The finished backyard at twilight — a covered patio, a lit square gas fire pit ringed by a paver seat wall, an interlocking-paver patio, and turf lawns on both sides under a deep blue sky.

A Whole-Yard Santee Transformation: Paver Driveway, Fire Pit & Turf

This finished project was a $160k-$185k build.

Project Gallery

Front of the home at sunset with an artificial-turf front lawn, a wide interlocking-paver driveway with inset pebble bands, and a covered porch on stone-veneer columns.

Curb appeal at dusk: an artificial-turf lawn and an Orco Pietra paver driveway lead up to the covered, stone-column entry.

Backyard at blue hour: a covered patio with ceiling fan and heater at left, a turf lawn edged in gravel and ornamental grasses, and uplit palms along a terraced block retaining wall leading to a storage shed.

After dusk, low-voltage uplighting picks out the palms along the terraced wall while the covered patio and turf lawn glow under the fans.

A square gas fire pit with tall flames over lava rock at dusk, surrounded by an L-shaped block seat wall on an interlocking-paver patio, with a turf lawn and cypress trees behind.

The gas fire pit throwing flame after sunset, wrapped by an L-shaped paver seat wall on the Orco Pietra patio.

Wider dusk view of the paver fire-pit patio set a step below a raised turf lawn; the block seat wall also retains the higher grade, with a shed and cypress trees beyond the vinyl fence.

The fire-pit patio sits a step below the turf lawn, the seat wall doubling as the retaining wall that holds the grade.

Sunset view of the back slope rebuilt as two terraced segmental-block retaining walls planted with young palms and ornamental grasses, above a wide, level artificial-turf lawn.

Where a bare dirt slope used to be: two courses of segmental retaining wall now terrace the back rise, planted with palms and grasses above a level turf lawn.

Close view of the terraced segmental-block retaining walls with capped courses, planted with feather grasses, shrubs, and young palms in decorative gravel beds against a wood fence.

Detail of the terraced walls — clean, capped block courses stepping the grade, with low-water grasses and young palms filling the gravel beds between.

Angled dusk view of the multi-tier retaining-wall garden, gravel planting terraces with grasses and shrubs stepping up to a wood fence, cypress trees at right.

The terraced garden from the lawn’s edge, the stepped beds climbing toward the fence line and the neighborhood ridge beyond.

Side-yard interlocking-paver walkway running alongside the house between a vinyl privacy fence and a gravel planting border, leading to a vinyl gate at the rear.

The side yard turned into usable passage: an Orco Pietra walkway with a gravel drainage border running back to a new vinyl gate.

Project Snapshot

Location Santee (92071)

Style Transitional

Timeline About 22 working days

Price Range $160k-$185k

– Orco Pietra paver installation: 2,060 sq ft
– Paver sealer: 2,060 sq ft
– SGW Oceanside Premium turf: 2,240 sq ft plus 336 sq ft waste allowance
– 3 inch SDR35 drainline: 250 ln ft
– French drain behind new retaining wall: 180 ln ft
– Drip-valve irrigation installs: 4
– Gas line: 80 ln ft with 3 gas-line connections
– Orco Courtyard round fire pit: 1
– Wall caps, post caps, corner blocks, York blocks, gravel, and stone veneer
– DG, river rock, bender board, 15-gallon trees/shrubs, and 5-gallon shrubs
– Solid patio-cover, footing, electrical, fan, and LED can-light scope.

– 250 ln ft of 3 inch SDR35 drainline
– 180 ln ft of French drain behind new retaining wall
– 25 drain-cap or downspout connections
– 2 curb-core-outs through the street curb and under sidewalk
– Drip irrigation tied into the planting and turf-adjacent landscape scope.

– Main hardscape and landscape installation took about 22 working days
– The build progressed from site prep and drainage into pavers, walls, turf, planting, and finish work
– Sealer, patio-cover items, and final details continued after the main installation before the project was fully wrapped
– Contract-to-start coordination and completion paperwork are not counted as active construction.

Project Story

Overview

Install It Direct completed a $167k Santee whole-yard remodel with 2,060 sq ft of Orco Pietra pavers, 2,240 sq ft of SGW Oceanside Premium turf, drainage, walls, a gas fire pit, patio-cover/electrical work, and planting.

The Challenge

The front and back yards felt disconnected, with patchy lawn, bare dirt, and walkways that never tied the space together.
Grade changes made parts of the yard awkward to use and left it prone to runoff when it rained.
There was no real outdoor living space: nowhere comfortable to gather, sit by a fire, or entertain.

What Changed

The finished property now has a paver driveway and patio network, artificial turf panels, terraced backyard walls, planting beds, outdoor lighting, and a fire-pit patio connected to the covered seating area.

How INSTALL-IT-DIRECT Helped

The project came together as one coordinated whole-yard upgrade rather than a string of disconnected fixes: Orco Pietra pavers for the driveway, walkways, and patios; SGW Oceanside Premium turf for low-maintenance lawn areas; drainage and irrigation; retaining and seat walls; a gas-fed fire pit; planting; and patio-cover and electrical scope for the outdoor living area. Drainage and grading were handled first so the finished pavers, turf, and walls would stay stable across the yard's grade changes.

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Before & After

Residential backyard showing a sloped yard with exposed dirt and sparse natural grass up to a new wooden fence. Existing... — BEFORE
Before: a bare, eroding dirt slope dropping to the back fence.

Front yard of a single-family home showing a patchy natural grass lawn adjacent to a concrete driveway with a work truck... — BEFORE
Before: patchy, dead front lawn and gravel edging along the driveway.

Design & Build

The Plan

Use Orco Pietra pavers to connect the driveway, front entry, side access, patio, and backyard hardscape into one consistent surface palette.
Place SGW Oceanside Premium artificial turf in defined lawn panels so the front and backyard stay green without a high-maintenance natural lawn.
Route drainage with SDR35 drainline, French drain, drain/downspout connections, and curb-core work before the finished pavers and turf were installed.
Use retaining and seat walls to organize the backyard grade changes and frame the fire-pit and planting areas.
Coordinate gas, electrical, patio-cover, planting, and finish details so the backyard reads as a complete outdoor-living space.

See the 2D plan drawing

The Build

The front yard stripped to bare soil during demolition, a skid-steer loading spoils into a dump trailer at the curb.

Residential front yard demolition in progress: a skid steer is loading sod and topsoil into a dump truck while crew prepare the site. Portable restroom and street access visible as the crew strips existing lawn and soils in preparation for grading and base preparation.

The backyard paver patio going in over a compacted base, with the next section still graded and ready for pavers.

Backyard paver patio installation in progress: interlocking concrete pavers are being laid adjacent to an existing concrete slab with loose pavers and tools on the surface. Rear yard shows soil and gravel piles with evidence of grading and base preparation for remaining work.

Demo and Site Prep

Crews removed existing lawn and soil, opened the work areas, and prepared the front, side, and backyard zones for drainage, base, and wall work.

Drainage, Utilities and Base

Drainline, French drain, downspout connections, curb-core work, irrigation, gas-line, footing, and electrical items were coordinated before finished surfaces went in.

Pavers, Walls and Fire Pit

The hardscape phase added Orco Pietra pavers, wall and cap materials, stone veneer, and the gas fire-pit area.

Turf, Rock and Planting

Artificial turf, decorative rock, DG, bender board, shrubs, and trees finished the low-maintenance landscape layout.

Sealer and Finish Work

The final phase focused on paver sealer, lighting and finish details, cleanup, and final finishing work.

Investment

What would a similar project cost in Santee?

Toggle components on/off to estimate your project

Pavers, Hardscape and Side-Yard DG $41,500 – $47,500

Turf, River Rock and Planting $37,000 – $42,500

Retaining Walls, Seat Walls, Veneer and Fire Feature $42,500 – $49,000

Patio Covers, Footings and Electrical $25,500 – $29,500

Drainage and Irrigation $8,000 – $9,500

Site Prep, Delivery and Project Logistics $5,500 – $7,000

Estimated Total

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a full paver, turf, wall, and drainage project cost in Santee?

Whole-yard projects with this much scope usually land in the low- to mid-six figures, and the price moves with square footage, how much wall and drainage work is involved, and the finish level. This Santee project was about $167k and included 2,060 sq ft of pavers, 2,240 sq ft of turf, drainage, walls, planting, a gas fire pit, and patio-cover/electrical coordination.

Do patio covers, fire pits, or retaining walls require permits in Santee?

Permit requirements depend on final dimensions, utilities, attachments, and local review. Verify current requirements with a licensed contractor or attorney before construction. This project included patio-cover footing/electrical items, gas-line work, a fire pit, and retaining-wall related scope.

Should drainage be installed before pavers and turf?

Yes. Drainage should be planned before finished surfaces go in so water can be routed under or around pavers, walls, and turf. This project included SDR35 drainline, French drain, downspout connections, curb-core work, and irrigation items.

How long does a whole-yard paver and turf project take?

Active hardscape and landscape installation on this project ran about 22 working days. The bigger drivers of a whole-yard timeline are scope and weather: drainage and grading go in first, then pavers, walls, turf, and planting, with sealer and patio-cover closeout finishing after the main install. Sequencing the trades this way keeps each one from waiting on the next.

Why combine pavers and artificial turf in the same yard?

Pavers handle driveway, walkway, and patio traffic, while artificial turf keeps lawn areas green with less routine maintenance than natural grass. The combination works best when drainage, borders, walls, and planting beds are planned together.

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

Chris MacMillan

A San Diego native, Chris grew up in his family's North County landscaping business and went on to launch his own custom outdoor-living company. He combines a finance background with hands-on construction expertise to help homeowners get the most out of San Diego's year-round outdoor living.

Ready to Transform Your Outdoor Space?

Let's discuss your project and bring your vision to life.