Estimate Guide
Photos and plans help us understand your project, but an accurate bid needs an on-site estimate. Start by booking a free 15-minute phone consult online any time, and once your estimator confirms the project is a fit, they schedule a site visit.
This page explains why photos alone can't produce an accurate bid, what to send before your consult, and how the process works from first call to written proposal.
Want a rough idea first? Use our Instant Quote to get a ballpark in about 30 seconds. Your firm price still comes from the on-site estimate.
Why It Works This Way
A photo shows what your yard looks like, but a bid depends on what sits under and around it.
Photos and plans are a great starting point. They show us the layout, the style you want, and the general size of the space. What they can't show is how water moves across your lot, how much the grade falls toward the house, whether caliche sits just below the surface, or where gas, power, and irrigation lines run. Those details drive the scope, so they drive the bid.
That is why every Altavera estimate starts the same way. You book a free 15-minute phone consult online, any time of day. Your estimator learns what you want, looks at anything you share, and confirms the project is a fit. If it is, they schedule an on-site estimate so the written proposal reflects your actual site, not a guess from a photo.
Keep in mind that the first step is a phone call, not a site visit. Some homeowners expect someone at the door when the reminder says call, but the visit comes after the fit check. Our office hours are Mon to Fri, 8 to 5 Mountain, and booking the phone consult online works any time, including evenings and weekends.
Key Takeaway
Send photos and plans to help your estimator prepare, but expect the bid itself to come from an on-site estimate and a written proposal.
What Photos Miss
01
A yard can look flat in a photo and still fall toward your foundation. Your estimator checks how the ground slopes, especially on foothill lots and new-build lots graded by the home builder, because grading comes first in the sequence and shapes everything built on top of it.
02
Standing water, soggy turf, and erosion often only make sense in person. We look at downspouts, low spots, and where runoff leaves the lot. If drainage is part of the fix, see how we handle irrigation and drainage in Nampa and across the valley.
03
Treasure Valley soils range from heavy clay to hard caliche layers. Neither shows up in a picture, and both affect excavation, compaction, and how walls, patios, and turf are built. Your estimator notes soil conditions on site so the proposal accounts for them.
04
Gate width, side yard clearance, fences, and slopes decide how equipment and materials reach the work area. Tight access changes the approach. A photo of the front of the house rarely shows this, so we walk the path ourselves during the visit.
05
Gas, electrical, water, and irrigation lines shape where features can go, and canal or pressurized irrigation service matters too. Underground work comes before hardscape, so knowing what is already there matters for any backyard renovation in Eagle or elsewhere in the valley.
06
Altavera pulls the permit when a project needs one and coordinates HOA review. Your estimator asks about HOA architectural guidelines during the visit, so share any documents you have early. They can affect materials, heights, and layout.
Honest Comparison
Both have a place in the process. Photos help your estimator prepare, and the on-site estimate turns that preparation into a written proposal you can evaluate, including with our guide on how to compare contractor estimates.
| Aspect | Photos and Plans Only | On-Site Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| What it shows | Layout, style, and the general size of the space | Grade, drainage, soil, access, and utilities in person |
| Accuracy of the bid | Not enough to produce an accurate bid | The basis for your written proposal |
| When it happens | Before or during your free phone consult | After your estimator confirms the project is a fit |
| Drainage and grading | Hard to judge from a picture | Checked on the ground, where water actually moves |
| Hidden conditions | Caliche, clay, and buried lines stay hidden | Noted and accounted for in the scope |
| Best use | Helping your estimator prepare | Defining the scope you approve |
Who This Is For
Send photos and plans when you want your estimator to understand your goals before the consult. They help with early questions about layout, style, and fit, and they make the on-site visit more productive. They are a preparation tool, not a substitute for seeing the site.
Once your estimator confirms the project is a fit, the on-site estimate is how you get a real bid in a written proposal. It covers drainage, grading, soil, access, utilities, and HOA requirements, so the scope matches the yard you actually have.
Our Process
Pick a time on our online calendar whenever it suits you. The free 15-minute phone consult is a conversation about your goals, your property, and what you hope to build outside.
Have photos, plans, and HOA documents ready to share with your estimator. Use the Photo-Upload Prep Guide below so they show drainage spots, gates, and utilities, not just the view from the patio.
Your estimator confirms the project is outdoor work we handle, in our service area across Ada, Canyon, and Gem counties, and a match for how we build. Read more about our process before you call.
If it is a fit, your estimator schedules a visit to walk the property, check grade, drainage, soil, and access, and talk through options with you in person.
You receive a written proposal covering one scope, with one team and one point of contact. When you are ready, a deposit gets you on the schedule. Spring and summer book up fast.
Free Planning Tool
Print it or keep it on your phone and bring it to your consult. These shots and documents help your estimator understand your site before the visit.
Photos help your estimator prepare, and the bid itself comes from the on-site estimate.
Keep Planning
Planning your next step? These pages cover what shapes the scope and how to read a proposal, including what drives outdoor project cost.
Altavera serves Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Star, Kuna, Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton, Garden City, Emmett and nearby communities in Ada, Canyon and Gem counties.
FAQ
Not a final bid, but they help. Photos and plans show your estimator the layout and style you want, but they can't show grade, drainage, soil, access, or buried utilities. Those details drive the scope, so the bid comes from an on-site estimate after your estimator confirms the project is a fit.
Yes, once your estimator confirms the project is a fit. The process starts with a free 15-minute phone consult, and then your estimator schedules an on-site estimate. Spring and summer book up fast, so booking the consult online early helps whether you are in Nampa, Caldwell, or elsewhere in the valley.
The phone consult lets your estimator learn your goals and confirm the project is a fit before anyone drives out. That keeps the on-site visit focused on your actual site. If your reminder says call, expect a phone call at the time you booked, with the site visit scheduled after the fit check.
You can book the free phone consult online at any time, day or night, and pick from the open times shown. Our office hours are Mon to Fri, 8 to 5 Mountain. Choose the consult time that fits your schedule best, and your estimator calls you at that time.
Wide photos of the whole yard, close shots of drainage problem spots, side yards and gates, and where your utilities and irrigation valves sit. Add any plans, a plot plan from your home builder, and HOA guidelines. These help your estimator prepare questions and make the on-site visit more productive.
Yes. Altavera serves Ada, Canyon, and Gem counties, including Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Star, Kuna, Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton, Garden City, and Emmett. The estimate process is the same everywhere: a free phone consult, a fit check, an on-site estimate, and a written proposal.
Start Your Project
Book online any time and bring your photos, plans, and questions. Altavera is licensed and insured in Idaho, License #6971895, and Built to a Higher Standard.
Prefer to talk? Call 208-314-9967 or book a free phone consult.
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