Online Backyard Design
Groundwork Design Co. / Online backyard design
Online backyard design: one plan for the whole yard.
Patio, walks, walls, drainage and planting on one scaled plan you can build in phases. Designed remotely for any U.S. yard by a crew that builds this work.
Most backyards get built one project at a time: a patio one year, a shed the next, a wall when the hill starts sliding. Without a plan, those pieces fight each other. Our online backyard design service gives you one scaled plan for the whole yard, so every project fits the next. It's drawn by Muthler Landscaping & Construction, a central Pennsylvania builder, for homeowners anywhere in the U.S.
Start with water, not furniture
Before we place a single paver, we figure out where water goes. The ground should fall away from the house, low spots need somewhere to drain, and downspouts need a destination. Patios, walls and beds are designed around that. Fixing drainage after a patio is built usually means tearing the patio out.
Plan the yard in zones
| Zone | What it's for | Where it usually goes |
|---|---|---|
| Transition | Door landing, steps, grill | Right off the back door |
| Dining | Table and chairs | Close to the kitchen |
| Lounge or fire | Seating, fire pit, seat walls | A step away from the house, facing the best view |
| Open lawn | Kids, dogs, games | The flattest, sunniest open area |
| Work | Shed, compost, trash, storage | Out of sight, near a gate or driveway |
| Planting | Privacy, shade, color | Edges, property lines, around the patio |
Paths and flow
Walkways connect the zones. A 3-foot path works for one person; about 4 feet lets two people pass or walk side by side. We route paths where people actually walk, from the door to the patio, the patio to the lawn, the driveway to the gate, so the lawn doesn't get a dirt trail through it.
Build it in phases
A whole-yard plan lets you spread the cost over several seasons without redoing anything. The usual order:
- Grading and drainage. Get the water right first.
- Walls and steps. They set the levels everything else sits on.
- Patios and walks. Built on the finished grades.
- Planting and lighting. Last, so they don't get trampled.
Budgeting a backyard
Hardscape is priced by the square foot or linear foot, and site conditions move the number: slope, access for equipment, soil and product choice. A plan with quantities lets you get real bids instead of guesses. If you're in central Pennsylvania, our free hardscape designer shows installed price ranges as you draw. Elsewhere, a Build-Ready plan gives three local contractors the same scope to bid.
What's in a Full Yard plan
- Color site plan of the whole backyard, to scale
- Hardscape layout with every patio, walk, step and wall dimensioned
- Grading and drainage concept: slopes, swales, downspouts, where water goes
- Planting plan with plants picked for your USDA hardiness zone
- A 30-minute video call with your designer and a phasing plan
- Two revision rounds, first draft in 10 business days
Need just a patio or just a wall? The Single Space package covers one area for $349.
Free planning guides
Planning it yourself first? These guides come from the crews who build this work: real sizes, heights and drainage details, with our sample plans as examples.
- Backyard layout: zones, path widths and zone sizes in seven steps.
- Sloped backyard ideas: 15 ways to use a hill, sorted by steepness.
- Terraced backyard ideas: tier math, the 2× spacing rule and 11 designs.
- Landscape plan drawing: how to measure, draw to scale and label a plan a contractor can price.
- Paver patio ideas: 20 designs with sizes, relative costs and build notes.
More reading from our crew
- You Don’t Need $40,000 to Build the Backyard You Actually Want: How Central PA Homeowners Are Doing It in Phases
- How to Landscape a Sloped Backyard
- How to Level a Sloped Backyard Before Spring Projects Begin
- Why Does My Yard Hold Water After It Rains?
- Low Maintenance Front Yard Landscaping: A Northeast-Proof Front Yard That Stays Clean With Less Work
Questions
How does online backyard design work?
You choose a package, send photos, a short walk-around video and a few measurements, and we draw a scaled plan remotely. The first draft arrives in 10 business days. You mark it up, we revise, and you get a final plan set to build from.
Do you need a survey?
No, but a plot plan or survey helps with property lines and setbacks. Most yards can be planned from measurements and photos. For steep lots we may ask for a few simple height measurements, and the guide shows how.
Can I do the backyard in phases?
Yes. Full Yard and Build-Ready plans include a phasing plan, usually drainage first, then walls, then patios and walks, then planting.
Is a backyard plan worth it if I'm hiring a contractor anyway?
Usually, yes. A plan with dimensions and quantities means every contractor bids the same job, and it prevents change orders from surprises halfway through.
What does online backyard design cost?
Full Yard is $895 with two revision rounds. Build-Ready is $1,795 and covers front and back with 3D views, construction details and a quantity takeoff. A single area is $349.
Plan the whole backyard once.
Flat price, paid up front. Single Space $349 · Full Yard $895 · Build-Ready $1,795.