The Backyard Planning Guide

 

This guide breaks down the steps to a well-planned & successful backyard. We will help you make a wishlist, find the right contractor, breakdown your budget and much more. Learn the questions you should be asking, what to watch out for and the tips that will make you an educated customer.

A backyard with lounge chairs, dining area, garden beds and firepit.
 

Step 1

Know Your Purpose

A backyard at a large house featuring a rectangular swimming pool and light grey patio slabs.

Family

Need an Outdoor Place for Your Family?

 

A playground, a dining room, a pool, and a fire pit will have your patio door swinging open and closed all summer long.

A driveway featuring grey driveway pavers with dark grey paver accents that form a linear design in front of a modern house.

Add Curb Appeal

Want to Make a Good First Impression?

 

Use unique and modern pavers to create a stunning driveway or walkway to add value to your home.

Tranquil backyard with a seating area and firepit in the middle.

Relax and Unwind

Looking for a Quiet Spot to De-Stress?

 

Comfy seating, a fire pit or a water feature are enough to enjoy your morning coffee or curl up outdoors with a book.

Areal view of a backyard featuring a firepit and patio designed with an intricate circular pattern using light and dark grey pavers.

Home Entertaining

Living to Host and Entertain?

 

Outdoor furniture, a fire pit, and cooking features are the basics for outdoor living.

Family
Need an outdoor place for your family? A playground, a dining room, a pool, and a fire pit will have your patio door swinging open and closed all summer long.
Add Curb Appeal
Want to make a good first impression? Use unique and modern pavers to create a stunning driveway or walkway to add value to your home.
Home Entertaining
Living to host and entertain? Outdoor furniture, a fire pit, and cooking features are the basics for outdoor living.
Relax and Unwind
Looking for a quiet spot to de-stress? Comfy seating, a fire pit or a water feature are enough to enjoy your morning coffee or curl up outdoors with a book.
 

Step 1

Know Your Purpose

Family
Need an outdoor place for your family? A playground, a dining room, a pool, and a fire pit will have your patio door swinging open and closed all summer long.
Add Curb Appeal
Want to make a good first impression? Use unique and modern pavers to create a stunning driveway or walkway to add value to your home.
Home Entertaining
Living to host and entertain? Outdoor furniture, a fire pit, and cooking features are the basics for outdoor living.
Relax and Unwind
Looking for a quiet spot to de-stress? Comfy seating, a fire pit or a water feature are enough to enjoy your morning coffee or curl up outdoors with a book.
 
Backyard hardscaping featuring modern patio slab designs.

Dare to Dream

 

Select all the features you wish to have in your space. Later, we’ll figure out which ones match your budget.

Make Your Wishlist

Step 2

 
View of a large house and its backyard featuring a rectangular pool and paved patio seating area.

Not Sure How Much a Backyard Renovation Costs?

 

Start your journey by getting a better idea of the price range for your upcoming outdoor project.

Estimate Your Budget

Step 3

Quick Fact:

70-80% of your project’s cost will be labor.

 
Contractors installing pavers at a hardscaping job.

Step 4

Choosing a Techo-Pro means working with an elite team of pre-screened installers that are certified by Techo-Bloc. With over 1,000 Techo-Pros across North America, we can help connect you with your perfect match. See photos of their work and find pre-screened and certified.

Find your contractor

 

How to Protect Yourself

 

 

Impose a balance to be held until the project is completed to your satisfaction.

Due diligence: verify the contractor’s craftsmanship.

Visit a Project That’s:

 

old to see how the project ages

 

old to see how the project wears

 

old to see if they follow the trends

 

Ask for invoices of material purchases to keep in your records.

Proof of purchases are important for warranties.

The Right Questions to Ask

Take a Look at Our Checklist of Essential Questions to Ask a Contractor

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Identify Your Challenges

Step 5

Consider Everything! Space. Trees and Roots. Utilities. Fence Height.

 

Aerial view of a fenced in backyard featuring light grey patio slabs, a dining area, firepit and seating area.
Want a Pool but Have No Space?
Consider a dipping pool instead. Also, try playing with levels and bandings to separate areas in a smaller setting.
What Kind of Fire Pit Should You Choose?
All Techo-Bloc fire pits are built in stone so they last and don’t rust. They are also designed to be converted to gas or firewood to respect your city’s by-laws.
Where Should You Put the Outdoor Kitchen?
Make sure it is located near your patio door, making the back and forth from the indoor kitchen to the outdoor kitchen much easier.
Dealing with Drainage Issues?
Permeable pavers reduce flooding, eliminate puddles, and save money on snow removal by letting water soak into the ground.
Need Some Privacy?
Consider trellis or build down from your fence height to create a sunken fire pit.
What Can Affect the Price of My Landscape Project?
Each project is different, and so is the cost. Factors like materials, features, difficulty, labor, climate, time of year, access, and soil type can affect the price.



 

Do a walk-around and consider things that might threaten the installation of your chosen features. Here are some ideas to overcome your design challenges.

 
 
  • Do your project in phases.
  • Stick with rectangular or square designs if your budget is tight.
  • Choose a fire pit instead of a fireplace.
  • keep things on the ground. Raised patios are more expensive.
  • Instead of leveling the land, consider building down into the slope.

Pick Your Budget Battles

Step 6

This will allow you to pay for your project over time, and help you manage your budget.
Filter contractors offering financing to find the perfect match for your project's budget needs.

 

 

Choose a Pro That Offers Financing

 

Quick Note:

Only available in USA.

Seating area around a firepit beside garden beds and a pool in a residential backyard.
 

Step 7

Shapes and colors. Scales and proportions. Materials and finishes. This is where every element comes to play in a perfectly orchestrated game of style mastery.

Choose your products

Find an authorized dealer in your area through our website to see and touch the products that caught your attention. The expertise of our dealers will guide you to find the perfect products for your landscaping project!

Fallen in Love with a Techo-Bloc Product?

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

View in Space

Experience the future of shopping with our view in space augmented reality (AR) feature.

Can’t Go to a Store or Don’t Have a Dealer Near You?

 

 

Areal view of a dining area with a triangular mosaic design in the patio.
 

Benefits of Choosing Techo-Bloc

We’ve worked hard to maintain our reputation as one of the leading hardscape manufacturers in the world so you can have peace of mind.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Step 8

Now that you're feeling confident about your project's wishlist, contact a contractor near you to get started!

Start your project

 
 
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