Planning a comprehensive backyard remodel involves juggling many design ideas, but the biggest hurdle is always pinning down a realistic budget.
In Idaho Falls, a professional landscape renovation can range from a simple lawn refresh to a complete outdoor living transformation, with a price tag that reflects the project's complexity.
Many homeowners turn to online pricing guides to estimate their expenses, but national averages rarely match the structural realities of building in Eastern Idaho.
High-desert site preparation, heavy excavation, and custom hardscaping labor all drive local project costs far beyond the price of mass-produced, store-bought kits.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Cost of a Backyard Renovation
How much should you budget for a full backyard renovation in Idaho?
A mid-range project typically costs $50,000 to $80,000, with some costing less and others more.
Kim Rubert, landscape designer at Outback Landscape, shares some pro insights about landscape renovation costs, from how your material choices affect your patio costs to why online research isn’t the best way to make budget predictions.
Let’s learn more about Idaho Falls landscaping prices.
Have you been browsing online to try to estimate your backyard remodel budget?
Bad idea, Rubert says. You’re comparing apples and oranges.
“It's pretty easy to find things like gas fire pits, pergolas and outdoor kitchen units online these days, so a lot of times people are expecting those kinds of prices when they ask for an estimate for a custom build,” Rubert says.
But these features you’re pricing online are mass-produced, she says, designed to sell as inexpensively as possible. Thousands of people are buying the exact same things.
High-quality, custom-designed and built landscape elements will obviously cost more.
“In addition to that, the online price doesn’t include any excavation, concrete work, gas line installation, electrical, footings, or other finishes that may need to be done on the back end,” Rubert says. “It all adds up.”
If you just need to add a backyard sauna, fire pit or pergola to your existing landscaping, Rubert calls that “plug-n-play," and she says that option serves the purpose just fine for some homeowners.
But you don’t need a skilled design team or an experienced construction crew for that.
“We’re more interested in the custom jobs that require craftmanship and design,” she says. “That's our ideal client.”
A backyard landscaping renovation in Idaho can range from a modest refresh to a full outdoor living transformation costing tens of thousands of dollars.
Obviously, a simple layout with grass and plants is far less expensive than a multi-level design with lighting, irrigation, and custom structures.
A basic landscape installation for a starter home will cost between $20,000 and $40,000, Rubert says.
“If you want anything beyond the basics, it will likely be $50,000 to $80,000, and high-end projects including water features, patios, and stonework will normally be in the $100,000 to $500,000 range,” she says, “depending on size and scope.”
The wide range of Idaho Falls landscaping prices reflects a key reality: no two landscaping projects are the same.
Understanding what drives the costs and how your choices influence them can help you plan your backyard remodel budget.
We can hear you mumbling way over here: “How am I supposed to budget when the price ranges are so wide? There’s a big difference between $10,000 and $50,000 for a patio!”
There absolutely is. But many factors affect the cost of a backyard renovation.
Let’s take that patio, for instance.
“Materials and labor will affect the cost,” Rubert says. “A concrete patio is less expensive — even a stamped and colored patio — because it's ‘form and pour.’ Once you get into hand-laid pavers or stone, the labor cost goes way up.”
Natural stone is also much more expensive, she says, “so if someone wants a flagstone patio, it will almost always be more than a paver patio made with manufactured concrete pavers.”
The more intricate the patio design, the more labor is needed, which boosts hardscape installation costs.
Do the landscape crews have to take down fences to install your patio? Do they need to tear up the grass to replace it with sod? Is your yard sloped with elevation issues?
Crews may have to excavate dirt, build a retaining wall or add steps to accommodate that. Extra labor increases the cost of the patio.
The same thing applies to other elements of a backyard remodel, too.
If you have your heart set on an English-style garden brimming with perennials and elaborate boxwood hedges, you’ll need a lot of plants.
You can also have planters flush with mature plants - if you purchase larger specimens at the outset. Of course, more mature plants come at a higher cost, too.
Opt for a more contemporary landscape design, with graceful ornamental grasses, easy on the trees and shrubs, and you’ll spend less.
Redoing your lawn with standard grass seed will cost less than hydroseeding or sod.
It’s fun to ponder patio paver designs and outdoor kitchen appliances. You can see that your money is going toward great features you can’t wait to enjoy. Start daydreaming about your new outdoor spa, and suddenly a solid hour has passed.
But not all landscape renovation costs are that fun. Some are pretty boring, to be honest, but they’re a really necessary part of the plan.
A few examples:
Demolition and disposal. Old materials, such as broken concrete and dead turf, have to be removed. That might mean disposal fees, labor, and truck rentals add unexpected costs.
Site preparation and soil amending. No offense, but your soil might be terrible. That means excavating the old soil and hauling in rich, fluffy soil that will help your plantings thrive.
Specialized equipment. If your yard is on a steep slope or has other complications, specialized equipment and skilled operators are required, raising labor costs.
Drainage issues. A hidden, but critical cost is installing proper drainage to prevent water pooling near your foundation. This involves deep trenching, pipes, gravel, and catch basins, which can add significant labor costs.
Assorted obstacles. Maybe you’ve daydreamed about landscaping crews discovering buried treasure in your backyard. Hey, you’re rich! You can add that plunge pool after all! Sorry, it’s never that exciting. Crews might encounter large rocks, stubborn roots, or buried utilities during excavation, which can pause work and require additional labor and specialized equipment to remove, increasing your Idaho Falls landscape renovation costs.
Unexpected surprises will drive up the cost of a landscape renovation.
Creating a comprehensive master plan helps identify these issues before construction begins.
Keep in mind that behind-the-scenes costs like grading and drainage might not be as exciting as planning your backyard wellness retreat, but they’re critical to ensuring the structural integrity of your outdoor space.
This is the crucial and skilled engineering that will keep your patio from sinking, your soil from washing away, and your basement from flooding.
One of the most effective ways to control landscaping costs is by developing a detailed master plan before starting construction.
So, your backyard remodel budget includes a professional design by a skilled landscape designer like Rubert.
Expect to pay between $1,500 and $2,000 for basic landscape design fees, Rubert says.
“If there’s a design needed for a very large project, we’ll do a retainer starting at $5,000, then bill hourly after that,” she says. “Anything that isn't used up in the retainer will be credited towards construction, but not refunded."
That landscape design fee is a small price to pay to ensure everything is just right, she says.
Rubert is quick to tell you that a detailed design will ensure you really enjoy your outdoor space and that it functions perfectly with your lifestyle.
There’s a lot more to your backyard remodel than what color daylilies you want. Drainage and water management. Fire pit placement. Foot traffic patterns.
How do you live? What do you like to do? Do you have kids? Pets? Does your family enjoy sports? Do you entertain a lot?
The answers help your designer narrow in on how the yard should function — not just how it will look.
“A good design can make or break a yard,” Rubert says.
But it’s key to controlling costs, too. Here’s how:
A design prevents costly changes. Without a plan, homeowners often make decisions mid-project, which leads to expensive redesigns and rework. If you have to rip something out because it doesn’t work, you’re wasting a lot of money.
A plan allows you to complete your Idaho Falls landscape design and construction project in stages, if you choose, spreading costs over time while maintaining a cohesive design.
Planning ensures materials are ordered correctly, reducing waste and unnecessary expenses.
A plan helps with long-term savings. While it may seem like an extra upfront cost, a well-thought-out plan often saves thousands of dollars by avoiding mistakes and ensuring efficient execution.
Having a design also allows you to visualize your future space and ensure you’re happy with it before construction begins. Making changes once installation has started is costly and delays completion.
Want to learn more about landscape renovation costs in Idaho Falls? We could go on for days, but you don't need to. Learn more with this quick FAQ:
A: A basic landscape installation for a starter home will cost between $20,000 and $40,000. The cost goes up from there, with high-end projects including water features, patios, and stonework costing $100,000 to $500,000, depending on size and scope.
A: Yes, new or improved landscaping can boost your home value by 15 to 20 percent. High-quality landscaping increases your curb appeal, which is a major factor for most homebuyers.
High-impact improvements such as mature trees, professional hardscaping, and well-maintained lawns offer the best return on investment in residential landscaping.
A: The permanent structural elements of a landscaping project are usually the most expensive, including hardscaping, outdoor kitchens, and expansive retaining walls. Professional labor, site preparation, and material choices such as natural stone, also contribute to the cost.
A: Not necessarily. While homeowners sometimes assume that phasing landscape projects over time to spread out the cost will save money, that approach can actually increase the total cost.
The cost of extra logistics, labor inefficiencies and material price increases can add up. You also face the possibility of rework — installing something temporarily that later needs adjustment or removal.
A: Expect to pay $1,500 to $2,000 for your landscape design fee.
We love helping homeowners make their landscaping dreams a reality.
But we know budgets are a reality, too. We’ll work with you to design and construct a backyard oasis you love.
Partner with Outback Landscape and you’ll be working with skilled, creative professionals with years of experience, from your first design consultation all the way through the installation.
At Outback Landscape, we’re experts in landscape design & construction in Idaho Falls & Jackson, WY.
We also offer comprehensive landscape maintenance services to keep your outdoor living space looking its best year-round. All you have to do is enjoy it.
Located in Idaho Falls, Idaho, we serve residential and commercial properties in Idaho Falls, Rexburg and Pocatello, Idaho, as well as Bonneville, Madison and Bannock counties and Jackson, WY. Contact Outback Landscape at 208-656-3220, or schedule your free consultation. We’d love to hear from you.