Charles and Son Construction and Landscaping has spent nearly two decades turning Essex County backyards into finished outdoor living spaces under one integrated project team. Here’s a closer look at the company, and how it fits into New Jersey’s broader landscape of top design-build, franchise, and highly rated local landscaping firms.
A West Orange Family Business Built Its Reputation One Backyard at a Time. Here’s Where It Fits Among New Jersey’s Best.
Charles and Son Construction and Landscaping has spent nearly two decades building a reputation across Essex County for handling an entire outdoor renovation, from initial design through final cleanup, under one coordinated project team rather than passing homeowners between separate contractors for each phase. Founded by Charles Chabla, who grew up in West Orange and still lives there with his family, the company has grown from a local landscaping outfit into one of the more established full service design build firms serving Essex, Union, Morris, and Passaic counties.
One Team, Every Phase of the Project
Since 2008, Charles and Son has served communities including Glen Ridge, Livingston, Maplewood, Montclair, Short Hills, South Orange, Verona, and West Caldwell, offering landscape planning, hardscape construction, fencing, decking, irrigation, and outdoor lighting as a single, coordinated service rather than requiring homeowners to manage multiple separate contractors across one project. That integrated model reflects a broader shift the company has pointed to directly, as more homeowners and property managers invest in exterior improvements and increasingly look for a single contractor capable of managing every stage of a project from planning through installation.
Every project begins with customized planning built around computerized design concepts, letting clients see a realistic visualization of the finished space before any construction begins. From there, the company’s design process accounts for a property’s specific grading, planting areas, hardscape placement, and drainage needs, an approach built to avoid the kind of costly mid project surprises that can arise when a design does not fully account for how water and terrain actually behave on a given lot.
A Track Record Built on Referrals
The company’s own client reviews consistently point to the same handful of strengths, transparent pricing communicated up front, a crew large enough to complete major projects considerably faster than competitors quoted, and a level of cleanup and follow up that has turned individual jobs into repeat family referrals across the same neighborhoods. Charles and Son is licensed with the New Jersey Department of Home Improvement Contractors, insured and bonded through New Jersey Insurance Services, and meets Better Business Bureau accreditation standards, running background checks on its full team of 15 skilled professionals to give homeowners a documented level of accountability before work ever begins on their property.
That kind of hands on, relationship driven growth is fairly typical of the strongest regional landscaping firms across New Jersey, and it places Charles and Son within a broader statewide landscape of companies competing on very different scales, from small, highly rated local outfits to national franchise operations generating tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue.
Full-Service Design-Build Firms
Scenic Landscaping
With more than 50 years in business, Scenic handles massive, complex residential and commercial projects, including custom swimming pool landscaping, garden architecture, large scale tree planting, and advanced drainage engineering.
CLC Landscape Design
Operating for more than 50 years and holding over 20 industry accolades, including two grand awards, CLC specializes in upscale landscape layouts, fine gardening programs, and master outdoor living transformations across North and Central Jersey.
Elite Landscaping
One of the most heavily searched full-service property management and design firms in the state, Elite provides custom hardscaping, patio installation, and year-round estate maintenance across South and Central Jersey.
Borst Landscape and Design
An award-winning North Jersey staple known for organic lawn care programs, intricate landscape construction, outdoor kitchen engineering, and custom waterfalls.
Top National & High-Revenue Operations
Lawn Doctor
A massive national franchise system headquartered in New Jersey, driving roughly $118 million in annual revenue through high-volume, automated lawn fertilization, weed eradication, and power seeding across dozens of regional territories.
Kline Bros. Landscaping
Ranking nationally on the industry’s LM150 revenue index with approximately $49 million in annual revenue, Kline Bros. provides extensive commercial site management and coastal residential development services.
Highly Rated Local Service Teams
O’Brien’s Landscaping, Hardscaping & Supply
Customers consistently praise the design team, premium paver work, reliable seasonal cleanups, and quality commercial and residential upkeep.
Miller’s Landscaping
Known for fast, detailed project quotes, weekly lawn maintenance, mulch application, and flexible concrete and custom walkway work.
Bailey Landscape Services
Recommended by regional suppliers for dependability, specialized irrigation systems, heavy landscape construction, and commercial snow removal.
Whether a homeowner is weighing a small local outfit, a large design-build firm with decades of grand award winning portfolios, or a national franchise operation, the common thread across every one of New Jersey’s most trusted landscaping companies remains the same, transparent communication, licensed and insured crews, and a body of finished work homeowners are willing to vouch for directly. For West Orange and the surrounding Essex County towns Charles and Son has built its reputation in, that track record has been built the old fashioned way, one finished backyard and one referral at a time.
