Cost Guide
We don't quote numbers from past jobs, because no two yards share the same soil, grade, access, or scope, and a borrowed number is often wrong. Book a free 15-minute phone consult, and if the project is a fit, your estimator visits the site and prepares a written proposal based on your actual yard.
This page walks through the factors that move cost in Boise, Meridian, Nampa and nearby, so you can plan your scope before your consult.
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 yard that looks like yours can still need a very different scope.
A yard down the street can look like yours and still cost something very different to build. One lot has caliche a shovel's depth down; another has clay that holds water against the foundation. One has wide side-yard access for equipment; another means hauling material by hand through a narrow gate. A number from a past job carries all of those conditions with it, and none of them are yours.
New-build lots add another layer. Your home builder rough-graded the lot, but that grade doesn't always move water away from the house the way a finished yard needs. Drainage and grading come first in our sequence, followed by underground irrigation and utilities, then hardscape and structures, then landscaping and finish. Skipping a step to hit a number usually costs more later. Our guide to starting a new-build backyard covers this in more detail.
That's why we start with a free phone consult instead of a guess. Tell us what you want, whether it's a paver patio in Meridian or a full backyard renovation in Kuna, and your estimator confirms fit before anyone drives out. If it's a fit, you get an on-site estimate and a written proposal built around what's actually in your yard.
Key Takeaway
A real number comes from your site, your scope and a written proposal. The path there is a free phone consult, then an on-site estimate if the project is a fit.
What Drives Cost
01
Water has to leave your yard and move away from the house. If the lot slopes the wrong way, holds water in clay, or sits below a neighbor, regrading and drainage become part of the scope. This is the first layer we build. See drainage work in Boise.
02
Caliche and hard clay are common across the Treasure Valley. Breaking through caliche for footings, posts or a retaining wall takes more equipment and labor than digging ordinary soil. Excavation depth, spoil removal and base material all depend on what is actually under your yard.
03
Equipment needs a path in. A wide side yard or alley lets a machine do the work, while a narrow gate, a fence in the way, or a backyard reached only through the garage means more handwork and smaller loads. Your estimator checks access during the site visit.
04
Square footage matters, but so does shape. Multi-level layouts, curves, steps, seat walls and retaining walls add labor and engineering. Material choices, such as turf or sod and pavers or concrete, also change the scope. We'd rather show you options than lock you into one.
05
Gas for an outdoor kitchen, electrical for lighting, and water for irrigation all run underground before hardscape goes in. Distance from the meter or panel, trenching across the yard, and tying into an existing irrigation system each affect the scope.
06
Altavera pulls the permit when a project needs one and coordinates HOA review, and both add steps to the scope. Removing what's there now, such as old concrete, worn pavers or dead lawn, also counts, as does phasing that brings crews back for a later stage.
Honest Comparison
Some homeowners price each trade separately. Here's how the two approaches compare, and our guide to comparing contractor estimates goes deeper.
| Aspect | One design-build scope (Altavera) | Hiring separate trades |
|---|---|---|
| Point of contact | One team and one point of contact from consult to finish | You coordinate each contractor and their schedules yourself |
| Sequencing | Drainage, underground, hardscape, then landscaping, planned as one sequence | Each trade plans its own piece, and gaps between trades fall to you |
| Pricing clarity | One written proposal covering the full scope | Several bids that may overlap or leave items out |
| Rework risk | Grade and underground built with the finished yard in mind | Later trades may cut into finished work to run lines |
| Permits and HOA | Altavera pulls the permit when needed and coordinates HOA review | You confirm who pulls each permit and who handles HOA review |
Who This Is For
Homeowners planning more than one element, such as a patio plus irrigation plus sod, or a new-build lot that needs grading first. If you want one proposal, one sequence and one team accountable for how everything fits together, a design-build scope keeps the pieces aligned.
Homeowners with a single, contained job and the time to manage it, such as replacing one section of fence on a yard that already drains well. If you're comfortable coordinating schedules and checking that each trade's work lines up, hiring separately can work.
Our Process
Use our online calendar to book a free 15-minute phone consult. Tell us what you want, what's in the yard now, and your must-haves. Photos help, but they're a starting point, not an estimate.
Your estimator checks that the project is outdoor work we do and that it's in our service area across Ada, Canyon and Gem counties. If it isn't a fit, we'll tell you plainly.
If it's a fit, your estimator walks the yard to check grade, drainage, soil, access, utilities and existing surfaces. This is where a real number starts, because it's based on what's actually there.
You receive a written proposal built in our sequence: drainage and grading, underground, hardscape and structures, then landscaping and finish. If you'd like to build in stages, we can show a phased plan.
When you're ready, a deposit gets you on the schedule. Spring and summer book up fast, and your estimator reviews timing once the scope is defined.
Free Planning Tool
Print it or keep it on your phone and bring it to your consult. The more you note now, the more useful that first conversation will be.
This worksheet is for planning only; your written proposal is based on the on-site estimate.
Keep Planning
Keep planning with these pages on estimates, phasing, financing and the services homeowners ask about most.
Altavera serves Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Star, Kuna, Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton, Garden City, Emmett and nearby communities in Ada, Canyon and Gem counties.
FAQ
No, and we'd rather be honest about why. A past job's number reflects that yard's soil, grade, access and scope, not yours, so it often turns out wrong. Book a free 15-minute phone consult. If the project is a fit, your estimator visits the site and prepares a written proposal based on your actual yard. If you want a rough idea first, our Instant Quote gives a ballpark in about 30 seconds, and the firm price still comes from the on-site estimate.
Photos are helpful for your consult, but they can't show what's under the surface. Caliche, clay, drainage problems and buried utilities only show up on site, along with access and slope. Share photos during your free phone consult, and if the project is a fit, your estimator confirms the details in person before writing a proposal.
Many lots in Kuna and Meridian are newer builds graded by the home builder, and some need regrading to drain properly. Soil varies too, from clay to caliche. Add differences in access, utilities, HOA review and the materials you choose, and two similar-looking yards can need very different scopes.
It depends on the scope, and we won't claim one approach is always cheaper. With one scope, sequencing is planned up front so later work doesn't cut into finished hardscape, and you have one point of contact. With separate trades, you coordinate each bid and check that nothing falls between them.
It can. Caliche is a hard, cemented soil layer found in parts of Boise and across the Treasure Valley, and digging through it for footings, posts, walls or irrigation lines takes more effort than ordinary soil. Your estimator looks for it during the on-site estimate so the proposal reflects what's actually there.
Phasing spreads a project out, though each return trip adds remobilization to the scope. It works best when drainage, grading and underground work go first, so later phases don't tear into finished areas. Your estimator can lay out a phased plan in your written proposal so you can compare both paths.
Start Your Project
Book a free 15-minute phone consult to talk through your scope. If it's a fit, your estimator visits your site and prepares a written proposal.
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.
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Idaho Contractor License ID #6971895 · Women-Owned Business
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3313 W Cherry Lane Suite 1053 Meridian, ID 83642