Herringbone Entry Court in Ocean Beach, San Diego
Project Gallery
Completed irregular flagstone-pattern paver patio featuring interlocking pavers and clean joints, bordered by a low segmental retaining wall with capped pillars. Artificial turf is installed adjacent to the patio in a residential front yard and the area is staged with two chairs, indicating project completion.
Newly installed artificial turf in a narrow side yard adjacent to an interlocking paver walkway and patio under a raised deck. A concrete block segmental retaining wall with wood fence above runs along the right side; site appears clean and at or near final completion.
Residential job site showing a newly installed interlocking paver patio with curved multi-step transition and matching risers, adjacent to a newly laid artificial turf lawn. House exterior and a planted shrub bed are visible; edges between turf and pavers are clean and installation appears finished.
Finished segmental retaining wall with capstone borders a recently installed paver patio adjacent to a concrete public sidewalk and curb ramp. The work appears complete with neat joints and installed coping, and a small patch of natural grass remains in the foreground.
Segmental retaining wall and low seat wall constructed with interlocking pavers and capstones forming a raised patio/planter area adjacent to a residential home. Concrete sidewalk and turf in front indicate exterior front-yard installation nearing or at completion.
Installed artificial turf covering a narrow side yard adjacent to a residential exterior, flanked by a segmental retaining wall with paver cap. The turf appears finished with a uniform pile and clean transitions around porch pillars and landscaping.
Project Snapshot
Project Story
Overview
Set 415 sf of Angelus Courtyard Combo pavers in herringbone across the front and side yards of this raised Ocean Beach home, built 287 sf of stucco-finished cinderblock retaining wall on a 120-lf concrete footing, and laid 575 sf of SGW Nature's Best artificial turf. Cleared a city setback rule for wall height before mobilizing. About five weeks active, with the grade held and drainage routed via 30 lf of perforated pipe to a pop-up.
The herringbone is the first thing visitors notice now.
The Challenge
- Crumbling old pavers, patchy grass, and overgrown beds across the front and side yards left the property reading neglected from the street.
- A failing neighboring wall threatened the soil retention beneath the planned 575 sf turf area, putting the install at risk before base prep could begin.
- A city setback rule required an inspector site visit before the herringbone pavers and 287 sf retaining wall could go in, adding weeks to the schedule.
What Changed
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Design & Build
The Plan
Layout centered on a raised patio at the home entry with herringbone-pattern Angelus Courtyard Combo pavers in 60mm, bordered by a soldier course and framed by stucco-finished cinderblock retaining walls
Cinderblock retaining wall system, 287 sf face, 2-side stucco finish, with a 12×12 concrete footing running 120 linear feet to ensure structural stability on the sloped lot
Neighboring wall condition triggered a scope adjustment adding approximately 30 ln ft of new footing and wall to prevent soil and base movement beneath the turf area
Drainage designed with 30 ln ft of 3-inch triple-wall perforated pipe with filter sleeve, two 45/90-degree PVC elbows, and one PVC pop-up drain; surfaces graded for code-compliant flow away from the foundation
575 sf of SGW Nature’s Best artificial turf installed with turf blades facing the street per client direction; SGW Green Sand antimicrobial infill added for longevity and odor control
255 CY of stabilized Desert Gold decomposed granite and 307 sf of standard forest-floor mulch (2-inch depth) complete the planted bed areas alongside SGW weed cloth barrier
See the 2D plan drawing
The Build
Phasing
Construction began with city coordination to resolve the wall height setback, followed by root grinding and tree removal outsourced by the client. Demo of existing hardscape, pavers, and planting beds came next using a compact track loader. Retaining wall footing and cinderblock wall construction followed, with the first material delivery from Modern Builders arriving at the start of wall build. Paver base prep (subgrade compaction, 4-inch Class II road base in 2-inch lifts, 1-inch screed sand) ran concurrently with wall work. Paver installation in herringbone pattern with soldier-course border followed. A mid-project walkthrough added wall columns, bullnose, and additional pavers as a scope adjustment. Turf sub-base prep, weed cloth, poly board edging, and SGW Nature's Best installation completed the soft surfaces. DG and mulch bed areas finished last.
Key Inspections
Pre-walk completed with scope, job conditions, and access routes verified before site setup. Staging area release signed by client. DIG Alert completed before any excavation. Retaining wall footings, rebar, and block installation verified against city codes and ICPI guidelines. Excavation depths confirmed for paver areas (7.5 inches from final grade). Drainage system verified for schedule 40 PVC, proper fittings, and flow to drain cap at grade level. Paver installation checked for straightness, 1/16-to-1/8-inch joint gap, flatness, and bond beam clearance. Final inspection walk completed with the foreman, the project manager, and the client; final sign-off recorded.
Utilities
Drainage: 30 ln ft of 3-inch triple-wall perforated pipe with filter sleeve, 2 PVC fittings (45 and 90 degree), 1 PVC pop-up drain set at grade level. Schedule 40 PVC confirmed and Oatey primer/cement used on all fittings. Drain cap height verified at grade for positive flow. Electrical conduit sleeves installed during paver base phase for future low-voltage lighting. Sprinklers tested before and after installation with no leaks found. No gas line work on this project.
Investment
What would a similar project cost in San Diego?
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a project like this typically cost in Ocean Beach or Point Loma?
A project combining retaining walls, interlocking pavers, artificial turf, and drainage in San Diego's coastal neighborhoods generally runs $65,000 to $80,000 or more, depending on wall scope, access conditions, and the area of each surface. This project included 287 sf of stucco-finished cinderblock wall, 415 sf of pavers, and 575 sf of artificial turf, which put it in that range. The investment breakdown on this page shows how cost allocates across the major components.
Did the retaining walls require a city permit in San Diego?
Retaining walls in the City of San Diego require a building permit when they exceed 3 feet measured from the top of the footing to the top of the wall. This project also encountered a specific 25-foot setback rule at the house corner that limited solid wall height to 3 feet in that zone, requiring direct coordination with the city and an inspector site visit before construction could proceed. IID worked through that process proactively so the homeowner did not have to navigate it alone.
How does IID handle drainage under artificial turf and pavers?
On this project, 30 linear feet of 3-inch triple-wall perforated pipe with a filter sleeve was installed beneath the turf and paver areas to move subsurface water away from the foundation. A PVC pop-up drain was set at grade level to handle surface flow. All hardscape surfaces were graded to direct water away from the house per California residential drainage requirements. The drain cap height was field-verified during installation to confirm positive flow before the site was closed up.
Can a paver patio be installed on a sloped lot like this one in Ocean Beach?
Yes. Sloped lots in coastal neighborhoods like Ocean Beach often require retaining walls to establish a level patio area and manage the grade change. On this project, a cinderblock retaining wall with stucco finish and a 120 linear foot concrete footing held the slope while creating a raised patio at the home entry. The paver base was then built up properly with compacted road base in 2-inch lifts and a screeded sand bed before the Angelus Courtyard Combo pavers were laid in a herringbone pattern.
What kind of maintenance does artificial turf require?
SGW Nature's Best artificial turf requires very little upkeep. An occasional rinse to clear dust or debris, a light brushing once or twice a year to keep the blades upright, and periodic checks on the infill level are generally all that's needed. The antimicrobial SGW Green Sand infill installed in this project helps control odor and bacteria long-term. There are no sprinklers to adjust, no fertilizer, and no mowing.
How long did the build take from start to finish?
Active construction on this Ocean Beach project ran about 5 weeks from first site setup to final inspection. The timeline included demolition, retaining wall construction, paver base prep and installation, a mid-project scope adjustment for wall columns and bullnose, artificial turf installation, and mulch and DG bed completion. Scheduling and city coordination happened before the active build started.
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Your Project Manager
Troy MacMillan
The setback rule decided the wall before we drew anything else. Three feet across the corner, no taller, full stucco — and then the pavers had to land inside that envelope without looking like they'd been laid around a constraint. The herringbone solved the proportion. The soldier course made the boundary intentional instead of accidental. The mid-build column add-on came from the homeowner's walkthrough; it was the right call. — Install It Direct design team
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