Treasure Valley, Idaho · Backyard Renovation
From the first grade stake to the last plant, one crew answers for the whole yard.
Altavera Construction is a licensed, women-owned design-build contractor that renovates entire backyards and front yards across Ada, Canyon and Gem counties under one scope and one point of contact. We start below the surface, settling grading, drainage, and underground lines first, then build patios, kitchens, fire features, shade, fencing, and planting in order.
What Treasure Valley Yards Hide
A backyard renovation has to answer to the ground before it answers to a mood board.
A backyard renovation in the Treasure Valley rarely starts from the same ground twice. Older lots often carry mature trees, tired lawns, cracked flatwork, and canal-fed or flood irrigation that the new design has to respect rather than bury. Newer subdivisions often sit on compacted builder fill that drains poorly, and sloped lots move when runoff concentrates, so a renovation there is as much about holding the grade as decorating it.
Add hot, dry summers and winters that freeze and thaw repeatedly, and any spot where water lingers becomes the spot where pavers heave, sod drowns, or a wall footing shifts. Planned communities often route exterior changes through HOA review, and irrigation water runs seasonally, so testing and tie-ins have to line up with when water is in the lines. When one contractor owns the whole yard, those dependencies are planned together instead of discovered by three separate crews.
How Altavera handles it
We walk the lot before designing anything: where water enters and leaves, what the soil does under a shovel, how the irrigation is delivered, and what the HOA, city, or county will want to see. The proposal then sequences drainage and grading, underground lines, hardscape and structures, and planting, with one point of contact throughout.
What's Included
01
Every full-yard renovation opens with dirt work. We reshape the grade so water moves away from the house and install French drains, catch basins, or channel drains where the lot needs them. On sloped lots, grading also slows runoff across erodible soil before anything decorative is placed.
Includes
02
Before a single paver goes down, the underground is roughed in: irrigation main lines, drip zones, sleeves under future hardscape, and drain lines. We set up drip, spray, or rotor zones with a smart controller and plan the tie-in around your water source, whether that is pressurized irrigation in a newer subdivision or a canal-fed supply on an older lot.
Includes
03
Patios in concrete, pavers, stamped concrete, or natural stone become the core of the new yard, joined by walkways, steps, and grade transitions that make a sloped lot usable. Where the grade needs holding, retaining and decorative walls are built with drainage behind them.
Includes
04
Once the ground and the underground are right, the structures go in: BBQ islands and outdoor kitchens, fire pits and fireplaces, and pergolas that put shade over a west-facing patio on a July afternoon. Altavera also installs the outdoor lighting and fixtures, with placement decided during design alongside sleeves and routes laid in the underground phase, so finished surfaces are not cut open later.
Includes
05
Planting comes last, after the heavy work is finished. We install sod, beds, and low-water xeriscape palettes suited to semi-arid Treasure Valley summers, with drip feeding the plants that need it and lawn only where it earns its water.
06
Pet-friendly and standard artificial turf for side yards, dog runs, and shaded corners where grass struggles. It goes in over a prepared, draining base and ties cleanly into the surrounding beds and hardscape.
07
Fencing and gates that close out the renovation, sized for privacy, pets, and alley access on narrow lots, and styled to match HOA guidelines in planned communities.
Why One Team Matters Here
A full renovation touches a dozen systems, and each one depends on what the soil and water are doing. Keeping them under one contractor is what keeps them in the right order.
01
Grading, French drains, catch basins, and channel drains are settled in the first phase, so the patio, lawn, and beds above them are not fighting standing water when freeze-thaw season arrives.
02
You are not lining up a concrete crew, a sprinkler installer, and a landscaper on separate calendars. One team owns the sequence, and one point of contact keeps you informed from consultation through walkthrough.
03
If budget or season says to build in stages, that is fine. Drainage, grading, and underground lines go in first, so a pergola or kitchen added in a later phase does not mean tearing up the new yard.
04
When part of the renovation needs a permit, Altavera pulls it and manages it with the city or county. Licensed and insured in Idaho, License #6971895.
From First Call to Final Walkthrough
A free 15-minute call to talk through your backyard renovation project and your lot, so we both know whether it is a good match. Book it any time at our consultation calendar.
An estimator reviews the scope and site details, confirms the project fits what Altavera builds, and sets up an on-site visit if it does.
We walk the whole lot, front and back, checking grade, drainage paths, soil, irrigation source, access, trees, and any HOA or permit considerations.
You receive a written scope covering layout, materials, permit needs, and build order, ready to review before you commit.
A deposit locks a start on the calendar. Materials are ordered and the work is lined up around the build sequence.
Drainage and grading go first, underground utilities and irrigation second, hardscape and structures third, and landscaping and finish work last.
We walk the finished project with you, confirm everything works as intended, and close out the punch list.
Where We Build
Altavera renovates backyards and front yards throughout Ada, Canyon and Gem counties, from grading and drainage through hardscape, structures, and planting. Choose your city for local details on soil, permits, and the yards we build in.
If any part of your renovation requires a permit, Altavera pulls it and manages it with the city or county.
Planning more? See Phasing an outdoor project or Where to start with a new-build backyard.
FAQ
The cost depends on scope and site conditions, so we price each yard individually after seeing it. Grading needs, drainage, the number of features, material choices, and access through an alley or a tight side yard all move the number. The written proposal follows the on-site estimate, and financing is available through a third-party partner up to $100,000.
We build backyard renovations across Ada, Canyon and Gem counties, including Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Nampa, Caldwell, Star, Kuna, Middleton, Garden City, and Emmett. We never turn anyone away based on a subdivision name. If you are not sure your property is in our area, the free 15-minute phone consult will confirm it.
Yes, and planning around it is part of the design. During the site visit we look at how water reaches the lot and where it goes, then plan the grading, drainage, and irrigation system to work with that delivery rather than against it. Tie-in and testing are scheduled around the seasonal water window.
Yes, but the slope comes first. Soil erodes when runoff concentrates, so the plan usually starts with grading, terracing, and retaining walls with drainage built in, followed by patios on the flatter tiers.
Yes. Many planned communities have HOA guidelines that cover fences, structures, and plant choices. We design the renovation with those guidelines in view and provide the scope details an HOA submission typically asks for. Approval timing rests with the HOA, so we build that review into the plan before a start date is set.
Yes, phasing is fine as long as drainage, grading, and underground work go in first. Irrigation water runs seasonally, which affects when systems can be tested, and spring and summer book quickly. We map out which pieces belong in each phase so later additions like a pergola or outdoor kitchen do not disturb finished work.
Yes. When any part of the project needs a permit, Altavera pulls it and manages it with the city or county. Requirements depend on the scope, such as walls, structures, or other features, so we confirm what applies during planning.
Altavera is an outdoor construction and design-build contractor, not a maintenance or mowing service. Landscaping, sod, and turf are part of the finish phase, after drainage, underground lines, and hardscape are complete. We are licensed and insured in Idaho under Contractor License #6971895 and women-owned, and we do outdoor work only, not interior remodeling, roofing, or HVAC.
Start Your Project
Tell us what you want the yard to become, and start with a free 15-minute phone consultation. We will walk your property, look at the grade, soil, and water, and put a full renovation scope in a written proposal.
Prefer to talk? Call 208-314-9967 or try our instant quote.
Licensed & Insured · Idaho Contractor License #6971895 · Serving the Treasure Valley
We elevate outdoor spaces with professional planning, expert execution, and quality craftsmanship — because your outdoor space is an extension of your home, not an afterthought.
Elevated standards. Real integrity.
Idaho Contractor License ID #6971895 · Women-Owned Business
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3313 W Cherry Lane Suite 1053 Meridian, ID 83642