Landscape design software is meant to help you plan patios, decks, paths, pools, fences, and planting areas around your home. Sweet Home 3D can help you draw the layout to scale and see how the different parts fit together in 3D.
You may want a larger patio, a quieter seating area, or a better route from the back door to the garden. Start with how you use the space: where you walk, where you sit, and how much room you need.
By using free landscape design software, you can try different arrangements before buying materials or moving anything outside.
Download Sweet Home 3D or open the online version.
Start with the shape of your plot
Before adding a patio or pool, draw the space you already have. Measure the boundaries and mark the house, back door, garage, gates, and anything you plan to keep.
You can work from measurements taken outside or import a property plan as a background image. Set its scale using a distance you know, then draw over it. Check older plans against the actual site, especially where fences or extensions have changed.
Sweet Home 3D helps you see whether your ideas fit the available space as a backyard design tool. Add paths and driveways early, so the main routes stay clear.
A few details are easy to miss:
- The space a gate needs to open.
- Access to bins, sheds and outdoor equipment.
- Existing trees and areas that collect water.
- Changes in ground height near the house.
For an early sketch, try a main walking path around 900–1,200 mm / 3–4 ft wide. Treat this as a starting point and allow more room where people need to pass.
Make room for decks, patios, and terraces
A patio should fit the way you use it. Place the table and chairs first, then draw the surface around them. Leave space to pull chairs out and walk behind someone who is seated.
As a patio planner, Sweet Home 3D lets you compare the shape and position of the paved area. Try a terrace beside the house, a separate seating spot or a path that connects both.
Apply textures to compare timber, stone or paving. For raised areas, use levels or objects set at different heights to represent platforms, steps and railings. This helps you see how the deck meets the house and garden.
When using it as deck design software, include the stairs and railings from the start. They take up space that an empty rectangle on a plan can hide.
Useful dimensions for an early plan
| Feature | Dimension | What to check |
| Common deck board width | About 140 mm / 5½ in | Use the actual product width and its required gaps. |
| Step rise: height between steps | Maximum 197 mm / 7¾ in in AWC DCA 6 | Keep the steps consistent and check local requirements. |
| Step going: depth to step on | Minimum 254 mm / 10 in in AWC DCA 6 | Include any required nosing in the stair design. |
| Deck edge guard | Minimum 914 mm / 36 in where required in AWC DCA 6 | Local rules may require a taller guard. |
| Stair handrail | 864–965 mm / 34–38 in in AWC DCA 6 | Measured above the front edges of the steps. |
Board sizes vary by manufacturer. The stair and railing figures come from the American Wood Council’s DCA 6 guide, based on the 2015 IRC.
The landscape design software helps you compare layouts; drainage, foundations and structural details still need to be worked out for the site.
Add plants, trees and outdoor furniture
Once the main surfaces and paths are in place, add trees, hedges and planting beds. The aim is to check how much space they take up and how they sit beside the built areas.
Use garden design software to plan for a plant’s mature size, rather than the size it is when you buy it. Adjust the model’s width, depth, and height using information about the plant you intend to use. This makes it easier to spot a tree that could crowd a path or a hedge that would narrow a seating area.
The free 3D models collection includes trees, shrubs, fences and outdoor furniture. If an item is missing, you can import a compatible model into the desktop version.
Add the furniture you actually expect to use. A small café table and a six-seat dining set need very different amounts of room. Include loungers, storage boxes and a barbecue, with the clearances specified by their manufacturer.
Using landscape design software at this stage helps you check the whole arrangement instead of choosing each item separately.
Plan pools and water features around everyday use
A pool needs more room than its water area alone. Add the pool, then draw the surrounding surface, fence, gate and route from the house.
Use the backyard design tool to compare positions before settling on one. Leave room for loungers, safe access to the water and maintenance equipment. Use the pool supplier’s dimensions for the full installation, including its edges and equipment.
For example, a 3 × 6 m / about 10 × 20 ft pool with a 1.2 m / about 4 ft surround on every side takes up about 5.4 × 8.4 m / 18 × 28 ft. That is a layout example, not a required clearance.
Include the barrier in your first plan. The CPSC’s home pool guidance recommends a barrier at least 1.22 m / 4 ft high. Check local pool rules and leave room for the gate to work properly.
For a pond or fountain, also think about cleaning access and nearby electrical equipment.
See the space in 3D and compare seasonal sunlight
Switch to the 3D view to see the layout from above or at eye level. A fence may feel taller than expected, or a seating area may look crowded once the furniture is in place.
The desktop version’s photo tools let you compare sunlight at different dates and times. Set the location, time zone, and north direction, then create views for a summer afternoon and a winter morning.
This is a useful reason to try free landscape design software: you can explore how modeled buildings and trees cast shadows before deciding where to put seating or planting. Seasonal light comparisons do not automatically show plant growth or changing leaves.
Start planning your outdoor space
Use Sweet Home 3D as an outdoor space planner to build up your idea gradually: boundaries first, then surfaces, furniture and planting.
Download Sweet Home 3D or start online to try your first layout. With landscape design software, you can compare options and keep the plan that works best for your space.
For help getting started, read the floor plan guide and the garden design tutorial.
