“What does a project like this cost?” is the first question on every homeowner’s mind and the one almost no contractor answers in public. So let’s answer it. These are honest, representative scopes from our design-build work across Arvada, Lone Tree, Centennial, and Greenwood Village — what each investment level typically includes, and what moves a project from one tier to the next.
One note before the numbers: every project is designed together, from your property, your home, and your priorities — so these are shapes, not menus. Most of our projects range from $35,000 to $200,000+.
Around $50,000 — one space, done completely
At this level we transform one area of the property thoroughly instead of touching everything thinly. A typical scope:
- A paver patio sized for real gatherings, on an engineered base built for Colorado freeze-thaw
- A gas fire pit or seat walls that give the space a center
- Drought-tough plantings on drip irrigation, with boulders for structure
- Landscape lighting so the space works after sunset
The result is a finished outdoor room — not a property full of started projects. Our Arvada front transformation lives in this neighborhood of scope: new paver walkway and driveway, plantings, fence, and lighting that changed the entire face of the home. See it in our case studies.
Around $100,000 — the connected property
Here the project stops being one space and becomes a composition. Typical scope:
- Patio plus a second destination — fire area, dining terrace, or pergola-covered room
- Structural work: a retaining wall that turns a slope into usable ground, or steps that connect levels properly
- Full irrigation conversion and planting design across the property
- Paths, lighting, and grading that make front and back read as one property
This is the tier where design-build earns its keep: gas lines, drainage, wall engineering, and hardscape have to be sequenced by one team that owns the whole picture. Our Denver project — custom steel pergola, brick-column fence, gas fire pit, and new concrete, at roughly $75,000 — sits between these first two tiers and shows what the jump buys.
$200,000+ — the complete outdoor experience
The whole property, designed and built as one: multiple gathering places, custom-fabricated elements (steel pergolas, masonry pillars, outdoor fireplaces), engineered walls and terracing on sloped lots, a new driveway and entry sequence, full planting and lighting design. On the large lots we work in Greenwood Village and Lone Tree, this is often what it takes for the landscape to finally match the home. These projects run in phases over a season, with one owner-led team from first sketch to final stone.
What moves a project between tiers
Four things, mostly: slope (walls and terracing are structural work), utilities (gas and electrical runs for fire features and lighting), custom fabrication (welded steel, masonry), and square footage of hardscape. A flat lot with good access can do remarkable things at $50K; a steep Lone Tree slope may need $40K of engineering before the beautiful part begins — which is exactly why we design first.
Frequently asked questions
Why don’t you quote from photos or over the phone?
Because slope, access, soil, and utilities change everything. We price from a design, at your home — that’s the only honest number.
Is design included?
Design is where every project starts, and it’s done together — walking your property, sketching options, sampling materials. See our design packages or ask about design and consulting when you reach out.
Can a big vision be phased?
Yes — many $150K+ landscapes are built in two or three phases over consecutive seasons, in an order that never redoes finished work. That order is a design decision, and it’s one of the most valuable things we plan.
Owner-led, with 25+ years of hands-on landscape experience. Building as Colorado Native Landscapes & Design since 2018.
Ready to find out what your project’s number looks like? Browse the Before & After gallery and case studies, then Start Your Project.