Landscape installations in Boise, Idaho

Landscape installations in Boise are where a plan turns into a yard you can use. Maybe you just moved into a new build with a dirt backyard. Maybe you have a design on paper, or in your head, and you need someone to build all of it in the right order, without five different crews blaming each other when something goes wrong. I'm Kabe Hockema. I take on a limited number of projects each season so I can run each one myself, from the first consultation through the final walkthrough.

What a landscape installation includes

An installation is the full build of a landscape, not just one piece of it. Depending on the yard, it can include:

• Demolition and haul-off of old lawn, concrete or plants
• Grading and drainage
• Irrigation, from the main line to drip and spray zones
• Hardscaping, like patios, walkways, walls and steps
• Outdoor living features like fire pits, kitchens or water features
• Lighting wire and fixtures
• Soil prep, trees, shrubs and perennials
• Lawn, rock and mulch

Some clients need all of it. Others want the front yard done now and the backyard next year. Either way, the work goes in a set order.

Start with a plan

A good installation starts with a plan that shows where everything goes and why. If you don't have one, I draw it as part of the work. My landscape plans page explains that process, and my garden design page covers the planting side. If you already have a plan from someone else, I'll check it against your site and budget before we build.

The order of the build

Order matters because each stage depends on the one before it. Get it wrong and you end up cutting into a new patio to run a pipe. Here's the usual sequence:

• Demo and rough grading. Old material comes out and the ground gets its main shape. If the yard has slope or drainage problems, this is when I fix them. See grading and resloping for how that works.
• Underground work. Irrigation main lines, sleeves, drain pipe and lighting conduit all go in while the ground is open. Sleeves are pipes laid under future patios and walks so lines can pass through later.
• Hardscape. Patios, walls, walks and steps get built on compacted bases. Heavy equipment does its work now, before any plants are in the way.
• Features. Fire pits, outdoor kitchens and water features get finished.
• Soil prep. I loosen compacted soil and work in compost where plants and lawn will grow.
• Planting. Trees go in first, then shrubs and perennials. Drip lines get hooked up and tested.
• Lawn and finish. Sod or seed, rock and mulch go down last. Then the lights get aimed and the irrigation controller gets set.

Building for Treasure Valley ground

Our conditions shape every installation. Clay and alkaline soil need loosening and organic matter before most plants will do well. Freeze-thaw winters push on anything built over a soft or wet base, which is why every patio and wall starts with compaction and drainage. Hot, dry summers and wind mean plants need drip irrigation and the right spot for their sun. Many homeowners also want less lawn and lower water bills, so I put turf where it gets used instead of everywhere by default.

Water source matters too. Some homes run on city water, others on pressurized irrigation from a district, and some Canyon County properties use canal or ditch water. Each one needs its own setup for filters and controls, and I plan around what you have.

What shapes the budget

Every landscape installation in Boise is priced from its own plan. The biggest factors are:

• Size of the yard and how much demolition it needs
• Hardscape square footage and materials
• Grading, drainage and access for equipment
• Irrigation scope
• Plant count and sizes (bigger trees cost more but look finished sooner)
• Features like fire pits, kitchens, lighting or water features

Building in phases is fine. I plan the underground work so later phases don't tear up earlier ones.

One person accountable from start to finish

On a lot of installs, the homeowner ends up managing the job. With me, you don't. I'm on every job, and you get my direct number. I've been landscaping since 2012, and I hold Idaho contractor license #6871843, bonded and insured. You can see finished work, like this full backyard renovation, in my projects.

Where I build

I install landscapes in Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Star, Middleton, Kuna, Garden City and Hidden Springs, plus Sun Valley and Ketchum. Browse my other landscaper services to see each part of the work up close.

If you're ready to turn a plan or a bare lot into a finished yard, schedule a consultation for landscape installations in Boise, or call me at (541) 961-7269.