Boise, Idaho · Full-Yard 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 Boise under one scope and one point of contact. We start below the surface, because a Boise lot can hide caliche hardpan, builder fill, or an old flood-irrigation ditch that decides where water goes. Grading, drainage, and underground lines get settled first, then patios, kitchens, fire features, shade, fencing, and planting follow in order.
What Boise Yards Hide
Between canal-fed Bench lots, caliche on the valley floor, and erodible Foothills slopes, a Boise renovation has to answer to the ground before it answers to a mood board.
A backyard renovation in Boise rarely starts from the same ground twice. On the Bench, older lots sit along long-established canals and laterals, and many still carry irrigation-district water or a flood irrigation setup that the new design has to respect rather than bury. In the North End, mature trees, narrow lots, and alley access shape where equipment can go and where roots will fight a new patio. Up against the Foothills, sandy, decomposed-granite soils move when runoff concentrates, so a renovation there is as much about holding the slope as decorating it.
Down on the valley floor, the obstacle is usually underneath. Caliche hardpan across much of Boise stops water from soaking in, and newer subdivisions often sit on compacted fill that drains no better. 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. That is why the grade and the drain lines get settled before anyone chooses a paver color. Our Boise irrigation and drainage work is where a full-yard scope begins.
The third Boise wrinkle is coordination. Harris Ranch, Barber Valley, and other planned communities on the east side often route exterior changes through HOA review, which affects fence styles, plant palettes, and structure placement. Irrigation water in Boise runs seasonally, roughly spring to fall, so testing and tying into a pressurized or canal-fed system has to line up with when water is actually in the lines. When one contractor owns the whole yard, those dependencies are planned together instead of discovered by three separate crews.
How we handle 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 or the city 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 a Full Renovation Covers
01
Every full-yard renovation in Boise opens with dirt work. We reshape the grade so water moves away from the house, break through or work around caliche where it traps water, and install French drains, catch basins, or channel drains where the lot needs them. On Foothills-edge 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 Bench 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 Boise lot usable. Where the grade needs holding, retaining and decorative walls are built with drainage behind them. See more on paver patios in Boise.
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 during a Boise July afternoon. Placement is decided during design, alongside sleeves and routes laid in the underground phase, so finished surfaces are not cut open later.
Includes
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Planting comes last, after the heavy work is finished. We install sod, beds, and low-water xeriscape palettes suited to Boise's semi-arid 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.
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Fencing and gates that close out the renovation, sized for privacy, pets, and alley access on narrow North End lots, and styled to match HOA guidelines in planned east Boise communities.
Boise Homeowners We Build For
Older Boise properties often come with tired lawns, cracked flatwork, mature trees, and irrigation that still depends on canal or flood water. A renovation here means working with what the lot already has: protecting root zones, reworking grade near the house, and converting or tying into the existing water delivery so the new yard is easier to run.
Plenty of newer Boise homes close with a bare or builder-basic backyard sitting on compacted fill. These owners want the whole yard planned at once, with drainage, pressurized irrigation zones, a patio, shade, and planting designed with HOA review in mind, rather than piecing it together one season at a time.
Lots in Hidden Springs, Warm Springs, Dry Creek Ranch, and along the Foothills often deal with steep grade, erodible decomposed granite, and wildland-urban-interface fire exposure. Renovations here lean on terracing, retaining walls, and runoff control, with planting and hardscape near the house laid out with that fire exposure in mind.
Some Boise yards were built in pieces by different crews over the years, and the seams show: a patio that drains toward the house, sprinklers that spray a fence, turf over unprepared ground. These owners want one accountable team to reset the grade and rebuild the yard as a single, coordinated plan.
Why One Contractor
A full renovation touches a dozen systems, and in Boise each one depends on what the soil and water are doing. Keeping them under one contractor is what keeps them in the right order.
Here is what that looks like on a Boise project.
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 Boise's 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.
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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.
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When part of the renovation needs a permit, Altavera pulls it and works it through the City of Boise's permitting office, or Ada County for unincorporated lots. Licensed and insured in Idaho, License #6971895.
From Phone Call to Walkthrough
A free 15-minute phone call covers your Boise address, how you want to use the yard, and which pieces of the renovation matter most to you.
An estimator reviews what you shared and confirms the scope is a fit for a full-yard design-build before anyone schedules a trip to the property.
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 proposal covering the full scope, materials, and build sequence, including how phases would be split if you prefer to build in stages.
A deposit locks in your place on the schedule, and the start is set once the signed proposal is in hand.
Drainage and grading first, underground irrigation and drain lines second, hardscape and structures third, then landscaping, sod, turf, and finish work last.
We walk the finished yard with you, run the irrigation zones when water is in season, review every area of the scope, and close out any punch list items together.
Where We Build in Boise
Altavera renovates backyards and front yards throughout Boise, including the North End, the Bench, Southeast Boise, Harris Ranch, Barber Valley, West and Southwest Boise, Hidden Springs, Warm Springs, Dry Creek Ranch, and Cartwright Ranch. We also build full-yard projects in nearby Treasure Valley cities such as Meridian, Eagle, Garden City, Star, and Kuna.
If any part of your renovation requires a permit, Altavera pulls it and handles it with the City of Boise's permitting office, or with Ada County when the lot is unincorporated.
Focusing on one piece of the yard? Explore outdoor kitchens in Boise or Boise retaining walls, or compare backyard renovation in Meridian.
FAQ
The cost depends entirely on scope and site conditions, so we price each Boise yard individually after seeing it. Grading needs, caliche, drainage, the number of features, material choices, and access through an alley or a tight side yard all move the number. We do not quote figures over the phone. The written proposal follows the on-site estimate, and third-party financing options are available.
Yes, and planning around it is part of the design. Many older Bench properties receive irrigation-district water through canals and laterals, and some still flood irrigate. 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. Foothills lots in Boise can be renovated well, but the slope comes first. Sandy, decomposed-granite soils erode 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. Because these areas sit in the wildland-urban interface, we also talk through how plantings and materials near the house are laid out.
Yes. Many east Boise neighborhoods, including Harris Ranch and Barber Valley, 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.
Caliche is a hardened soil layer common under the Boise valley floor, and water cannot easily pass through it. When it sits under a lawn or patio, water pools above it, and freeze-thaw cycles turn that trapped moisture into heaving pavers, soggy turf, or settling. We identify it during the on-site estimate and plan grading and drainage to move water off and away before surfaces and planting go in.
Yes, phasing is fine as long as drainage, grading, and underground work go in first. Boise irrigation water typically runs roughly spring to fall, 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 the process with the City of Boise's permitting office, or with Ada County for unincorporated lots. 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 Boise Project
Tell us what you want the yard to become. We will walk your Boise property, look at the grade, soil, and water, and put a full renovation scope in a written proposal. Start with a free 15-minute phone consultation to get your quote moving.
Prefer to talk? Call 208-314-9967 or try our instant quote.
Licensed & Insured · Idaho Contractor License #6971895 · Serving Boise & 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