Paver Patio · Rocklin, CA · case study
Paver patio + turf backyard · Rocklin
A neglected backyard turned into a low-maintenance outdoor room — a herringbone paver patio with a charcoal soldier-course border, a board-formed concrete seat wall, a linear gas fire pit, and a crisp panel of premium artificial turf. Built on a properly compacted base so it stays flat for decades.
Days on site
7
Service
Paver Patio
Where
Rocklin
Scope tier
Mid-tier scope
Before / after
Drag to see what changed
Same camera angle, same room — drag the slider to reveal the before and after.
After
The brief
What the homeowner wanted
The homeowners had a small cracked concrete slab and a patchy, water-hungry lawn that never looked good through a Sacramento summer. They wanted a real outdoor room for evenings, near-zero lawn maintenance, and a clean modern look that matched the house. We removed the failing slab and the tired lawn, built a properly compacted aggregate base with the right slope for drainage, laid a herringbone paver field with a contrasting soldier-course border, poured a board-formed concrete seat wall with integrated low-voltage lighting, set a linear gas fire pit on a permitted line, and finished the old lawn zone with premium artificial turf over a draining base.
The scope
Exactly what we built
A scope checklist is how every Tanbark project starts. Below is the real list we worked from on this build — the same level of specificity goes into the itemized estimate you'll get after your in-home walk-through.
- Demo of failing concrete slab + removal of dead lawn and old irrigation
- Grading + 4-6 in. compacted Class II aggregate base with positive drainage
- Bedding-sand screed + herringbone-pattern concrete pavers
- Contrasting charcoal soldier-course border on a concrete bond beam
- Polymeric sand joints + plate-compacted lock-up
- Board-formed concrete seat wall with integrated low-voltage LED
- Linear gas fire pit on a permitted, inspected gas line
- Drought-tolerant planting bed with black steel landscape edging
- Premium artificial turf over a compacted draining base, nailed + seamed
- 12V low-voltage path + accent lighting on a smart transformer
Materials + finishes
What we specified
We publish the actual material specs because finishes are what make a build feel custom — and because the cheap version of every line below is the difference between a one-year project and a twenty-year project.
- Premium concrete pavers (Belgard / Calstone-equivalent) in a warm greige blend
- Charcoal soldier-course border pavers
- Polymeric jointing sand
- Board-formed concrete seat wall, sealed
- Premium 40-44 oz face-weight artificial turf with a permeable backing
- Linear stainless gas fire pit insert with manual + remote ignition
- Black powder-coated steel landscape edging
- 12V low-voltage LED lighting on a smart transformer
Material + finish detail
The details up close
Day by day
How 7 working days actually go
Visitors love seeing the schedule honestly. Below is how this project actually broke down. Your timeline will look similar; the exact day count lives in your written estimate.
- 1
Demo + haul-off
Day 1Cracked slab and dead lawn removed, old irrigation capped, area cleared.
- 2
Base + grading
Day 2-3Class II aggregate base compacted in lifts, slope set for drainage, gas stubbed for the fire pit.
- 3
Seat wall + edging
Day 4Board-formed concrete seat wall poured, black steel edging set to the layout.
- 4
Pavers
Day 5-6Herringbone field laid, charcoal soldier-course border set, polymeric joints sanded and plate-compacted.
- 5
Turf + fire pit + lighting
Day 7Turf seamed and secured, fire pit set and live-fire tested, low-voltage lighting tuned, walk-through.
Why this build matters
The details that took it from good to great
- The whole thing lives or dies on the base. We compact Class II aggregate in lifts and set the slope before a single paver is laid — that's why a paver patio stays flat for decades instead of dishing and rocking in a few years.
- A contrasting soldier-course border isn't just looks — it locks the paver field in and gives the edge restraint something to hold.
- Premium turf over a draining base (not over bare dirt) is what keeps it from getting spongy or holding odor — and it means no mowing and almost no water through a Sacramento summer.
“Went from a patchy dirt yard we never used to the best room in the house. One week, and we haven't run a mower since.”
— Rocklin homeowner
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Want the same scope-checklist for your project?
Grab the free 2026 Sacramento Remodel Planning Kit — the same scope worksheet, contractor question list, and material spec sheet we use on builds like this paver patio in Rocklin.
- Scope-Built Quote Worksheet — for apples-to-apples bids
- 10 questions every Sacramento contractor should answer
- Sacramento permit reality check by jurisdiction
- The 5 line items that blow most remodel budgets
- Material + finish cheat sheet (what to spec, what to skip)
About the number on a project like this:
We don't publish project totals because the same build can cost very differently depending on the home, the existing conditions, the finish level you actually want, and how much custom millwork or stone the design calls for. The right number for your project lives in your itemized written estimate, which we deliver within 48 hours of your in-home walk-through.
On the walk we bring the same scope-checklist approach you see above. By the end of the visit you'll know exactly which line items are fixed scope, which are selections, and where the real budget pressure lives.
Next step
Want a build like this on your home?
Book a free in-home walk-through. A Tanbark Project Manager (not a salesperson) will measure, ask the right questions, and bring you an itemized scope-built estimate within 48 hours.
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