Backyard Remodel
Your Whole Pacific Palisades Backyard, Designed as One Space
Most Palisades backyards being designed right now belong to a rebuild, and the rest belong to homes that came through the fire and want a yard that is safer than the one they had. A complete backyard remodel plans the pool, terraces, kitchen, planting and lighting at once, with the grading, drainage, fire-wise materials and the city's approvals settled on the same plan, ideally while the house is still being drawn.
- 25+years of experience
- 10,000+projects completed
- In-housedesign-build crews
- LIC #715731licensed & insured
- 5-star
Why do it as one project
A yard built in pieces is a yard that never quite fits together
There is nothing wrong with doing one thing at a time. The problem is that the expensive parts of a yard, the grading, the drainage and everything buried under the paving, get decided by whichever project happens to go first.
Built in pieces
- Each trade prices only its own scope, so nobody owns the parts in between
- Grading and drainage get solved once for the patio, then again for the pool
- Materials chosen years apart rarely sit right next to each other
- Conduit and gas get trenched, buried, then dug back up for the next phase
- The property is an on-and-off construction site for years
Planned as one project
- One survey, one set of finished levels, one drainage strategy for the property
- The material palette is selected as a set, in one sitting
- Conduit, gas, water and drains go in once, in order, under the hardscape
- Trades sequence behind one schedule instead of negotiating with each other
- You see the finished space in 3D before construction starts
Step 01
Decide what the yard is made of
An outdoor space is assembled from nine things. Most projects use five or six of them. What matters is deciding which ones before the ground opens, because each one leaves something buried behind it.
-
Landscape & Planting
Planting plans, privacy screening, trees, lawn or turf, irrigation and drainage.
Plan for it early Planting goes in last and gets judged first. Soil preparation and irrigation zoning are decided early, because neither can be added once the hardscape is down.
-
Pool & Spa
Custom pools, spas, sun shelves, coping and waterline tile, or a remodel of the pool already there.
Plan for it early The pool sets the finished level for everything around it. Excavation access, equipment location and deck grade all get resolved before the shell is dug.
-
Patios & Hardscape
Paver patios, natural stone, walkways, steps and retaining walls that connect the property.
Plan for it early Paving is the floor of the whole yard. Its slope carries the drainage, and its base is where the conduit for lighting and gas is buried.
-
Shade & Structures
Pergolas, patio covers, cabanas and shade structures sized to the space they cover.
Plan for it early Shade decides whether the yard is usable in July. Footings are poured with the hardscape, so the structure has to be located before the paving is set.
-
Outdoor Kitchen & Dining
Grill islands, counters, bars and dining areas built around how the household actually entertains.
Plan for it early A kitchen needs gas, water, power and drainage arriving at one spot. Rough those in during hardscape and the counter can sit wherever the plan wants it.
-
Fire Features
Fire pits, fire tables and outdoor fireplaces that anchor a seating area and extend the evening.
Plan for it early Gas line, clearances and seating radius are set at plan stage. Adding a fire pit to a finished patio means cutting the patio open again.
-
Landscape Lighting
Path, step, tree and architectural lighting that keeps the space usable after sunset.
Plan for it early Conduit is inexpensive in an open trench and expensive under finished paving. Lighting is designed at plan stage even though it is installed near the end.
-
Water Features
Fountains, ponds, waterfalls and pondless features that bring sound and movement into the garden.
Plan for it early Moving water needs a pump, power, a water source and somewhere for overflow to go. All four are plan decisions, not finishing touches.
-
Driveway & Entry
Paver driveways, entry walks, walls and front-yard planting that change how the property reads from the street.
Plan for it early The front sets the tone before anyone reaches the back. It is also the route heavy equipment takes, which is why it is usually built last.
Step 02
Decide how it should look
Style is not decoration applied at the end. It decides the paving, the plant palette, the shape of the structures and how formal the planting reads, which is why it gets settled before materials do.
-
Mediterranean Warm plaster, terra cotta and tile, with shade and water doing the cooling.
See the style
-
English Garden Brick, clipped structure and deep borders that change through the year.
See the style
-
Traditional Symmetry, classic materials and planting that suits an established home.
See the style
-
Modern Clean lines, large-format paving and planting used as architecture.
See the style
-
Drought-Tolerant Low-water planting and gravel ground planes that still read as full.
See the style
-
Japanese Zen Restraint, stone, water and a small number of plants placed deliberately.
See the style
-
Small Spaces Compact yards and side returns where every square foot has to earn its place.
See the style
Not sure which one is yours?
A short set of questions about how you want to use the space, and what you want it to feel like.
Step 03
Decide what it is built from
Materials get selected as a set at the conceptual meeting, not one at a time as each phase comes up. That is the difference between a yard that reads as one place and a yard that reads as four projects.
Paving and decking
The largest surface in the yard, and the one that carries the drainage.
-
Travertine Honed or tumbled natural stone that stays cooler underfoot than most paving. -
Large-Format Pavers Fewer joints and a calmer surface, which makes a compact yard read larger. -
Interlocking Pavers Individual stones that lift and reset, so a repair is never a full replacement. -
Flagstone Irregular natural stone with planted or mortared joints, informal by nature. -
Poured Concrete Clean slabs, often with turf or gravel joints to break up the mass. -
Brick Small unit paving that suits older architecture and reads warm rather than modern.
Walls, steps and stone
What holds the grade and moves you between levels.
-
Natural Stone Veneer and dry-stack walls, the most forgiving material on an uneven grade. -
Slate A darker, tighter stone often used for treads and coping details. -
Cobblestone Banding and edging that ties separate paved areas together. -
Garden Walls Raised planters and seat walls that add seating without adding furniture.
Ground and planting
The part that changes most between a wet winter and a dry September.
-
Decomposed Granite A warm, permeable surface for paths and courtyards that needs no irrigation. -
Gravel A looser ground treatment for edges, side yards and under mature trees. -
Artificial Turf Green year-round with no irrigation, and it takes traffic a lawn will not. -
Lawn Still the right answer where children and dogs are the main users of the yard. -
Succulents Structure and color at almost no water cost, and they hold their form. -
Native Plants California-adapted planting that fits the climate and supports a lower-water garden.
Structures, water and detail
The smaller choices that decide whether a yard looks designed or assembled.
-
Wood Pergolas, cabanas and screens, usually the warmest material in a modern yard. -
Rustic Timber Heavier, weathered sections for a garden that should look long established. -
Iron Gates, rails and hardware, where one handcrafted detail carries the character. -
Tile Risers, fountains and accent walls, color and craft at a small scale. -
Wall Fountains Moving water and sound without adding a body of water to maintain. -
Natural Ponds A planted body of water that brings reflection, habitat and a softer garden feeling. -
Water Features Spillways, fountains and waterfalls that add movement, sound and a focal point. -
Plunge Pools & Spas Where a full pool will not fit, or will not get used enough to earn the space.
Lighting
The circuits, fixtures and aiming that let the finished yard work after sunset.
-
Path Lights Low fixtures that guide movement through walks, planting beds and transitions. -
Step Lights Integrated fixtures that make level changes visible without flooding the whole space. -
Tree Uplighting Focused light aimed into trunks and canopies so mature planting carries the evening view. -
Pool & Water Lighting Underwater and feature lighting that gives pools, spas and moving water depth after dark. -
Accent Lighting Small washes of light on walls, paths and planting that shape the mood from indoors and out.
How the decisions get made
The order everything happens in
The three decisions above do not get made in a vacuum. They happen inside a five-step process that exists so a project this size still lands on schedule and on budget.
-
01
Site Analysis
We measure the property before we design anything.
On a rebuild the whole site is open, which is the best time to measure it. The team documents existing conditions with a LiDAR scanner alongside field measurements: elevations, slopes, drainage paths, utilities, access from the street and anything worth keeping, and we read the soils and geology reports with your engineers.
Why it matters Knowing where the water goes and what the ground will hold is what keeps a new yard from failing its first winter.
-
02
Designer Meeting
We shape the plan around how you want to live outside.
Your designer lays out the whole yard around how your family will use it, then works with your architect and builder so the terraces, the pool, the drainage and the utility runs line up with the new house. Budget and the permitting path for your parcel get talked through here too.
Why it matters Coordinating with the house design now is what keeps finished work from being torn out later.
-
03
Conceptual Design
Layout, materials and features get specific.
Pool, terraces, kitchen, planting, lighting and drainage are drawn together and modeled in 3D, with non-combustible surfaces next to the house, spaced planting beyond it and the view framed from inside.
Why it matters Seeing the yard in 3D is what keeps late changes out of the build.
-
04
Design Refinement
The plan gets checked against the budget and the site before anything is built.
The concept is refined into dimensioned plans: retaining wall heights, drainage routes, the pool structure, materials and every plant on the specification sheet, drawn to what LADBS, hillside review and any Coastal Zone review will ask for.
Why it matters It is far less expensive to move a wall on paper than after the footings are poured.
-
05
Construction
One team builds from one plan.
Our in-house crews build from the approved plan, with deliveries, staging and work hours planned around narrow canyon streets, the other trades on a rebuild site and the neighbors who are rebuilding too.
Why it matters A clear build plan is what removes the confusion, rework and delay that comes from coordinating strangers.
What "designed together" actually means
One property, drawn and then built
One hillside garden on the same Santa Monica Mountains ground the Palisades sits on, from the slope as we found it to the concept plan to the finished terraces. The walls, the paths and the drainage were drawn together before a boulder was set.
-
01 The yard as we found it Sliding doors onto an old flagstone patio, with the slope rising behind the house. -
02 The concept plan Boulder walls, terraces, paths, the planting palette and the lighting, drawn to the measured grades. -
03 The finished garden Flagstone paths with planted joints across a decomposed granite terrace, built around the view.
Real properties
Three yards that started where yours is
Drag each image to see the property as we found it. Photographed before construction began and again after the final walkthrough.
-
Before After
A hillside above the valley, with a flagstone patio at the house and bare, eroding ground running up the slope behind it
Hillside Cascade
Studio City
Stacked granite boulder walls hold the grade, a dry river bed carries the water down, and bluestone flagstone terraces with planted joints turned the slope into a garden built around the view.
View this project -
Before After
A sloping foothill yard of gravel, dirt and a dry creek bed under olives and pines
Boulder Creek Pool
La Crescenta
A freeform pool with boulder coping set into the slope, a fire bowl patio, a boulder waterfall and stream, and a cedar hot tub and sauna, with the grading and drainage built in.
View this project -
Before After
An older oval pool with brick coping and a tired deck, under palms behind a lattice fence
Arcing Fountain Pool
Beverly Hills
The oval pool replaced by a rectangular pool with a raised spa and arcing fountain jets, a covered kitchen and dining pavilion, a slatted privacy fence, a rebuilt deck and drought-tolerant planting.
View this project
Investment and schedule
What actually drives the number
A complete transformation is priced off the property, not off a menu. These are the things that move it, and the honest answer if the whole yard is not in this year's budget.
What shapes the investment
- How much of the property is in scope, and how much of it stays
- Excavation, grading and retaining, which slope drives more than size does
- Pool or spa scope, and whether existing structures are kept or replaced
- Material selections across paving, walls, structures and planting
- Permitting and any engineering the site or the city requires
What shapes the schedule
- Design and material selection, which moves at the pace decisions get made
- Permit review, which varies considerably between cities
- Site access for equipment, and how material gets in and spoil gets out
- Complex grading, retaining or drainage work
- Sequencing between trades, and weather through the wet months
If the whole yard is not in this year
- Design the entire property once, then build it in phases
- Trenching for gas, water, conduit and drains all happens in phase one
- Finished levels are set for the whole yard, so phase two still lines up
- The material palette is locked, so year three still matches year one
- You are never paying twice to open the same ground
From homeowners who did the whole yard
What it was like on the other side
-
Other companies struggled with the steep hillside, but Pacific Outdoor Living transformed it into a three-tier patio space with thoughtful design and execution. Their expertise in handling difficult terrain made all the difference. The final result is stunning and has completely changed how we use our property.
-
The yard had flooding, an aging pool finish, old irrigation, and an unusable layout-a list of problems we felt overwhelmed by. Pacific Outdoor Living helped turn those problems into a complete new design that transformed our space. The new layout is beautiful, functional, and finally usable year-round.
-
The company used its own crews, treated the yard and homeowner with respect, and got the job done on time. Having the same team throughout meant consistency and accountability. We appreciated their professional approach and the respect they showed our property.
Questions we get asked first
Before you book anything
Do you do complete backyard remodels in Pacific Palisades?
Yes, including outdoor rebuilds after the January 2025 fire. Our in-house design-build team plans and builds whole-yard projects across the Palisades, from the Alphabet Streets and the Riviera to the Highlands and the bluff-edge lots above Pacific Coast Highway, with the pool, terraces, kitchen, planting, drainage and lighting handled as one job.
We are rebuilding. When should the backyard be designed?
While the house is still in design. Grading, drainage, retaining walls, utility runs and the ember-resistant zone around the house are far easier to get right when they are planned alongside the architecture. We work with your architect and builder so the yard is built once, in the right order, instead of patched around a finished house.
Which permits does a Palisades backyard need?
Pacific Palisades is part of the City of Los Angeles, so the work goes through LADBS. Hillside lots fall under the Baseline Hillside Ordinance, the fire zone brings LAFD brush clearance, and many parcels also need Coastal Zone review. Rebuild requirements have been changing since the fire, so our permitting department confirms the current rules for your property and handles the submittals.
How do you make the yard more fire-resistant?
In zones. The first five feet around the house stay non-combustible: stone, concrete, pavers and gravel, with no bark mulch or woody planting against the walls, decks or vents. Beyond that, planting is low, spaced and irrigated, and trees are kept clear of the roof, following LAFD brush clearance rules and current CAL FIRE guidance. Our defensible space guide walks through each zone.
Our slope burned. What does that mean for drainage?
Burned slopes can shed more water and soil than they did before, until new planting takes hold. We design the grading, drains, retaining and erosion control first, carry roof and terrace water to an approved outlet, and plant the slope so the roots are working before the next wet season.
What does a complete backyard remodel cost in the Palisades, and how long does it take?
Slope, retaining and drainage, access, and how much of the site has to be rebuilt from bare ground all move the number, and hillside or Coastal Zone review can add steps to the schedule. A Site Analysis and design plan give you a budget tied to your actual lot, and they can be timed to your house plans so the yard is ready to build when the house is.
The first step
Start with the Site Analysis
Before anything is designed, we measure the property: elevations, drainage, access, utilities and what is already there worth keeping. Every decision on this page gets easier once that exists.
Your shortlist
Mention these when you get in touch and we will plan the consultation around them.
Pacific Outdoor Living
Complete Backyard Plan
The elements I want in the project The elements to consider, ticked by hand
- 01. Landscape & Planting Planting goes in last and gets judged first. Soil preparation and irrigation zoning are decided early, because neither can be added once the hardscape is down.
- 02. Pool & Spa The pool sets the finished level for everything around it. Excavation access, equipment location and deck grade all get resolved before the shell is dug.
- 03. Patios & Hardscape Paving is the floor of the whole yard. Its slope carries the drainage, and its base is where the conduit for lighting and gas is buried.
- 04. Shade & Structures Shade decides whether the yard is usable in July. Footings are poured with the hardscape, so the structure has to be located before the paving is set.
- 05. Outdoor Kitchen & Dining A kitchen needs gas, water, power and drainage arriving at one spot. Rough those in during hardscape and the counter can sit wherever the plan wants it.
- 06. Fire Features Gas line, clearances and seating radius are set at plan stage. Adding a fire pit to a finished patio means cutting the patio open again.
- 07. Landscape Lighting Conduit is inexpensive in an open trench and expensive under finished paving. Lighting is designed at plan stage even though it is installed near the end.
- 08. Water Features Moving water needs a pump, power, a water source and somewhere for overflow to go. All four are plan decisions, not finishing touches.
- 09. Driveway & Entry The front sets the tone before anyone reaches the back. It is also the route heavy equipment takes, which is why it is usually built last.