The first picture is what I’m currently working with and the second and 3rd pictures are what I’m looking to achieve. Realistically, how doable is this for someone with absolutely no experience in landscaping/construction?
I do work from home and my wife has summers off so we’d have a decent amount of time to work on the project. I’m also not opposed to hiring it out if it’s too much to take on.
We set aside 15K specifically for this project, but I’ve started to think we could do it ourself. We’re in the Seattle area and labor is pricey. We’ve also recently had a new roof/gutters installed, had our chimney rebuilt, and had landscaping done in the front, so we’ve been spending a lot on projects lately.
Thoughts?
by Treydy
4 Comments
It is completely doable.
The key is the prep work.
Make sure you level things and plan really well.
I think This Old House has some stuff on their site and YouTube on how to do it.
This is definitely DIY able. Most of the work is prep and unlike concrete you can work at your own pace and refine it as you go. A local yard will probably deliver gravel and pavers for a nominal charge. You will need to rent a compactor but a weekend should be plenty of time with it if you have the site prepped and the base on hand.
Give some thought to how you will dispose of the soil you dig out.
How much do you estimate the total cost of materials will be if you do it yourself?
Also, is that a pizza oven? If it is, do you recommend it? Just asking because I love pizza lol
Very doable. Just plan for a few weekends of hard work and sore muscles. As others wrote, taking the time to get your sand and gravel properly laid will pay off huge at paver time.