Full Design-Build Backyards — Concrete, Drainage, Drought-Tolerant Planting
Sacramento Backyard Design
Here's a number most contractors won't give you: a proper backyard build runs 20 to 30 percent of what you paid for your home. Stuteville Landscaping designs and builds full backyards across the Sacramento area — concrete, pavers, sod, artificial turf, drainage, retaining walls, and more — with three generations of landscape construction expertise, C-27 licensed, 70+ five-star reviews, and a free estimate on every project.
Below: what a remodel includes, what it costs, how we design, and the one mistake that costs homeowners the most.
One Plan, One Crew
A full backyard design pulls together every element of the yard into one plan. As a Sacramento landscape design and build contractor, our work includes concrete, pavers, walkways, sod installation, artificial turf, drainage, rock, bark, retaining walls, and tile overlay — full landscape installation and landscape renovation, hardscape and softscape under one contractor.
The patio, planting design, privacy screening, grading, irrigation, and outdoor lighting are engineered together from day one. Not bolted on by three crews over two years.
The 20-30% Rule
Here's the rule of thumb we give every client: for a new-build backyard, proper landscaping runs 20 to 30 percent of your home's purchase price. A bare-bones new backyard starts around $30,000 and climbs based on scope.
| Project Level | What's Involved | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|
| Bare-bones new backyard | Core hardscape, sod or turf, basic drainage | From $30,000 |
| Mid-range transformation | Patio, plantings, lighting, irrigation, retaining walls | 10–20% of home value |
| Full custom backyard | Complete design-build with outdoor living features | 20–30% of home value ($200,000+) |
Ranges reflect Sacramento-area projects as of May 2026. Every quote is an itemized scope of work, not a ballpark.
CAD, 2D Plans, 3D Renderings
You see the backyard before we build it. "We use CAD. We do 2D to scale rendering, as well as 3D renderings if requested." You're approving a real concept plan and landscape design with real dimensions, not a hand sketch and a handshake. The design itself takes 4 to 6 weeks to develop.
Timeline tracks budget. For every $100,000 of project value, plan on about a month of build time — a $300,000 build runs closer to three months. The 4-to-6-week design phase happens first. We can stage the work as a phased installation to fit your budget range, with a master plan so each phase connects.
Water-Wise, Not Sparse
Water-wise design is non-negotiable in California, and it doesn't mean rock and cactus. We build drought resistant landscape designs with low water needs that still read lush: artificial turf, native plants and Mediterranean plants chosen for low maintenance, mulch, and runoff control. Water conservation done right looks high-end.
Turf removal and grass conversion are part of the work — we pull the lawn and design something that survives Sacramento summers on a fraction of the water. A sprinkler system, drip irrigation, and a smart irrigation controller go in as part of a full install, engineered to the new planting plan.
Designed for the Valley
Sacramento yards come with their own challenges, and we plan around all of them: dense clay soil that holds water, triple-digit summer heat, and tightening City of Sacramento water restrictions. Drainage and grading get engineered first, because a beautiful backyard that floods in January is a failed backyard. The plant palette and irrigation are built for the climate, not against it. Path lighting and uplighting finish the design for after dark.
Ask us the number-one mistake Sacramento homeowners make, and the answer: "Going with the cheap bid." The low number almost always means thin concrete, skipped drainage, undersized footings, or plants that die in two summers. You pay twice. A written, itemized scope with upfront pricing, where every change order is documented, is how you tell a real bid from one designed to win and then balloon.
Pools & Other Trades
Straight answer on pools: "Our team does not install pools, but we have great referrals for clients interested in getting a pool, and we can execute the rest." We build everything around the pool — deck, hardscape, planting, drainage, lighting — and coordinate with your pool contractor so the finished yard looks like one project, not five.
Why Stuteville Landscaping
Mike and Eric Stuteville lead the Sacramento crew. C-27 licensed (verified through CSLB), licensed and insured, family-owned since 2014, three generations of landscape construction. We're landscape contractors and designers — your landscape designer and the build crew are the same team. Every backyard is a true Design + Build under one roof, backed by our workmanship warranty.
Service Area
We design and build backyards across the Sacramento region and Northern California: Sacramento itself (Land Park, Pocket-Greenhaven, Arden-Arcade, East Sacramento, West Sacramento), plus Rancho Cordova, Roseville, Granite Bay, Fair Oaks, Folsom, El Dorado Hills, Davis, Elk Grove, Citrus Heights, Carmichael, Orangevale, and Rocklin. A backyard pairs naturally with a pergola, an outdoor kitchen, a fire pit or outdoor fireplace, and a built-in seating wall — all part of one cohesive outdoor living space.
Our team is ready to help you plan your next project. Reach out for a free, no-obligation consultation.
More Services
Patios, walkways, retaining walls, and concrete hardscaping in Sacramento.
French drains, grading, and drainage solutions for Sacramento properties.
Sod, plants, trees, and complete softscape installation in Sacramento.
Custom pergola design and construction for Sacramento homes.
Outdoor fireplace and fire feature construction in Sacramento.
Call to set up a design consultation and a site walk for your Sacramento backyard — CAD design, real pricing, and a build schedule you can plan around.
Call (916) 257-0735
