One Renovation, House to Street: San Carlos Pavers
Project Gallery
Backyard showing a completed artificial turf rectangle surrounded by interlocking pavers forming a patio and walkway. Clean installation with crisp turf edges and uniform stone paver pattern adjacent to the home's exterior and privacy fence.
Finished interlocking paver patio in a residential backyard with a centrally located square fire pit and a vinyl privacy fence along the perimeter. Paver field appears clean with consistent jointing and surrounding landscape elements in place, indicating final completion of hardscape work.
Finished backyard showing a gray interlocking paver patio transitioning to installed artificial turf with a low segmental seat/retaining wall at the left and a white vinyl fence backdrop. The work appears complete with clean joints, turf edge detail, and perimeter landscape lighting visible along the fence.
Front yard showing a completed interlocking paver driveway and a curved paver walkway leading to the home entry. Rock mulch planting beds with drought-tolerant plants flank the walkway and tie into the concrete sidewalk; paver joints appear neat with visible edge restraint.
Front yard showing a completed interlocking paver driveway and a curved paver walkway leading to the home entry. Rock mulch planting beds with drought-tolerant plants flank the walkway and tie into the concrete sidewalk; paver joints appear neat with visible edge restraint.
Front yard residential landscape showing a completed xeriscape with crushed stone mulch and drought-tolerant plantings. Concrete drive strips and a narrow paved walkway border the planting bed with clean edge separation between stone and concrete.
Finished backyard installation showing a rectangular artificial turf lawn bordered by gray interlocking pavers. White vinyl fence and wood privacy fence are visible with two low-voltage path lights and a gravel transition area at the rear, indicating a completed landscape installation.
Project Snapshot
Project Story
Overview
A San Carlos homeowner had a front yard that had been pretending for years: lawn patchy over compacted dirt, concrete walkway cracked into three long sections, driveway worn enough that the homeowners had stopped noticing. The back yard was not much better. Both ends got rebuilt as one project — not the usual patio-now, driveway-later. About 2,000 sq ft of new Orco interlocking pavers went across the backyard, driveway, and walkways, plus a square natural-gas fire pit, an artificial turf panel, drainage and low-voltage lighting. After the first hardscape phase, a client-approved second-phase scope addition brought planting, drip irrigation, Mission Mountain decorative gravel, and AZ Chocolate Patio Stone flagstone to finish the project.
The front and back yards used to be cracked concrete and patchy grass, and now they feel like one finished space. The crew was easy to work with through the weather and the extra landscaping we added at the end.
The Challenge
- Cracked concrete across the patio, driveway, and walkways made the property feel worn and disconnected.
- Patchy lawn, bare soil, and unfinished planting areas left both the front and back yards looking incomplete.
- Drainage, lighting, and a fire feature all needed to land inside one continuous renovation — not three follow-up projects spread across years.
What Changed
How INSTALL-IT-DIRECT Helped
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Design & Build
The Plan
About 2,000 sq ft of Orco interlocking pavers across the backyard patio, front driveway, and connecting walkways: 755 sq ft Villa Express in the backyard, 240 sq ft Holland 4×8 on the driveway and walkways, with additional Country Cobble Chateau pallets blended into the field on site
Square natural-gas fire pit (about 22 sq ft surround) with an 18-inch fire ring, set into the backyard paver field; gas line trenched and pressure-tested before backfill
Artificial turf panel set flush within the backyard paver field, no seams
A low segmental seat wall along the backyard edge, drainage and conduit rough-in completed during site prep, and low-voltage path lighting integrated through the hardscape plan
Client-approved second-phase addition brought planting, drip irrigation, Mission Mountain decorative gravel, and AZ Chocolate Patio Stone flagstone
The Build
Demo and Rough-In
Demo opened the project: concrete out of the driveway and patio, conduit and drainage rough-in, then the gas-line trench for the fire pit before any base went down.
Backyard Hardscape
The backyard paver field moved first, with crews laying Orco Villa Express units in a modular pattern, shaping the fire-pit surround, and working around rain delays on March 15 and March 21.
Driveway and Walkways
Once the backyard was substantially in place, the team replaced the front driveway and walkways with Orco Holland 4×8 pavers in a herringbone field pattern with soldier-course borders and curved edge restraints at the entry.
Turf and Lighting
Artificial turf went in after the hardscape edges were set, and the low-voltage lighting layout was placed and adjusted with the homeowner before first-phase punch work.
Second-Phase Landscaping and Closeout
A return visit, scheduled with the homeowners, wrapped in planting, drip irrigation, Mission Mountain decorative gravel, and AZ Chocolate Patio Stone flagstone. Final check April 28.
Investment
What would a similar project cost in San Diego?
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Frequently Asked Questions
What did this San Carlos project cost?
A project like this one — about 2,000 sq ft of pavers, a natural-gas fire pit, an artificial turf panel, drainage, low-voltage lighting, and a second-phase landscaping return — generally lands around $70,000 to $80,000 in San Diego for a comparable scope today. The homeowners' actual sold price (mid-2023) varied based on the line-item mix they selected and material substitutions during the build. Material selection, access, gas-line work, and any later scope additions can move the total up or down.
How much maintenance do pavers, turf, and gravel beds need after installation?
The pavers mainly need normal sweeping, occasional rinsing, and periodic joint-sand touchups if needed. Artificial turf benefits from brushing and debris removal, while gravel and planted beds need occasional cleanup, irrigation checks, and plant pruning. The point of this layout was lower upkeep than cracked concrete plus patchy lawn.
How long does a paver driveway, patio, and fire pit project like this take?
This project ran about 8 weeks end to end (roughly 35 to 40 working days on site, from early March to late April 2023) because it covered both the backyard and the front approach, included rain interruptions, and added a planting-and-irrigation second phase. Simpler hardscape-only projects can move faster; multi-phase projects of this size usually need extra time for utilities, deliveries, and a return visit.
Does a natural-gas fire pit involve special gas-line work?
Yes. A natural-gas fire feature requires a gas line trenched, sleeved, and pressure-tested before the hardscape goes back over the top — that work is what was done on this project, with the gas line set under the paver field before backfill so the finished surface did not need to be reopened. Permit and inspection requirements vary by exact scope and municipality; confirm with your contractor for your specific project.
What materials were used on this San Carlos driveway and patio project?
The backyard paver field is Orco Villa Express across about 755 sq ft, with additional Country Cobble Chateau pallets blended into the field on site. The front driveway and walkways are Orco Holland 4×8 across 240 sq ft in a herringbone pattern. The project also included an artificial turf panel set flush in the backyard, a square natural-gas fire pit with an 18-inch ring, low-voltage path lighting, and a low segmental seat wall. The second-phase addition brought planting, drip irrigation, Mission Mountain decorative gravel, and AZ Chocolate Patio Stone flagstone.
Can landscaping be added after the hardscape is already underway?
Yes. On this project, the first hardscape phase was followed by a return visit, scheduled with the homeowners, for planting, drip irrigation, Mission Mountain decorative gravel, and AZ Chocolate Patio Stone flagstone. That phased approach can work well when homeowners want the main hardscape locked in first and the landscape finish refined after seeing the space take shape.
Your Outdoor Project in 3 Simple Steps
Design
We listen to your vision, assess your space, and create a custom design that fits your lifestyle and budget.
Build
Our experienced crews bring the design to life with premium materials and expert craftsmanship.
Enjoy
Step into your transformed outdoor space and start making memories with family and friends.
Your Project Manager
Troy MacMillan
A San Diego native with more than 20 years in landscape construction, Troy brings seasoned craftsmanship to every build. A devoted husband and father of two, he carries the same care from the job site to his weekend farm.
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