Finished residential backyard patio showing large-format light-colored pavers with a darker gray paver border framing an...

Crisp Pavers and Turf in 4S Ranch, San Diego

Project Gallery

Completed artificial turf installation across a residential backyard showing a uniform turf field with a defined edge restraint and adjacent decorative river rock. The finished grade ties into the home's exterior and planting beds with exposed soil along the perimeter.

Residential backyard showing a newly installed artificial turf lawn with a neat edge against a river rock border and adjacent concrete walkway. The synthetic turf appears uniformly compacted and finished, indicating project closeout on a completed landscape.

Project Snapshot

Location 4S Ranch, San Diego (92127)

Style Contemporary

Timeline About 10 build days

Price Range $50k-$60k

– Pavers: Belgard Moduline 12×24 (light field, dark segmental soldier-course border), 624 sf installed
– Paver jointing: NextGel Polymeric Sand 50 lb bag, Gray, 9 bags
– Mow strip: Paver-on-edge set in concrete, 102 lf
– Artificial turf: Pro-Trade Fescue Light, 58 oz face weight / 84 oz total weight, 1.75-inch blade, Field Green/Lime blades with Green/Brown thatching, 1,914 sf installed
– Turf infill: SGW Envirofill Green 16/30, 57 bags
– Turf nails: Imperial 5-inch 40D nails, 4 x 50 lb boxes
– Weed barrier: SGW Weed Cloth 6 ft x 250 ft roll (1 roll) with weed cloth installation over 342 sf
– Decorative rock: AZ River Rock 1/2-inch to 1-inch, 342 sf
– Wall footing: Concrete 12×12-inch footing, 20 lf
– Wall/steps: Bastione 24-inch Slab, 30 sf
– Planting: 1 box tree (24×24), 20 five-gallon plants (species not documented), 2 CY top soil
– Base compaction: Subgrade compacted prior to bedding layer

The full backyard subgrade was stripped and re-graded prior to base preparation to establish positive drainage away from the structure. Impervious paver surfaces within 10 feet of the building foundation are sloped away from the foundation to maintain positive drainage. River rock transition beds with weed cloth provide permeable buffer zones between hardscape and planting areas.

This project required HOA approval prior to construction. The HOA issued a compliance requirement list that the homeowners navigated directly; approval was secured before demo began. Under California Civil Code Section 4735, HOA CC&Rs cannot prohibit artificial turf installations, though quality and appearance standards may apply. The wall footing and Bastione slab steps are within scope; permit threshold documentation for the wall was not explicitly recorded in project data. Verify current HOA regulations and legal requirements with a licensed contractor or attorney before proceeding.

Pre-construction HOA approval required approximately four to five weeks before demo could begin. Active construction ran approximately two weeks from demo through final completion and final sign-off. The total was open for roughly ten weeks, but build activity was concentrated in the final two-week window.

Project Story

Overview

On a hillside lot in 4S Ranch, the lawn had been failing for years — patchy in winter, brown in summer. When the crew stripped it in late January, they found grubs and beetle larvae in the root mat. Ten working days later, 1,914 sf of Pro-Trade Fescue had replaced the lawn and 624 sf of Belgard Moduline 12x24 pavers defined a new patio.

The turf actually stays green now and the patio gives us a flat spot on a hill that never had one.

— Paul M., San Diego

The Challenge

The 1,914 sf lawn area now under Pro-Trade Fescue was bare and brown in patches no amount of watering would fix.
Subsurface grub and beetle larva had destroyed the root system, ruling out regrowth without full removal.
The existing patio had no unified layout — no border course, no defined edge — so the household had no functional outdoor room to use the hillside view.

What Changed

The backyard was transformed from a grub-damaged, patchy natural lawn into a finished outdoor living space featuring 1,914 sf of low-maintenance artificial turf, a 624 sf Belgard Moduline large-format paver patio and walkway with dark border detail, and 342 sf of river rock planting beds framing the perimeter. Where a failing lawn once made the yard unusable, the family now has a defined patio looking out to mountain and valley views, with no irrigation, no reseeding, and no lawn care on the schedule.

How INSTALL-IT-DIRECT Helped

In 4S Ranch, the homeowners had spent years fighting a lawn that simply would not stay green, until a subsurface grub and beetle larva infestation made clear that the problem was below the soil, not above it. Install It Direct removed the failed lawn entirely, installed 1,914 sf of Pro-Trade Fescue synthetic turf over a freshly graded and compacted base, and laid 624 sf of Belgard Moduline 12x24 pavers with a dark soldier-course border to define the patio zone. River rock beds with weed cloth, new planting areas, and Bastione slab steps completed the design.

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Design & Build

The Plan

Layout was staked and string-lined during pre-construction site survey to define patio footprint, turf field boundaries, and river rock bed edges before any demo began.
Belgard Moduline 12×24 pavers in a light field color with contrasting dark segmental paver soldier-course border were selected to create a modern large-format patio with clean geometric framing.
Pro-Trade Fescue Light 58 oz face weight / 84 oz total weight turf in Field Green/Lime Blades with Green/Brown thatching was specified for a natural appearance with durability; SGW Envirofill green infill was included for blade support and cooling.
AZ river rock (1/2-inch to 1-inch) with SGW weed cloth barrier was planned for transition beds between turf, pavers, and the perimeter, eliminating ongoing weed maintenance.
A 20-linear-foot concrete wall footing (12×12 inch) with Bastione 24-inch slab steps (30 sf) defines the grade transition between the patio and lower yard areas.
NextGel polymeric gray sand was spec’d to lock paver joints and resist wash-out in the active outdoor environment; a concrete mow strip/paver-on-edge set in concrete runs 102 lf to cleanly separate the turf field from surrounding beds.

See the 2D plan drawing

The Build

Cleared residential backyard showing rough grade and compacted soil with a large roll of wire mesh or erosion control material staged on the site. Wheelbarrow and hand tools sit near the house indicating active site prep, likely in advance of turf install or paver/base work.

Residential paver patio in active base prep showing installed light-gray stone pavers with Adirondack chairs on the finished surface. A plate compactor sits on the edge of the paved area and an adjacent compacted gravel base and bedding sand strip are visible where more pavers or turf will be installed.

Demo and Haul-Away

Crew removed existing natural lawn, roots, bushes, and shrubs. Two large haul-away loads removed the organic debris, including heavily grub-infested soil material. Backyard/pool deck access was used for equipment and material movement throughout.

Grading and Base Preparation

Subgrade was stripped and graded across the turf field and patio footprint. The base was compacted and brought to specified elevations. Wire mesh was staged on-site and laid over the prepared base ahead of turf and paver installation.

Paver Installation

Belgard Moduline 12x24 pavers were delivered and installed across the 624 sf patio and walkway area. The dark soldier-course border was set first to establish the frame, followed by the light field. Concrete wall footing and Bastione slab steps were formed and poured. The side-yard walkway with flanking river rock beds was completed, connecting the front approach to the rear patio. Polymeric sand was swept and activated to lock joints.

Turf Installation

Multiple Pro-Trade Fescue turf rolls were unrolled over the prepared base with black underlayment. Panels were seamed using the zig-zag S-seam technique to minimize visible seam lines. Panels were nailed with 5-inch Imperial 40D nails and filled with SGW Envirofill green 16/30 infill. Metal edging and concrete mow strip defined the turf perimeter.

Landscaping and Finish Work

AZ river rock beds with weed cloth were installed in the designated border areas. One 24x24 box tree and 20 five-gallon plants were installed with top soil. Final site cleanup, staging removal, and completion inspection were conducted to close out the project.

Investment

What would a similar project cost in San Diego?

Toggle components on/off to estimate your project

Artificial Turf (1,914 sf installed) $25,000 – $30,000

Pavers and Hardscape (624 sf patio/walkway, 102 lf mow strip) $14,500 – $17,500

Landscaping and Planting (342 sf rock beds, 21 plants, topsoil) $7,000 – $8,500

Walls and Steps (20 lf footing, 30 sf Bastione slab) $2,000 – $2,500

Demo and Site Work $1,500 – $1,500

Estimated Total

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a backyard artificial turf and paver project cost in 4S Ranch?

A project similar to this one in 4S Ranch, combining roughly 1,900 sf of artificial turf with 600 sf of large-format pavers, decorative rock beds, planting, and a low wall, typically falls in the $50,000 to $60,000 range. The main cost drivers are turf square footage, paver material selection, site access, and any grading or HOA coordination required. Projects with simpler scopes or smaller footprints will come in lower.

Can my HOA in 4S Ranch prevent me from installing artificial turf?

Under California Civil Code Section 4735, HOA CC&Rs that prohibit artificial turf are void and unenforceable. Your HOA may set reasonable quality and appearance standards, such as pile height and color requirements, but cannot effectively ban synthetic turf. On this project, HOA approval was required and obtained before construction began, so the process does add lead time even if the outcome is protected by state law. Verify current HOA regulations and legal requirements with a licensed contractor or attorney before proceeding.

What caused the original lawn at this property to fail?

When the crew stripped the existing lawn, they found an extensive infestation of turf grubs and beetle larvae beneath the surface, which had destroyed the root system from below. No amount of watering or overseeding could overcome the subsurface damage. Removing the lawn and replacing it with synthetic turf permanently eliminates the conditions that allowed the infestation to take hold.

How do I maintain artificial turf in San Diego?

The Pro-Trade Fescue turf installed here requires minimal upkeep compared to natural grass. Routine care includes occasional rinsing to remove dust and debris, brushing the blades upright after heavy use, and spot-cleaning as needed. The SGW Envirofill infill used on this project helps blades stand upright and moderates surface temperature. No irrigation, no mowing, no fertilizing, and no re-seeding are required.

How long does a backyard turf and paver installation take in San Diego?

For a project of this size, active construction ran approximately two weeks once demo started. If your property is in an HOA community, build in additional lead time for approval, which in this case added several weeks before a shovel went in the ground. The full timeline from contract to completion was roughly ten weeks, though most of that was pre-construction coordination.

What type of pavers were used for this 4S Ranch backyard patio?

The patio and walkway use Belgard Moduline 12x24-inch pavers in a light field color with a contrasting dark segmental soldier-course border. The large-format size creates a clean modern look with fewer grout lines, and the dark border gives the patio defined geometry. Joints were finished with NextGel gray polymeric sand to resist wash-out and prevent weed intrusion.

Your Outdoor Project in 3 Simple Steps

1

Design

We listen to your vision, assess your space, and create a custom design that fits your lifestyle and budget.

2

Build

Our experienced crews bring the design to life with premium materials and expert craftsmanship.

3

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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