Backyard Design in Sacramento, CA
Full Design-Build Backyards — Concrete, Drainage, Drought-Tolerant Planting
Sacramento Backyard Design
Full Design-Build Backyards in Sacramento
For a newly purchased home with no finished backyard, Stuteville Landscaping recommends budgeting 20 to 30 percent of the purchase price for a complete backyard design and build. 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, 90+ 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.
Answers First
Backyard Design and Build Facts for Sacramento Homeowners
- Stuteville Landscaping is a C-27 licensed California landscape contractor that designs and builds complete backyards in Sacramento using its own crews.
- A Stuteville Landscaping backyard build covers concrete, pavers, walkways, sod, artificial turf, drainage, retaining walls, irrigation and outdoor lighting under one contractor.
- For a newly purchased home with a clean-slate backyard, Stuteville Landscaping recommends a budget of 20 to 30 percent of the purchase price. A bare-bones new backyard starts around $30,000.
- Every Stuteville Landscaping backyard is drawn in CAD as a to-scale 2D plan before construction begins, with 3D renderings produced on request.
- A Stuteville Landscaping backyard project starts with a free on-site visit and leads to a written itemized estimate defining the scope.
- Stuteville Landscaping is a design and build contractor only and does not offer lawn mowing, weekly landscape maintenance, seasonal cleanup or ongoing landscape management.
One Plan, One Crew
What a Stuteville Landscaping Backyard Remodel Includes
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
What a Sacramento Backyard Remodel Costs
The 20-to-30-percent guideline applies to newly purchased homes with no finished backyard. Use the home purchase price as the basis. Existing backyard remodels are estimated from their 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 | Written estimate based on scope |
| Complete backyard for a newly purchased home | Clean-slate design and build; no existing finished backyard | 20–30% of home purchase price |
The percentage guideline is for newly purchased homes with unfinished backyards. Your written estimate defines the work and its price.
To see where your own backyard lands in that range, request a written estimate and Stuteville Landscaping will start with a free on-site visit.
CAD, 2D Plans, 3D Renderings
How We Design Your Backyard
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
Drought-Tolerant Landscaping That Still Looks High-End
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
Clay Soil, Heat, and Water Restrictions
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.
The Mistake We See Most — Going With the Cheap Bid
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
Working Alongside Pool Builders
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
Why Homeowners Choose Stuteville Landscaping for Backyard Design
Mike and Eric Stuteville lead the Sacramento crew. C-27 licensed (verified through CSLB), licensed and insured, family-owned since 2022, 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
Backyard Design Across the Sacramento Region
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.
Backyard Design FAQ — Sacramento
Still have questions?
Our team is ready to help you plan your next project. Reach out for a free, no-obligation consultation.
More Services
Other Sacramento Landscape Services
Hardscape Construction
Patios, walkways, retaining walls, and concrete hardscaping in Sacramento.
Retaining Walls
Retaining wall and seating wall construction in Sacramento.
Paver Patios
Paver patios, walkways, and driveways in Sacramento.
Drainage & Grading
French drains, grading, and drainage solutions for Sacramento properties.
Landscape Installation
Sod, plants, trees, and complete softscape installation in Sacramento.
Pergola Builder
Custom pergola design and construction for Sacramento homes.
Outdoor Fireplaces
Outdoor fireplace and fire feature construction in Sacramento.
Outdoor Kitchens
Custom outdoor kitchen design and build in Sacramento.
Start Your Sacramento Backyard With a Free On-Site Visit
A backyard project with Stuteville Landscaping starts with a free on-site visit and a CAD design, and leads to a written itemized estimate.
Request your estimate in writing, or call (916) 257-0735 if you would rather talk it through.
Call (916) 257-0735