When this Maple Ridge homeowner first reached out, she had a few things going on at once. Weeds and ivy kept coming back no matter how often they were pulled, moss had taken over parts of the lawn, and every fall water would pool in the backyard after a heavy rain. She wanted a yard her family could actually use, a low maintenance space for her kids to play, and a putting green for evenings at home. What she needed was a full backyard transformation in Maple Ridge, one that also stretched into the front and side yards as a single project.
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Step 1: Looking at the Whole Property Together
Before any work began, our team walked the whole property with the homeowner and mapped out a plan for the side yards, the front yard, and the backyard together. We treated it as one connected renovation, not a set of separate jobs. On a property like this, the drainage work in the back, the base prep on the sides, and the retaining wall out front all overlap and depend on each other, so having one team plan and build all of it keeps the grading, drainage, and finishes consistent across the property.
The full scope ended up covering a lot of ground: turf and rock zones on both sides of the house, a retaining wall wrapping from the backyard around to the front, a new front yard lawn with a rock and fern garden bed, and a backyard built around a large turf area with a 2-hole putting green.
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Step 2: Rip Out and Regrade
We started by removing the existing lawn and overgrown groundcover, then brought in a mini excavator to regrade the backyard. Pooling water after rain usually comes down to grading and base work, so getting the ground properly leveled and prepped before anything else went in was a priority for this yard. We also cleared out the narrow side yard passages, which had been collecting debris and weeds for years, and pruned back overgrown trees to make room for the turf installation.
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Step 3: Building the Base and the Retaining Wall
With the ground cleared, we moved into base preparation. We laid and compacted a gravel base across the backyard, and finished the side yard zones with round rock for drainage and to permanently deal with the weed and ivy problem the homeowner had been fighting for years.
At the same time, our crew built the retaining wall, starting at the side of the house and wrapping around to the front yard. We ran a drain pipe behind the wall to help keep water moving away from the foundation, then finished the top with matching cap stones. Large natural boulders were placed along the wall to soften the hardscaping and blend it into the rest of the yard.
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Step 4: Turf, Putting Green, and Final Details
With the base and wall in place, we installed synthetic grass across the front and back yards, along with a custom 2-hole putting green in the backyard corner, right where the homeowner wanted a space to practice at home. The sloped front yard was turfed up to the base of the new retaining wall, and a fern and rock garden bed was added along the porch. We finished off the remaining side yard and shed area with more round rock.
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The Result
The yard used to be patchy, weedy, and prone to pooling water. Now it’s a clean, consistent outdoor space from the front porch to the back fence. The kids have a big lawn to play on, there’s a putting green for practice, and the retaining wall and rock zones mean the weeds and ivy are no longer a yearly battle. The front yard, side yards, and backyard were all planned and built together, so the whole property feels like one connected space.
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Dealing with a yard that has drainage issues, stubborn weeds, or just needs a full refresh? We handle grading, drainage, hardscaping, and turf installation as one team, so nothing gets lost between contractors. Reach out for a free quote and let’s talk through what your yard needs.