Case study

Paver Terraces, Patio, River Rock and Artificial Turf in Burlingame

A brand-new Burlingame home landscaped from bare dirt: 2,436 sq ft of pavers on stepped front terraces, a backyard patio and the driveway, Belgard Melville walls and steps, 493 sq ft of artificial turf, 712 sq ft of river rock, planting and 15 LED ledge lights.

Location: Burlingame
Scope: Artificial Turf
Completed: May 2026
Project size: 3702
Investment: $157,600–$184,300

Full project details

Timeline: Sold December 20, 2024. Build ran October 7, 2025 to May 5, 2026 (211 calendar days), with three approved change orders. Project closed out May 11, 2026.

The challenge

This Burlingame house was brand new when the landscaping began: a modern home set above the street, with the garage on the lower level and a flat backyard behind. The front, back and side yards were bare dirt, and no plan for the landscape had been settled yet.

The owners wanted hardscape that pairs well with the layout of the home and makes the outdoor space functional.

Our approach

Sequoia Outdoor answered with pavers, decorative rock, artificial grass and planting, chosen to pair with the layout of the home. Site prep removed 2 in. of soil across 950 sq ft, cut 2 to 4 in. of grade across 250 sq ft and excavated 34 cu ft. The crew then built the front slope into paver terraces: Belgard Tandem Melville walls in Riviera, finished with 71 ln ft of Melville wall cap, hold the levels, and steps on concrete foundations, at the front and on the side-yard stairs, carry 103 ln ft of Belgard Melville treads in Graphite. In all, 2,436 sq ft of pavers went down: 1,487 sq ft of Belgard Dimensions 12x24 on the terraces, walks and backyard patio, 1,265 sq ft of it in Scandina Gray laid in running bond; 877 sq ft of 6x12 Mission plank pavers in Gray Charcoal for the driveway and the walk at the foot of the side-yard stairs; and 72 sq ft of Belgard Dimensions 24x24 stepping pads. The front porch steps were finished in 133 sq ft of Belgard Quarziti 2.0 24x24 stone-finish tile, cut and mortar set, with 13x24 Unico coping. On the front terraces and in the backyard, 493 sq ft of Flow 100 Olive artificial turf went down with Envirofill infill, with gopher mesh across 395 sq ft and 133 ln ft of black steel edging, and 712 sq ft of 1 to 1.5 in. Lynn Creek cobble filled the rock beds over weed cloth. To finish, the crew planted three 24 in. box trees in the front yard plus 80 one-gallon and 13 five-gallon plants, spread 1,237 sq ft of brown chip mulch, set up an irrigation system on a Hunter X2 WiFi controller with bubblers for the trees, and installed 15 Unique Iso6 LED ledge lights on a 300W Pro-Trade transformer with a WiFi smart socket.

The outcome

From the sidewalk, the finished front climbs in paver terraces: Melville tread steps rise between capped Tandem Melville walls, turf panels sit on the terrace levels with river rock on the slope beside them, and Quarziti tile steps lead up to the porch. A plank-paver driveway runs to the garage, and ledge lights sit under the step treads. Behind the house, a 12x24 paver patio spans the yard, with a strip of river rock along the house and Belgard stepping pads crossing the turf. The build ran October 7, 2025 to May 5, 2026, and the project closed out May 11.

Investment mix

Rounded from the signed proposal. Map pins show an approximate neighborhood.

Pavers, 2,436 sq ft: Belgard Dimensions 12x24 terraces, walks and patio (1,487 sq ft), 6x12 plank-paver driveway (877 sq ft) and Belgard 24x24 stepping pads (72 sq ft)$78,500–$90,500
Belgard Melville terrace walls and steps: Tandem Melville wall in Riviera with 71 ln ft of cap, and 103 ln ft of Graphite step treads on concrete foundations$21,000–$25,000
Artificial turf, 493 sq ft, with infill, gopher mesh across 395 sq ft and 133 ln ft of steel edging$16,500–$20,000
Planting, mulch and irrigation: three 24 in. box trees, 93 plants, 1,237 sq ft of mulch and an irrigation system on a Hunter WiFi controller$13,500–$16,000
River rock beds, 712 sq ft of 1 to 1.5 in. Lynn Creek cobble over weed cloth$9,500–$11,000
Tile steps at the front porch: 133 sq ft of Belgard Quarziti 2.0 24x24, mortar set, with Unico 20 mm coping$7,300–$8,500
Site prep, grading and haul-away: 2 in. of soil removed across 950 sq ft, 250 sq ft of grading and 34 cu ft of excavation$5,900–$6,900
Landscape lighting: 15 Unique Iso6 LED ledge lights on a 300W transformer with WiFi control$5,400–$6,400

Total investment$157,600–$184,300

Build highlights

Graded soil with layout string lines across the backyard of a new Burlingame house, wood fence on a concrete wall behind

Grading and soil removal

Site prep cut 2 to 4 in. of grade across 250 sq ft, excavated and hauled off 34 cu ft, and removed 2 in. of soil across 950 sq ft to make room for the decorative rock.

Gray 12x24 pavers laid in running bond across a Burlingame backyard, with a wheelbarrow and bare soil at left

Backyard patio in 12x24 pavers

The backyard patio went down in Belgard Dimensions 12x24 pavers laid in running bond, part of 1,487 sq ft of Dimensions 12x24 on the patio, terraces and walks.

New artificial turf with a row of square stepping pads beside a gray 12x24 paver patio, wood fences behind

Turf and stepping pads

493 sq ft of Flow 100 Olive artificial turf went in across the backyard and front terraces with Envirofill infill, gopher mesh across 395 sq ft and black steel edging, and Belgard Dimensions 24x24 stepping pads were set into the backyard turf.

Paver walk with dark Melville tread steps and a capped block wall in front of a white Burlingame house during construction

Terrace walls and steps

At the front, Belgard Tandem Melville walls in Riviera, finished with Melville wall cap, hold the terrace levels, and steps on concrete foundations carry Belgard Melville treads in Graphite.

Gray stone-finish tile steps at the front porch of a new Burlingame house, materials stacked beside them

Tile steps at the porch

The front porch steps were finished in Belgard Quarziti 2.0 24x24 stone-finish tile, 133 sq ft cut and mortar set, with 13x24 Unico coping.

Gray Charcoal 6x12 plank pavers laid in front of a black glass garage door, with a portable toilet still on site

Plank-paver driveway

877 sq ft of 6x12 Mission plank pavers in Gray Charcoal went down in front of the garage.

Side-yard stairs with dark Melville treads and warm ledge lights under each step, new grasses along the wall above

Planting, irrigation and step lights

Three 24 in. box trees and 80 one-gallon and 13 five-gallon plants went in on an irrigation system with a Hunter X2 WiFi controller, and 15 Unique Iso6 LED ledge lights, like these under the side-yard stair treads, run on a 300W transformer with a WiFi smart socket.

Before and after

Before — bare dirt slope with lumber and a portable toilet in front of a new Burlingame house — From the sidewalk, same front window and porch in both photos: a bare dirt slope became paver terraces with Melville tread steps, capped walls, turf panels and river rock.

After — paver terraces with dark-tread steps, capped block walls, turf and river rock in front of the same house — From the sidewalk, same front window and porch in both photos: a bare dirt slope became paver terraces with Melville tread steps, capped walls, turf panels and river rock.

Before — bare dirt backyard behind a new Burlingame house, wheelbarrows and a raised deck beyond — Across the backyard toward the house, same house wall, wrapped utility panel and deck in both photos: bare dirt became a 12x24 paver patio, with Belgard stepping pads set in turf and river rock along the house.

After — gray paver patio with stepping pads in turf and river rock along the house, same deck beyond — Across the backyard toward the house, same house wall, wrapped utility panel and deck in both photos: bare dirt became a 12x24 paver patio, with Belgard stepping pads set in turf and river rock along the house.

Project gallery

Gray paver walk and dark-tread steps leading past a turf panel and river rock to tiled porch steps — The front terraces from the lower walk: Melville tread steps, a capped wall, a turf panel and river rock, with the tile porch steps beyond.

Square stepping pads set in artificial turf beside a river rock strip with small plants and gray 12x24 pavers — Belgard stepping pads crossing the backyard turf, with river rock and new planting along the patio.

Large gray 12x24 paver patio in a Burlingame backyard, river rock at lower left and a wood fence behind — The backyard patio in 12x24 pavers, with river rock at the corner.

Gray 12x24 paver patio running to a concrete wall and wood fence, a dark deck at right — Looking across the patio to the back wall, with the deck at right.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a paver terrace, patio and turf project like this cost in Burlingame?

This project ran between $147,000 and $164,000 as built: the signed contract plus the changes approved during the build, covering 2,436 sq ft of pavers on the front terraces, walks, backyard patio and driveway, Belgard Melville terrace walls and steps, tile steps at the front porch, 493 sq ft of artificial turf, 712 sq ft of river rock, planting with irrigation, 15 LED ledge lights, and the site prep and haul-away that came first. That as-built range is the project cost. The line-item table on this page allocates the same scope against our 2024 price book rather than reproducing the contract, and every line carries its own low and high, so adding the extremes together produces a wider band ($157,600 to $184,300) than the as-built range itself. Read the table as where the work sat, not as a second price. This project's line items price the plants, trees and gopher mesh as installation only; that material is not itemized as a separate line. Figures are rounded for client privacy. Our project minimum is $25,000. See how this project compares across everything we have published on the Bay Area landscaping cost index.

What exactly was installed?

Pavers, 2,436 sq ft in all: 1,265 sq ft of Belgard Dimensions 12x24 in Scandina Gray, laid in running bond, and 222 sq ft of Belgard Dimensions 12x24 in a standard color for the terraces, walks and backyard patio; 877 sq ft of 6x12 Mission plank pavers in Gray Charcoal for the driveway; and 72 sq ft of Belgard Dimensions 24x24 stepping pads in Scandina Gray. Walls and steps: Belgard Tandem Melville wall in Riviera with 71 ln ft of Belgard Melville wall cap, and 103 ln ft of Belgard Melville step treads in Graphite on concrete step foundations, plus 133 sq ft of Belgard Quarziti 2.0 24x24 stone-finish tile, cut and mortar set, with 13x24 Unico 20 mm coping for the tile steps at the front porch. Turf and rock: 493 sq ft of Flow 100 Olive artificial turf with 15 bags of green Envirofill infill and gopher mesh installed across 395 sq ft, 133 ln ft of 3/16 in. by 4 in. black steel edging, 712 sq ft of 1 to 1.5 in. Lynn Creek cobble and 1,832 sq ft of weed cloth. Planting, irrigation and lighting: three 24 in. box trees in the front yard with stakes and three bubblers, 80 one-gallon and 13 five-gallon plants, 5 cu yd of planting topsoil and 1,237 sq ft of brown chip mulch; an irrigation system with piping, heads and emitters, an NDS valve box and a Hunter X2 six-station controller with WAND WiFi; and 15 Unique Iso6 3W 2700K LED ledge lights on a 300W stainless steel Pro-Trade TR1 transformer with a Brilliance LED WiFi smart socket, plus installation of five lights or devices. Site prep removed 2 in. of soil across 950 sq ft, cut 2 to 4 in. of grade across 250 sq ft and excavated 34 cu ft, with haul-away, and boxes were set at three cleanouts.

How long did it take?

The build ran October 7, 2025 to May 5, 2026: 211 calendar days, about 30 weeks, with three approved change orders. The project was sold December 20, 2024 and closed out May 11, 2026.

Why build a sloped front yard as paver terraces?

Terracing turns a slope into level ground you can walk on and use. Low walls hold the soil at each level, steps link the levels, and each flat landing can take paving, turf or planting without the soil washing downhill. This front yard rises from the street to the porch, so Belgard Tandem Melville walls in Riviera, finished with 71 ln ft of Melville wall cap, hold the terrace levels, and steps on concrete foundations with Belgard Melville treads in Graphite connect the 12x24 paver landings, turf panels and river rock beds.

Why remove soil before laying decorative rock?

So the rock finishes at the right height. Cobble spread over the existing grade sits above the paving and edging next to it and tends to spill onto walks. Taking the soil down first lets the rock and weed cloth sit at or just below the surrounding hardscape. On this project, 2 in. of soil was removed across 950 sq ft to prepare for the decorative rock, and 712 sq ft of 1 to 1.5 in. Lynn Creek cobble went down over weed cloth.

Why put ledge lights under step treads?

Steps are the hardest part of a yard to read at night. A ledge light tucked under the lip of a tread lights the step below without shining in anyone's eyes, and it keeps fixtures off the walking surface and out of the planting. This project has 15 Unique Iso6 3W, 2700K LED ledge lights on a 300W stainless steel Pro-Trade transformer, with a Brilliance LED WiFi smart socket so the lighting can be scheduled or switched from a phone.

Who managed the project?

A dedicated Sequoia project manager ran the build day to day and posted photo updates to the project channel from the first site visit through the finished yard.

Project topics

Project location

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

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