Bonita Backyard: Pavers, Turf, and Drainage Done Right
Overview
This Bonita backyard got new interlocking pavers, artificial turf, and a full underground drain system added during pre-construction planning. The crew removed the old patio, re-graded the site, and wrapped up in about 2 weeks of on-site work.
Quick Facts
City Bonita
Neighborhood Bonita
Constraints/Challenges Pre-construction review identified that the paver walkway had to slope away from the house foundation, and four turf-area drains plus two courtyard drains plus a pop-up drain at the fence gate were required to move surface water off the lot. A downspout connection to the new drain system was also incorporated before completion.
Goals The homeowner wanted to replace a failing paver patio, add a low-maintenance artificial turf lawn, and end up with a backyard that drained properly after rain.
Scope Paver patio and curved walkway (interlocking concrete, ashlar pattern), artificial turf lawn, segmental retaining wall, river-rock planting borders, 120 linear feet of drain line, 6 drain caps, 1 pop-up drain, demolition of existing paver patio
Style Traditional
Timeline About 8 build days
Price Range $45k-$55k
The Challenge
- After heavy rain, water pooled in the courtyard and along the fence gate because the site had no surface drainage at all.
- The existing paver patio had deteriorated to the point of requiring full demolition before any new work could begin.
- The backyard offered no usable lawn space, with bare ground and hardscape leaving nowhere for casual outdoor activity.
How Install It Direct Helped
Market Context
Neighborhood Context
The Plan
- Paver layout: interlocking concrete pavers in a modular ashlar/random-rectangular pattern covering the main patio area and a curved perimeter walkway
- Turf placement: synthetic turf panels installed in the central lawn field and surrounding turf inserts, with a soldier-course paver mow strip at turf edges
- Drainage design: four subsurface drains in the turf field, two courtyard drains, and one pop-up drain at the fence gate, all tied into 120 linear feet of buried drain line graded to discharge
- Downspout integration: existing downspout connected to the new drain system to prevent concentrated discharge near the foundation
- Retaining wall and planting beds: segmental block wall along the rear perimeter with river-rock-filled planting borders
- Infill material: Imperial Camofill antimicrobial/pet infill applied to all turf areas by power broom
The Build
Crew removed the deteriorated existing paver patio, hauled debris, and rough-graded the backyard. A compact track loader was used to move and level subgrade material.
After demo, the drain network went in: 120 linear feet of drain line, six drain caps across the turf and courtyard areas, and one pop-up drain at the fence gate. The downspout was tied into the system before backfill.
Crushed aggregate base was compacted and screeded. Pavers were set in the ashlar pattern across the main patio field, then the curved walkway and soldier-course border were completed. Retaining wall blocks and river-rock borders were set in parallel.
Turf panels were rolled out, seamed, and power-broomed with Imperial Camofill antimicrobial infill. Mow-strip alignment and DG compaction wrapped on the last build day, followed by a walk-through the next morning.
The Result
Finished residential backyard showing a straight brick paver walkway leading to a raised paver patio with seating. Artificial turf has been installed on both sides of the walkway and a concrete block retaining wall and new wood fence define the perimeter.
Finished backyard showing interlocking paver patio and walkways with artificial turf infill and a segmental retaining wall with planter beds. River rock edging and outdoor seating with red Adirondack chairs complete the landscaped hardscape.
Finished backyard showing an interlocking paver patio with seating and a central fire pit, bordered by artificial turf. A segmental retaining wall and newly stained wood fence run along the rear property line with the house exterior visible beyond.
Finished residential backyard showing an interlocking paver patio with a curved edge abutting artificial turf and a segmental retaining wall with river rock and planter pockets. Outdoor seating is staged on the patio, indicating project closeout and a completed landscape installation.
Backyard shows a completed interlocking paver patio and curved paver border with newly installed artificial turf. A short segmental/retaining seat wall and a bare planting bed/dirt area are visible in the foreground, indicating final exterior touches.
Finished backyard showing an interlocking paver patio and curved paver walkway abutting newly installed artificial turf. Decorative rock planting bed with drought-tolerant plants and planters along a wood fence, visible sliding glass door and clean paver joints indicate a completed exterior landscape installation.
Finished backyard showing a circular interlocking paver patio with outdoor seating adjacent to newly installed artificial turf. A segmental retaining wall terraces a raised planting area and a curved paver edge defines the turf-to-bed transition. Pavers and turf appear clean and fully installed indicating project closeout.
Backyard interlocking paver patio in a modular/ashlar-style pattern with a crew member kneeling to finish jointing and compaction near sliding glass doors. Artificial turf borders one side and a curved river-rock planting bed with ornamental grass and exposed soil indicates finishing touches are underway.
Finished backyard showing interlocking paver patio and walkways with artificial turf infill and a segmental retaining wall with planter beds. River rock edging and outdoor seating with red Adirondack chairs complete the landscaped hardscape.
Finished residential backyard showing an interlocking paver patio with a curved edge abutting artificial turf and a segmental retaining wall with river rock and planter pockets. Outdoor seating is staged on the patio, indicating project closeout and a completed landscape installation.
Investment
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Frequently Asked Questions
A backyard project like this one in Bonita (91902) with interlocking pavers, synthetic turf, a retaining wall, and a drain system typically falls in the $45,000 to $55,000 range. Drainage requirements, demo scope, and patio size are the biggest cost drivers. This project also included roughly 120 linear feet of drainage work added during pre-construction planning.
Most San Diego paver-and-turf projects of this scale run 4 to 8 weeks depending on access and drainage requirements. This Bonita build wrapped in about 8 working days of on-site work, with the drainage design finalized during pre-construction so the crew could go straight from demo into install.
On this Bonita lot, the site required four subsurface drains in the turf field, two courtyard drains, and a pop-up drain at the fence gate, all connected to 120 linear feet of buried drain pipe. The existing downspout was also tied into the system. California residential code requires hardscape to drain at least 6 inches over the first 10 feet away from the foundation, which dictated how the paver field was sloped.
California Civil Code Section 4735 prohibits HOAs from banning artificial turf outright. An HOA may impose quality and appearance standards, such as pile height or seam requirements, but cannot use those standards to effectively block installation. If your HOA has restrictions on record, they are likely void under state law.
Imperial Camofill is an antimicrobial infill used in artificial turf installations where pets will use the lawn. It controls odor and inhibits bacteria growth in the turf fibers. It is applied by power broom after the turf panels are seamed and secured, which is the process the crew used on this Bonita project.
Yes. On this project, the existing clay-paver patio was fully demolished, debris was hauled off, and the subgrade was re-graded before new interlocking concrete pavers and synthetic turf were installed. A full demo-and-replace approach lets the crew correct drainage slope issues that a surface overlay cannot fix.
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Your Project Manager
Troy MacMillan
Install It Direct has completed paver, turf, and drainage projects across Bonita and the South Bay. The team caught the drainage gap on this project during pre-construction review, not after the first storm, which is the kind of detail that protects the homeowner's investment over the long term.
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