How it works
How a myYardPros project works, step by step
You should know what happens next at every point of a project, and what it will cost before anyone picks up a shovel. Every myYardPros job in Northern Virginia follows the same five steps: you tell us what you need, we walk the site, you receive a written estimate, we build to it, and we walk the finished work together.
What are the five steps of a myYardPros project?
The same order every time, whether it is one drain line or the whole backyard.
Tell us what you need
Call (571) 200-9600 or send the estimate form with your address and a short description. We confirm you are in our service area and set a time to visit. Your part: describe the problem or the wish, and send photos if you can.
On-site visit
We walk the property with you, measure, check slopes and where water goes, and talk through options, materials and budget. Your part: be there if possible, show us what bothers you, and tell us how you want to use the space.
Written estimate
You receive a written scope and price, along with our license and insurance details. Your part: read it closely, ask about anything unclear, and compare it line by line with other bids.
Build
We handle permits where required, have utilities marked, protect the areas around the work and build to the written scope. Your part: clear the work area, arrange access to gates, water and power, and keep children and pets clear.
Walkthrough
We walk the finished work with you, show you how it drains and how to care for it, clean up and close out any permit inspections. Your part: look closely and point out anything you want adjusted.
What does the written estimate contain?
The written estimate contains the full scope of work and the price, in enough detail that you can see what you are paying for. A single line that says "install patio" tells you nothing. Ours spells out the hidden parts of the job.
- Excavation and base: what is removed, how deep, and what goes back in.
- Drainage: where water will go, and any pipe, stone or re-grading involved.
- Materials: the products, sizes and colors proposed.
- Inclusions and exclusions: what is covered, and what is not.
- Permit and HOA steps: what is required for your address and who handles it.
- Schedule: a realistic sequence and the things that could shift it.
With every estimate you also get our license and insurance details, so you can verify us before you decide.
How are changes handled once work has started?
Changes are agreed in writing before we act on them, whether the change comes from you or from the ground. 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.
In either case the crew stops that part of the work, shows you what has come up and explains the options. You receive the change described in plain terms, with its effect on the price and the schedule, and nothing proceeds until you have approved it. The roles involved are described on our team page.
What does the final walkthrough cover?
The job is not finished until you have seen it, understood it and said so.
- Every item in the written scope, checked against the finished work
- How water moves across and away from the new work
- How to operate anything with controls, such as an irrigation controller or lighting timer
- Care instructions, such as when to seal pavers or how to water new sod
- Anything you would like adjusted, noted and scheduled before we close the job
- Cleanup of the site, lawn repairs and the status of any permit inspections
What should I have ready before I call?
None of this is required, but each item makes the first conversation more useful.
- Your property address, so we can confirm it is inside our service area
- A short description of the problem or the project you have in mind
- A few photos of the area, including one taken from further back
- When and where water collects, if drainage is part of the concern
- Whether your neighborhood has an HOA that reviews exterior changes
- Your property plat or survey, if you have a copy on hand
- Whether you qualify for the Heroes Discount
Common questions
Do I need to be home for the site visit?
We strongly prefer it. The visit works best when you can show us what bothers you, where water sits after a storm and how you want to use the space. If you cannot be there, tell us when you call and we will work out the best way to see the property.
Who handles permits and HOA approval?
We confirm what your address requires and handle county permit applications and inspections for work that needs them, such as decks and taller retaining walls. HOA applications usually have to be submitted by the homeowner, so we provide the drawings, dimensions and material details that review boards typically ask for.
When will my project start?
It depends on the season, the weather and any approvals your project needs. A job that requires a county permit or HOA sign-off cannot start until those are in hand, and wet ground can delay excavation. Your written estimate includes a realistic schedule and names the things that could move it.
What if I want to do the project in phases?
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 or lighting wire, does not have to be torn up later.
Related services
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.
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.
Yard & Foundation Drainage
Yard drainage solutions collect and redirect surface water with grading, swales, catch basins, channel drains and dry wells so rain leaves the lawn and moves away from the house.
Landscape Design & Installation
Landscape design and installation is the planning and planting of beds, trees, shrubs and screening around a home, with the soil preparation, edging and mulch that help them establish.
More about myYardPros
About Us
You want a patio that stays level, a deck that feels solid underfoot and a lawn that dries out after a storm.
Our Story
This is not a tale about a truck and a dream.
Meet the Pros
Letting a crew into your yard takes trust, and trust starts with knowing who is responsible for what.
Licensing & Insurance
Hiring someone to dig, build and pour at your home is a real risk if the paperwork is not in order.
Community
A project in your yard happens in front of your whole street.
Agents and Inspectors
You see the problems before anyone else does: water against a foundation, a deck that is past repair, a patio that has sunk, siding gone green.
Reviews
You want to know what it is really like to hire us, from people who have.
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.