# Backyard Remodeling & Outdoor Living in Irvine, CA [Browser-friendly HTML version](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/website-guide/pages/services/exterior-remodeling/irvine/index) Source: https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/exterior-remodeling/irvine Last modified: 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z Text part: 1 of 1 [Full website text index](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/llms-full.txt) | [Services by city](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/llms/services-by-city-003.txt) | [Previous page](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/llms/pages/services/exterior-remodeling/newport-beach/index.txt) | [Next page](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/llms/pages/services/exterior-remodeling/huntington-beach/index.txt) --- Image: Sunken fire-pit lounge with built-in seating below a modern home at twilight 1. [Home](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/) 1. [Services](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services) 1. [Backyard & Outdoor Living](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/exterior-remodeling) 1. Irvine Design · Permit · Build ### Backyard & Outdoor Living in Irvine We design the whole backyard as one, so patio, kitchen and shade fit together. [Book a Consultation](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/contact-us) [Call 818-300-2393](tel:+18183002393) #### Built for Irvine Homes Two approvals, not one: that is the rhythm of working in a master-planned city. The village association's architectural committee cares about roof material, stucco color and how a pool equipment enclosure reads from the common area; the city cares about code, setbacks and drainage into an engineered storm system. We prepare both submittals in parallel, and we design to the approved exterior palette rather than fighting it. Lots are planned and predictable: rectangular pads with consistent setbacks, walled rear yards and a defined side yard. Newer villages trend toward smaller usable rear yards with larger homes, while the older established villages and the custom enclaves offer genuinely deep backyards. We are a design-build team, which means the people who draw your project are the people who build it. Design, engineering, permits and construction run through one project manager and our own crews, so nothing gets lost in a handoff between a salesperson and a subcontractor. We are licensed, bonded and insured, [CSLB license #1119054](https://www.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/LicenseDetail.aspx?LicNum=1119054) . Permits in Irvine: Plan review, permit issuance and inspections are handled by the Building and Safety Division within the Community Development Department, with submittals and inspection scheduling through the city's online permits system. Some minor residential replacements are available as self-service permits, while pools, spas, additions and ADUs require full plan check. Permits for Group R-3 residential work become invalid eighteen months from issuance unless extended in writing by the Building Official. Essentially every village is governed by a master association and often a sub-association as well, and the architectural review committee runs on its own separate track from city plan check. Under state law an association cannot ban an ADU outright, but it can enforce reasonable exterior standards for materials, color and placement. Permit details checked September 2026 against [City of Irvine](https://cityofirvine.gov/community-development/building-safety) and [California law](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=4751) . Rules change, so we confirm them again for your parcel. What We Build - Parallel HOA architectural review packages - Slope and landscape easement mapping - Engineered drainage tie-in design - Full backyard transformations - Paver patios, driveways and walkways - Outdoor kitchens and BBQ islands - Pergolas, patio covers and shade structures - Fire pits, fire tables and fireplaces - Retaining walls and seat walls - Artificial turf and drought-tolerant planting - Drainage correction and grading - Landscape and architectural lighting - Front yard and curb appeal remodels Local Conditions #### What to Know in Irvine These local conditions change the scope, the schedule and the budget. 01 Rear yards back onto engineered slopes and association-maintained landscape easements far more often than onto neighboring property, which limits where a shell or foundation can legally sit. 02 Pads in the newer villages are cut-and-fill over expansive clay, so deepened footings and moisture-conditioned subgrade are common requirements on pool decks and casita slabs. 03 Site drainage is tied into a designed storm system with defined outlet points, so new hardscape has to be routed to an approved discharge rather than sheet-flowed toward a neighbor. 04 Side yards in the tighter tract product can be narrow, which may force hand-dig, conveyor or crane access for backyard excavation. Areas we serve in Irvine:Turtle RockWoodbridgeNorthwoodShady CanyonQuail HillOrchard Hills Investment #### What It Costs in Irvine Real Southern California price ranges, not teaser numbers. ##### Full backyard transformation $50,000 to $250,000+ What moves it: how much hardscape is involved, whether a pool or outdoor kitchen is included, grading and retaining, and the level of lighting and planting ##### Paver patio and hardscape from about $13,000 What moves it: square footage, paver type, base preparation, drainage, and any steps or retaining involved ##### Outdoor kitchen and BBQ island $10,000 to $50,000+ What moves it: counter length, appliance package, countertop material, and whether gas, water and power need to be run a long distance ##### Pergola and shade structure from about $9,500 What moves it: span, material (wood, aluminum or louvered), footing requirements, and integrated lighting or heating ##### Artificial turf from about $9,900 What moves it: area, turf grade, base depth, drainage, and any pet-specific infill Your lot, access and finishes set the price. We walk the site, then show you where every dollar goes. [Get a line-item price for your Irvine property](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/contact-us) The Process #### How We Work in Irvine 01 ##### Site Review We measure the yard, check drainage and grade, and find the constraints before design starts. 02 ##### Design & 3D You walk the whole yard in 3D, so layout and materials are settled before we build. 03 ##### Plans & Permits Structures, walls and electrical get drawn and permitted where the work requires it. In Irvine that submittal goes to City of Irvine Community Development Department, Building and Safety Division. 04 ##### Demo & Grading Old surfaces come out, levels are set and drainage is corrected properly. 05 ##### Build Hardscape, structures, kitchen, features and lighting go in, sequenced by our own crews. 06 ##### Planting & Handover Planting, turf and final detail, then a full walkthrough of the finished yard. Questions #### What Irvine Homeowners Ask Who issues the permits for this work in Irvine? City of Irvine Community Development Department, Building and Safety Division. Plan review, permit issuance and inspections are handled by the Building and Safety Division within the Community Development Department, with submittals and inspection scheduling through the city's online permits system. Some minor residential replacements are available as self-service permits, while pools, spas, additions and ADUs require full plan check. Permits for Group R-3 residential work become invalid eighteen months from issuance unless extended in writing by the Building Official. Essentially every village is governed by a master association and often a sub-association as well, and the architectural review committee runs on its own separate track from city plan check. Under state law an association cannot ban an ADU outright, but it can enforce reasonable exterior standards for materials, color and placement. We prepare the drawings, make the submittal and handle plan-check corrections ourselves, so you are not the one chasing plan check. What makes building in Irvine different? Lots are planned and predictable: rectangular pads with consistent setbacks, walled rear yards and a defined side yard. Newer villages trend toward smaller usable rear yards with larger homes, while the older established villages and the custom enclaves offer genuinely deep backyards. One local condition that shapes the work: Rear yards back onto engineered slopes and association-maintained landscape easements far more often than onto neighboring property, which limits where a shell or foundation can legally sit. Which parts of Irvine do you work in? All of it, including Turtle Rock, Woodbridge, Northwood and Shady Canyon. Our crews run every job out of our Cahuenga Pass base in Los Angeles, with our own people on site. What does a backyard or outdoor living project cost in Irvine? Full backyard transformation: generally $50,000 to $250,000+ across Southern California. What moves it is how much hardscape is involved, whether a pool or outdoor kitchen is included, grading and retaining, and the level of lighting and planting. We give line-item pricing after seeing the site rather than quoting a number over the phone. How long does a backyard remodel take? A patio and turf refresh often finishes in three to five weeks. A full transformation with hardscape, an outdoor kitchen, structures and lighting typically runs ten to sixteen weeks, and longer if a pool is part of the same phase. Pavers or poured concrete? Pavers cost more up front but flex with ground movement instead of cracking, and individual units can be lifted and replaced. Poured concrete is cheaper initially, but a crack means cutting out and repouring a section that rarely matches. On most Southern California soil we recommend pavers for anything you will look at every day. Can you fix drainage at the same time? Yes, and on most projects we insist on it. Correcting grade and adding proper drainage while the yard is already open is far cheaper than retrofitting it after new hardscape is down. Do you handle the whole yard in one project? Yes. Design, permits, hardscape, structures, kitchen, lighting and planting run through one team and one project manager, so nothing gets lost between trades. #### More Services in Irvine [Pool & Spa Remodeling in Irvine](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/swimming-pool-spa/irvine) [ADUs & Additions in Irvine](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/adus-additions/irvine) [Kitchen, Bath & Interior Remodeling in Irvine](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/interior-remodeling/irvine) [Plans, Permits & Design in Irvine](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/plans-permits/irvine) [Everything we build in Irvine](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/service-areas/irvine) #### Backyard & Outdoor Living Nearby [Backyard & Outdoor Living in Tustin](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/exterior-remodeling/tustin) [Backyard & Outdoor Living in Newport Beach](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/exterior-remodeling/newport-beach) [Backyard & Outdoor Living in Costa Mesa](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/exterior-remodeling/costa-mesa) [Backyard & Outdoor Living in Mission Viejo](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/exterior-remodeling/mission-viejo) [Backyard & Outdoor Living in Huntington Beach](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/exterior-remodeling/huntington-beach) [Backyard & Outdoor Living in Lake Forest](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/exterior-remodeling/lake-forest) Planning Guides #### Before You Build in Irvine Costs, materials and process notes from our own projects. [Irvine Outdoor Living Cost and HOA Approval Guide An Irvine backyard build runs $45,000 to $160,000 by yard size. Line-item costs, the two-step HOA and City approval path, Title 24 requirements and the side-gate access problem. Read guide](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/articles/irvine-outdoor-living-cost-hoa-guide) [Irvine ADU Construction: City Rules, HOAs & Costs Irvine ADU construction must navigate both City regulations and HOA architectural guidelines. Here's how to build successfully in master-planned communities. Read guide](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/articles/adu-irvine-california) [Pool Remodeling Cost in Orange County: Complete Guide Orange County pool remodeling costs explained: replastering, tile replacement, coping, equipment upgrades, and complete pool renovations with real pricing examples. Read guide](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/articles/pool-remodeling-cost-orange-county) [Outdoor Living Trends in Irvine: 2026 Design Guide Irvine homeowners are investing in outdoor living like never before. Discover the trends defining backyards in Turtle Rock, Woodbury, Northwood, and throughout Irvine. Read guide](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/articles/outdoor-living-trends-irvine) #### Planning a Backyard in Irvine? Sit down with your project manager and get an accurate estimate. We call you back within one business day. [Book a Consultation](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/contact-us) [818-300-2393](tel:+18183002393) Licensed, bonded & insured · [CSLB license #1119054](https://www.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/LicenseDetail.aspx?LicNum=1119054) --- End of text part 1 of 1. This page is complete.