Case study

Paver Patio, Artificial Turf and Stepping-Stone Paths in Burlingame

A bare Burlingame backyard built out with a 1,223 sq ft Belgard paver patio, 650 sq ft of artificial turf over gopher wire and 44 stepping stones in 910 sq ft of cobble, plus four square grate drains, a run of redwood fence and three wood-plank gates.

Location: Burlingame
Scope: Artificial Turf
Completed: September 2026
Project size: 2783
Investment: $87,100–$101,700

Full project details

Timeline: Sold July 7, 2026. Build wrapped September 4, 2026, with two approved change orders. Project closed out September 15, 2026.

The challenge

This Burlingame backyard runs along the back of a single-story house, past a wall of sliding glass doors, and continues down a narrow side yard beside a breeze-block wall. Before the project it was bare dirt and weeds from the house out to the fence line.

The owners wanted the space built up so it could be used, with new hardscape and landscape laid out as a functional space for hosting.

Our approach

Sequoia Outdoor started by clearing the site: a medium tree and six shrubs came out, 2 in. of soil was removed across 500 sq ft, and everything was hauled away. Four 6 in. NDS square grate drains went into the patio base, connected with 3 in. SDR-35 pipe, with a downspout adapter and a concrete cut and patch for the pipe tie-in. The crew then laid 1,223 sq ft of Belgard Dimensions 18 three-piece pavers in the premium Victorian color around the back and side of the house, ran a dark border along the edges and around the existing steps, and locked the joints with G2 Alliance polymeric sand. Forty-four Belgard Dimensions 24x36 slabs in Scandina Gray were set as stepping stones along the house, around the turf and down the side yard, in 910 sq ft of 1 to 2 in. cobble over weed cloth. In the back corner, 650 sq ft of Monarch Bay 72 artificial turf went down over gopher wire with Envirofill infill, inside 100 ln ft of black steel edging. New fencing finished the side yards: 12 ln ft of 6 ft redwood good-neighbor fence and three wood-plank gates.

The outcome

The finished yard has 1,223 sq ft of Belgard paving around the back of the house, framed by a dark border, with square drain grates set flush in the surface. Stepping stones in Scandina Gray cross 910 sq ft of cobble along the house, around the turf and down the side yard. The 650 sq ft of artificial turf fills the back corner inside steel edging, and new redwood fencing and three wood-plank gates close off the side yards. The build wrapped September 4, 2026, and the project closed out September 15.

Build highlights

Excavated and graded soil along the back of a Burlingame house, block and wood fence on the right

Clearing and excavation

A medium tree and six shrubs came out and 2 in. of soil was removed across 500 sq ft, with everything hauled away, clearing the bare yard for the new layout.

Square drain grate set in the gravel base of the new patio, fence on the left and house beyond

Drains set in the base

Four 6 in. NDS square grate drains were set in the gravel base and connected with 3 in. SDR-35 pipe, with a downspout adapter and a concrete cut and patch for the pipe tie-in.

Belgard pavers and a dark border

1,223 sq ft of Belgard Dimensions 18 three-piece pavers in Victorian went down along the house, with a dark border cut in around the existing steps and G2 Alliance polymeric sand in the joints.

Large gray stepping stones set on gravel beside the new patio border, house on the left

Stepping stones in cobble

Forty-four Belgard Dimensions 24x36 slabs in Scandina Gray were set as stepping stones along the patio edge, around the turf and down the side yard, then surrounded with 910 sq ft of 1 to 2 in. cobble over weed cloth.

New artificial turf inside black steel edging beside a row of gray stepping stones, shed and fence beyond

Turf over gopher wire

650 sq ft of Monarch Bay 72 artificial turf went down over gopher wire, seamed, glued and nailed, with Envirofill infill and 100 ln ft of black steel edging holding the edges.

New fence posts and a redwood top rail framing a gate opening at the end of a paved side yard

Fence and gates

12 ln ft of 6 ft redwood good-neighbor fence with posts every 8 ft, and three wood-plank gates in the same style, closed off the side yards.

Before and after

Before — bare dirt and weeds along the back of a Burlingame house, fence and trees beyond — Along the back of the house, same window, downspout and fence in both photos: bare dirt and weeds became the Belgard patio, with a cobble strip framed by the dark border.

After — Belgard paver patio along the house with a cobble strip and dark border, fence on the right — Along the back of the house, same window, downspout and fence in both photos: bare dirt and weeds became the Belgard patio, with a cobble strip framed by the dark border.

Before — bare dirt in front of a sliding door and paver steps — At the far end of the patio, same sliding door, steps and breeze-block wall in both photos: bare dirt became Belgard paving that runs up to the existing steps.

After — paver patio with drain grates leading to the same sliding door and steps — At the far end of the patio, same sliding door, steps and breeze-block wall in both photos: bare dirt became Belgard paving that runs up to the existing steps.

Before — dirt side yard between the house and a breeze-block wall — Down the side yard, same breeze-block wall and house wall in both photos: packed dirt became a stepping-stone path set in cobble.

After — gray stepping stones in cobble running down the side yard beside the breeze-block wall — Down the side yard, same breeze-block wall and house wall in both photos: packed dirt became a stepping-stone path set in cobble.

Project gallery

Paver patio with a dark border leading to stepping stones in cobble and artificial turf — From the patio, across the stepping stones and cobble to the turf.

Artificial turf framed by gray stepping stones set in cobble under a blue sky — The turf framed by stepping-stone paths in cobble.

Stepping-stone path in cobble along the side of the house with artificial turf on the right — The stepping-stone path along the house, with the turf on the right.

Corner of a paver patio with a dark border, cobble and a stepping stone beside the block wall — The dark border turning the patio corner by the block wall, with a stepping stone set in the cobble.

Wood-plank double gate at the end of a stepping-stone side yard — A new wood-plank double gate closes the side yard.

Wood-plank gate in a horizontal board fence at the end of a paved side yard with a drain grate — The new wood-plank gate off the paved side yard, with a square drain grate in the paving.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a paver patio and turf backyard like this cost in Burlingame?

This project ran between $82,000 and $92,000 as built: the signed contract plus the changes approved during the build, covering a 1,223 sq ft Belgard paver patio, 44 Belgard stepping stones in 910 sq ft of cobble, 650 sq ft of artificial turf over gopher wire, four square grate drains, redwood fencing with three gates, and site clearing. That as-built range is the project cost. The line-item table on this page allocates the same scope against our 2026 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 ($87,100 to $101,700) 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 patio pavers, the stepping-stone slabs and the turf; the dark border pavers are 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?

1,223 sq ft of Belgard Dimensions 18 three-piece pavers in the premium Victorian color with G2 Alliance polymeric joint sand; 264 sq ft of Belgard Dimensions 24x36 slabs in Scandina Gray, set as 44 stepping stones; 910 sq ft of 1 to 2 in. cobble over weed cloth; 650 sq ft of Monarch Bay 72 artificial turf over gopher wire with green Envirofill infill; 100 ln ft of 3/16 in. by 4 in. black steel edging; four 6 in. NDS square grate drains with 10 ft of 3 in. SDR-35 drain pipe, a downspout adapter, and a concrete cut and patch for the pipe tie-in; 12 ln ft of 6 ft redwood good-neighbor fence with posts every 8 ft; and three wood-plank gates in the same good-neighbor style. Site prep removed one medium tree, three small and three medium shrubs, and 2 in. of soil across 500 sq ft, with haul-away.

Why lay gopher wire under artificial turf?

Gophers can tunnel up under turf and leave lumps and holes in the surface, and repairs mean pulling the turf back. Wire mesh laid across the prepared ground before the turf goes down stops them from coming up through the lawn. On this project, gopher wire runs under the full 650 sq ft of turf, which is finished with Envirofill infill and held at the edges by 100 ln ft of steel edging.

Why stepping stones in cobble instead of paving everything?

Stepping stones set in cobble give a firm walking line through narrow side yards and around a lawn while leaving the ground between them open, so rain soaks in instead of running off, and a bed like this usually costs less per square foot than solid paving. Weed cloth under the rock helps keep weeds down. Here, 44 Belgard 24x36 slabs in Scandina Gray run along the house, around the turf and down the side yard through 910 sq ft of 1 to 2 in. cobble over weed cloth, while solid Belgard paving covers the 1,223 sq ft patio built for hosting.

Does a paver patio need drains?

Not every patio does, but a large one sheds a lot of water, and without somewhere to go that water ponds on the surface or runs toward the house. Grate drains set into the paving collect it and carry it away through buried pipe, and a downspout can be tied into the same line. This patio has four 6 in. NDS square grate drains set flush with the pavers and connected with 3 in. SDR-35 pipe, plus a downspout adapter and a concrete cut and patch for the pipe tie-in.

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

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