Case study

Pavers, Lighting and Planting in Palo Alto

Palo Alto paver, drainage and lighting project with Belgard hardscape, mulch beds, wood fencing and planter areas by Sequoia Outdoor.

Location: Palo Alto
Scope: Artificial Turf
Completed: February 2025
Investment: $155,000–$180,000

Full project details

Timeline: Hardscape installation ran through December, with a winter pause waiting on client-supplied materials before planting and finish work wrapped in mid-February 2025.

The challenge

Older concrete, leaf-covered planting areas and bare soil left the front and backyard without clear finished routes.

Drainage and irrigation needed to be planned with the new paving, mulch beds and planter areas.

The outdoor layout needed defined zones for entry, driveway, patio and garden areas.

Our approach

Sequoia Outdoor installed 3,800 sq ft of Belgard pavers, wood fencing and gates, drainage pipe, irrigation valves, low-voltage fixtures, mulch, decorative rock and planter boxes. The finished layout gives the Palo Alto property clear hardscape routes, planted edges and lighting across the front, side and backyard.

The outcome

The finished project added 3,800 sq ft of Belgard paving, wood fencing with two gates, 57 linear ft of Melville curb edging, 260 linear ft of SDR-35 drainage pipe, 77 linear ft of perforated SDR-35 pipe, 9 irrigation valve zones and 33 low-voltage fixtures. Front, side and backyard areas now have paver routes, mulch and rock beds, planted zones and lighting.

Outdoor living project in Palo Alto — design plan diagram. Sequoia Outdoor.

The plan

Coordinate the front yard, side yard, backyard and pool-deck access from a 2D landscape plan.

Install 3,800 sq ft of Belgard paving across driveway, walkway and patio zones.

Add wood fencing, two gates, planter boxes, a fountain base and 57 linear ft of Belgard Melville curb edging.

Route drainage with 260 linear ft of 3 in SDR-35 pipe, 77 linear ft of perforated SDR-35 pipe, channel and grate drains, pop-up emitters, downspout adapters and a dry well pit.

Finish planting surfaces with bark mulch, mini bark, topsoil, 178 sq ft of decorative rock, 39 linear ft of steel edging and 9 irrigation valve zones.

Build highlights

Front driveway demolition and site prep at a residential property. Large pile of broken concrete and a separate...

Site Prep and Access

Remove selected soil, bushes, small trees and wood planter boxes, then prepare access through the driveway, backyard and pool-deck routes.

Broken concrete slab pieces from a driveway/sidewalk demolition with a handheld demolition hammer lying on top. An...

Drainage and Irrigation Rough-In

Place SDR-35 drain pipe, perforated pipe, drain grates, pop-up emitters, downspout adapters, the dry well pit, irrigation valve zones, control wire and the Hunter Pro HC controller.

Residential front yard has been stripped of existing landscaping and shows exposed soil with equipment and a trailer...

Paver Base and Hardscape

Prepare the base and install Belgard paving, bullnose coping, step foundation work, Melville curb edging and steel edging.

Cleared backyard with a compacted granular subbase and graded dirt surface, likely prepared for a future patio or turf...

Fence, Gate and Planter Work

Install the wood fencing, gates, planter boxes, the fountain base, steel edging and related hardscape edges.

Prepped front porch and adjacent yard with a compacted crushed-rock base and grade stakes in place, ready for paver...

Lighting, Mulch and Rock

Install Pro-Trade uplights, path lights and ledge lights, add the Vista WiFi transformer, then place mulch, topsoil, decorative rock, weed cloth and planting-bed finishes.

Before and after

Before — Backyard area with surface mostly stripped to soil and organic mulch, showing a spray-painted layout line marking a... — Bark planting bed with new plantings and path lighting around a mature tree, edged by a gray paver walkway.

After — Bark planting bed with new plantings and path lighting around a mature tree, edged by a gray paver walkway. — Bark planting bed with new plantings and path lighting around a mature tree, edged by a gray paver walkway.

Before — Backyard site photo showing existing concrete patio with outdoor furniture and a storage shed, adjacent to a wood... — Gray paver patio with raised metal planter boxes, a garden trellis arch and path lighting along the fence.

After — Finished backyard paver patio with large rectangular raised planters and a metal trellis arch. Clean gray interlocking... — Gray paver patio with raised metal planter boxes, a garden trellis arch and path lighting along the fence.

Project gallery

Gray paver patio meeting a bark planting bed with a boulder and new plantings along the wood fence. — Finished outdoor living area showing large-format gray pavers forming a patio and adjoining walkway. Adjacent mulch planting bed contains small ornamental trees, shrubs and a decorative boulder with low landscape lighting street and fence are visible beyond indicating a street-facing yard.

Finished interlocking concrete paver walkway and adjoining paver patio leading to the front entry of a residential home.... — Finished interlocking concrete paver walkway and adjoining paver patio leading to the front entry of a residential home. Landscaped mulch beds with new plantings and low-voltage path lighting border the walkway, with a gravel/river rock area to the right, presenting a completed front-yard hardscape.

A finished interlocking paver walkway leads to a residential front entry, flanked by mulch beds with recently installed... — A finished interlocking paver walkway leads to a residential front entry, flanked by mulch beds with recently installed shrubs and decorative gravel areas. Low-voltage landscape lighting and mature shade trees frame the completed softscape, giving a clean, finished appearance.

Completed front-yard installation showing a straight paver walkway of large-format rectangular pavers tying into the... — Completed front-yard installation showing a straight paver walkway of large-format rectangular pavers tying into the sidewalk. Mulch planting beds with drought-tolerant plantings and low-profile path lighting flank the walk curb and street visible beyond the yard.

Concrete walkway leads from the sidewalk to the home's entry with adjacent gravel surfacing and mulched planting beds. A... — Concrete walkway leads from the sidewalk to the home's entry with adjacent gravel surfacing and mulched planting beds. A low timber retaining planter and ornamental trees define the front yard, showing a completed plant-forward landscape beside the street.

Interlocking gray paver driveway beside a stained horizontal wood fence and a fresh bark planting bed. — Finished residential exterior showing a paved driveway/walkway in interlocking pavers with a contrasting soldier-course border adjacent to a horizontal stained wood privacy fence. A mulched planting bed with small new plantings and low-voltage pathway lights lines the curb on a corner lot, indicating final cleanup and landscaping completed.

Finished backyard paver patio with large rectangular raised planters and a metal trellis arch. Clean gray interlocking... — Finished backyard paver patio with large rectangular raised planters and a metal trellis arch. Clean gray interlocking pavers create a level seating/walkway area adjacent to wood privacy fencing and mulch planting beds.

Bark planting bed with new plantings and path lighting around a mature tree, edged by a gray paver walkway. — Finished interlocking paver patio and adjacent walkway with a stone/segmental edge restraint are visible along a wood fence. A mulched planting bed with new landscape plantings and low-voltage lighting surrounds a large existing tree, indicating final landscape installation and cleanup.

Bark planting bed with a tree and path lighting wrapping the paver patio beside the studio. — Interlocking pavers installed forming a patio/walkway alongside a residential exterior. A newly mulched planting bed with small shrubs and a tree includes low-voltage landscape lighting, indicating a completed landscape installation.

Finished interlocking paver patio in a residential backyard enclosed by a newly stained wooden privacy fence. Pavers are... — Finished interlocking paver patio in a residential backyard enclosed by a newly stained wooden privacy fence. Pavers are laid in a modular ashlar-like pattern with a few dark/wet spots visible site is clear of equipment and appears as a completed installation.

Frequently asked questions

What does a similar paver, drainage and landscape lighting project in Palo Alto cost?

A similar Palo Alto project with pavers, fencing, drainage, irrigation, mulch beds, decorative rock, planter areas and low-voltage lighting may run around $155k to $180k depending on access, drainage routing, lighting count and material selections.

Can one outdoor project combine pavers, drainage, fencing and lighting?

Yes. This project combined 3,800 sq ft of Belgard paving with drainage pipe, irrigation controls, mulch and rock beds, wood fencing and gates, planter boxes and low-voltage lighting from one landscape plan.

Does a Palo Alto project with pavers and drainage need permits?

Requirements depend on drainage discharge, electrical scope and property rules. Review the plan with the City of Palo Alto or the local building department before construction. Verify current requirements with a licensed contractor or attorney.

Why include drainage with a large paver installation?

Large paver areas change how water moves across a yard. This project included SDR-35 drain pipe, perforated drain pipe, drain grates, pop-up emitters, downspout adapters and a dry well pit so water routing could be planned with the new hardscape.

What maintenance comes with pavers, mulch beds, irrigation and lighting?

Paver joints should be kept clear of debris, and drain grates should be checked seasonally. Irrigation valve zones, mulch beds, decorative rock areas and low-voltage fixtures also benefit from periodic inspection as plants establish and seasons change.

Project topics

Project location

Approximate neighborhood near Palo Alto. The pin is displaced by approximately 150 metres to protect client privacy.

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