Pricing guide
How we price: what a written scope covers and why ranges move
A planning range tells you whether a project fits your budget. A written scope tells you what it will cost on your property. The gap between them is access, what is underground, size, materials and approvals, and we only see those on site. Our ranges are typical Northern Virginia market ranges, not myYardPros prices.
Why does an on-site estimate differ from a planning range?
A range describes a whole market. An estimate describes your yard. Two projects with the same name, say a paver patio of the same size, can be very different jobs. One sits behind a wide gate on firm soil. The other is reached by wheelbarrow over soft clay with a buried pipe under the proposed footprint. The labor and material are not the same, so the numbers are not either.
That is why the ranges on our cost guide are wide, and why each one is labeled as a typical Northern Virginia market range as of 2026. They are there to help you plan. The only number we stand behind is the one in a written estimate prepared after we have walked the property. A project can land outside a range when the site is unusually easy or unusually hard. Each service page, from deck building to French drains, explains its own range.
What drives the price of an exterior project?
Five things explain most of the spread between two similar projects.
Access
A machine through a wide gate works far faster than wheelbarrows through a narrow one. Slopes, tight side yards and distance from the street all add labor.
What is under the surface
Soft clay to haul away, roots, rock and buried lines add work before anything visible is built. Much of this cannot be seen until the ground is open.
Size and shape
Small projects usually cost more per square foot, and curves mean more cutting and more waste than straight runs.
Materials
Natural stone, PVC decking and brass fixtures often cost more than their standard counterparts. The material you choose changes both the price and the labor.
Demolition, permits and drawings
Removing an old deck or patio, county review, engineered drawings and HOA preparation add cost and time. Which apply depends on your address.
What does the written scope cover?
The written scope should let you see what you are paying for. A single line that says "install patio" tells you nothing. Ours spells out the parts of the job that are buried or easy to skip: what is excavated and how deep, the base that goes back in, where water will go, the materials, sizes and colors proposed, and what is included and what is not. It also says which permit and HOA steps your address needs and who handles each, and gives a realistic sequence with the things that could shift it.
With every estimate you also get our license and insurance details, so you can check them yourself on the licensing page and in the state lookup. How it works shows where the estimate sits in the process.
How are changes handled once work has started?
Changes are agreed in writing before we act on them, whether you ask for the change or the ground does. You may see the patio taking shape and want it wider. We may dig and find buried construction debris, an old stump or an unmarked pipe that nobody could have seen at the visit.
Either way the crew stops that part of the work, shows you what came up and explains the options. You get the change described in plain terms, with its effect on price and schedule. Nothing proceeds until you approve it. This is also why we ask you to tell us about anything you know is buried, such as irrigation lines or lighting wire, since public utility marking does not cover private lines.
What should any contractor's quote say about the extras?
These items are often assumed to be included and are often not. Get each answer in writing.
| Item | Why it matters | What to confirm in the quote |
|---|---|---|
| Permit fees | Counties set fees on their own published schedules. | Whether fees are included or billed separately, and who applies. |
| Utility marking | Digging without marking risks a strike on a public line. | Who requests Virginia 811 marking, and who handles private lines. |
| Disposal | Excavated clay and old materials are heavy and costly to haul. | Whether soil, old decking or demolished material is taken away. |
| Restoration | Machines and foot traffic leave bare ground. | Whether lawn, mulch beds and edging are repaired afterward. |
| Irrigation repair | Sprinkler lines often sit in the work area. | Who fixes lines or heads that are cut or moved. |
| Drawings and engineering | Some structures need plans or a sealed design. | Whether they are needed and who pays. |
| HOA application | Associations ask for drawings and material details. | Who prepares them and who submits. |
What should I compare when I get three quotes?
Compare scopes before you compare totals. The lowest number often leaves something out.
- The same dimensions, materials and finish in every quote, line by line
- Excavation depth and base material, not just the surface you will see
- How water is handled, including pipe, stone or grading
- Which permits and approvals each contractor assumed your project needs
- How changes to the scope and price are agreed once work begins
- The license number, checked yourself, and a current certificate of insurance
- Any warranty terms, in writing, and what they do and do not cover
Common questions
Are the cost ranges on your pages your prices?
No. They are typical Northern Virginia market ranges as of 2026, gathered to help you plan, and each is followed by the factors that move it. Your written estimate is the only figure that applies to your property. The ranges are collected in our cost guide.
Why do you need to see the property before giving a price?
Because the largest cost factors, access, soil, buried lines and drainage, are visible only on site. A number given without a visit is a guess about someone else's yard. We walk the property, measure, check slopes and where water goes, then write the scope.
Can I split a project into phases to spread the cost?
Often, yes. Tell us at the visit. The order matters: drainage and grading first, then hardscape and structures, then lawn and planting. We can scope the phases so that work done now, such as a sleeve under a patio for future irrigation, is not torn up later.
Does the Heroes Discount change the scope?
No. It takes 10% off any project for military members, veterans, first responders, healthcare workers and teachers. Mention it when you request your estimate so it is reflected in the written scope. The details are on the Heroes Discount page.
What if the estimate and a ballpark I read online are far apart?
Ask what is different. Usually it is scope: a deeper base, drainage, an engineered footing, or demolition the ballpark left out. Compare the scopes before the totals, and ask us to explain any line you do not understand.
Related services
Custom Deck Building
Custom deck building is the design and construction of a new pressure-treated wood or composite deck sized to your house and yard.
Paver Patios
A paver patio is an outdoor floor of concrete, porcelain or natural-stone units laid over a compacted stone base instead of a poured slab.
French Drain Installation
A French drain is a gravel-filled trench with a perforated pipe, wrapped in filter fabric, that collects water moving through the soil and carries it to a safe outlet.
Retaining Walls
A retaining wall holds back soil so a slope becomes level, usable ground.
Let's talk about your yard.
Tell us what you have in mind. We will walk the property with you, explain your options plainly and put the scope and price in writing.
Serving Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Arlington counties and the cities inside them. Check your address. Military, veterans, first responders, healthcare workers and teachers: ask about the Heroes Discount.