls.
We build and plant for the next ten years, not for the photo.
Rooted in Excellence Maintenance Plans
Your lawn is mowed, trimmed, and blown clean every week. You don't need equipment and you get your Saturdays back.
Everything in Essentials, plus the edging, trimming, fertilization, and weed control that keep the beds and shrubs in shape.
Complete care with fall aeration and overseeding built in. The program is in writing and you get a photo report every month.
Who Runs ZAVTEK
I'm Jonathan Zavala, and I own ZAVTEK Landscape. I walk your property, measure it, and write your quote. I'm also the one responsible for how the work turns out. If something isn't right, you call me directly.
I was raised in Lake County. Family members work on the crew regularly, and the full-time crew is made up of experienced workers who are there every week. We limit how many properties we take so I can stay on them. That lets me see every property regularly and choose materials that hold up in Zone 5. It also means the small things get done right: bed edges cut by hand with a spade, soil amended before anything goes in the ground.
That's what Rooted in Excellence means here. The work should last, and so should the relationship with the client.
Where We Serve
Most of our work is in Highland Park and Lake Forest and the towns around them: Lake Bluff, Deerfield, Riverwoods, Lincolnshire, and Winnetka. We also take on larger projects in Libertyville, Barrington, and the rest of Lake County. If the project is substantial and you care how it gets built, call us.
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 Start?
One walkthrough, one measured quote, and a straight conversation about what the property needs. Jonathan reviews every request personally and responds within 24 hours.
Questions
Yes. Most of our work is in Highland Park, Lake Forest, and nearby towns including Winnetka, Deerfield, Riverwoods, and Lincolnshire. We also take larger projects in Libertyville, Barrington, and elsewhere in Lake County.
Yes. ZAVTEK Landscape LLC carries general liability insurance. Jonathan is an Illinois-licensed commercial pesticide applicator, and our fertilization programs follow Illinois phosphorus law.
We walk the property with you and measure it digitally: square footage, bed lines, and plant counts. Your written quote is built from those measurements and delivered within 24 hours.
Yes. Plants we install carry a one-year replacement warranty when you have a watering agreement or working irrigation.
In early October your program switches automatically from weekly mowing to weekly leaf removal and bed cutbacks. That runs through the end of the season, so there is no gap in service.
Yes. Standard and Premier clients can add pet waste pickup, billed per visit. It isn't offered on the Essentials plan.
No, and that's on purpose. We hold a set standard for materials, detail, and care, and we price to meet it. Clients hire ZAVTEK for work that lasts, not for the lowest bid.
Journal
What grows under mature oaks and maples in Zone 5, and what to stop replanting.
Site SolutionsStanding water is a symptom. Here's how we find the cause and fix it.
PlanningAcreage changes the math on phasing, materials, and maintenance.
