A better place for dinner might mean a new patio. It might mean rebuilding the yard around shade, planting and cooking. Those are different budgets, even when the inspiration photograph is the same.
Compare the project scopes
Published Los Angeles references include $13,000 to $27,000 for one provider's patio-and-cover example, $30,000 to $80,000 for another's combined hardscape and landscape category, and $80,000 to $150,000 when that provider adds structures. The scopes below explain the difference.
These are attributed contractor references, not WAO quotes or a local market average. They are alternatives to investigate, not amounts to add together. A site visit and a written scope are needed to price your yard.
$13,000 to $27,000
USD · Los Angeles
Includes the source's electrical, permit and engineering costs. It is not a whole-yard price; removal, drainage and other site work need confirmation.
Provider example: 240 sq ft patio and 12 × 20 ft cover.
Green Design and Build: published reference$18,000 to $45,000
USD · Los Angeles
The provider's hardscape-only range. Confirm the actual surfaces, quantities, preparation and removal before using it for your patio.
Work area and material specification not stated.
Moda Outdoor Living: published reference$30,000 to $80,000
USD · Los Angeles
A combined project category, not an amount to add to the hardscape range. Ask what it includes for planting, irrigation, drainage and lighting.
Work area and planting quantities not stated.
Moda Outdoor Living: published reference$80,000 to $150,000
USD · Los Angeles
The provider's broader project range, not the price of a pergola alone. A new pool belongs in a separate scope discussion.
Structure sizes and specifications not stated.
Moda Outdoor Living: published referenceStart with what works already. A usable patio, established planting or a well-placed dining area should not disappear from the brief simply because the project is called a remodel.
Perhaps you want a defined dining terrace while the lawn, pool and planting stay. Mark the work area and the edges that must be repaired afterward. Ask whether the selected price covers only the surface or also removal and preparation.
A patio, planting border and lighting scheme share a garden. Ask for coordinated routes, levels and service locations before treating them as separate purchases. Compare the combined proposal with its actual inclusions, not with a patio-only reference.
Moving the cooking area, adding a cover or changing the pool introduces decisions beyond surface finishes. Ask which design and site investigations must happen before the scope can be fixed. Keep a new pool separate from a remodel of an existing one.
For pool work, use the existing-pool remodel cost guide or the new-pool planning references. Neither is automatically included in a backyard package.
A paving rate applies to the paving, not the lawn, the pool or the full lot. Before multiplying, confirm the measured work area and whether the rate describes material alone or an installed surface.
For a fair material comparison, hold the area and preparation constant. Ask for concrete and paver alternatives against the same removal, drainage and edge conditions. Different published rates do not establish the saving on your project.
Keep these questions next to the feature list. They help the project team explain what has been allowed for and what remains to be assessed. They are not a list of automatic extra charges.
If you plan to build in stages, show the later work now. Ask whether its access, foundations or utility routes could disturb the first phase. A cheaper first phase is not necessarily a cheaper completed yard.
Copy these headings into your notes or print this page. No signup is needed. Include your target budget if you have one, but do not present a published range as a quote for your property.
List the paving, trees, irrigation, furniture and structures you hope to retain. Ask what needs assessment before it can stay.
Name each work area and its purpose. Attach a marked sketch with measured dimensions where available, not dimensions guessed from a photograph.
Ask for one explanation of removal, access, drainage, utility routes and restoration across the whole project. Identify where each cost is counted.
List optional shade, cooking and pool work separately. Ask what must be decided now to avoid disturbing completed work later.
Request design, engineering, fees, taxes, delivery and owner purchases as included, separate or unresolved. Keep any reserve distinct.
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Share what should stay, what needs to change and where you are in the planning. Our team will discuss your project and confirm whether we can help arrange a contractor conversation. You do not need a finished design to start.
Discuss your backyard projectCalifornia, with a Los Angeles focus. Not an instant quote or a promise of availability.
Price pages checked October 21, 2026. Green Design and Build's page is dated September 5, 2026. Moda's page is labeled 2026 without an exact publication date. Each amount above links to its original commercial source.
These are provider-published references, not audited invoices, WAO project costs or endorsements. The sources use different specifications and do not supply matching quantities. We have not averaged their numbers, turned component prices into a turnkey total or added a standard Los Angeles surcharge. Review is due by January 21, 2027, or sooner if a source changes.
For the contract conversation, consult the California CSLB homeowner checklists. This guide does not determine your property's permit requirements.
Return to the outdoor-living planning guide for layout, shade, maintenance and the broader design decisions.
