Long Beach Backyard Remodel: How to Get Started
If you live in Long Beach, your backyard can be a true extension of your home. With our mild weather and outdoor lifestyle, it’s one of the most valuable spaces you can improve. A Long Beach backyard remodel can create room to relax, entertain, and enjoy the outdoors year-round. Knowing what the beginning of the process should look like can make all the difference.
Before meeting with a landscape designer or contractor, it helps to understand what factors shape the design, what typical costs look like, and how to prepare so the process feels smooth instead of overwhelming.
Start With How You Use Your Space
Every successful backyard remodel in Long Beach starts with lifestyle. The best designs begin with simple questions like:
Do you enjoy cooking on a grill or dining al fresco?
Do you have children or dogs? Are they big or small?
Do you use your yard more for relaxing or for entertaining?
These early conversations shape everything that follows, from where patios and shade structures go to how wide paths should be and what materials make sense underfoot.
Once the layout begins to take shape, aesthetic preferences start to come into play. Some Long Beach homeowners prefer a clean, modern look with structured plantings and defined edges, while others lean toward a more organic, coastal style that feels relaxed and natural. Both can be beautiful. What matters most is that the design supports how the space functions.
Form and function always work together. The layout determines flow, comfort, and usability, while the aesthetic ties everything together and makes the space feel like a true extension of your home.
What to Expect From a Backyard Remodel in Long Beach
Many Long Beach properties have compacted, clay-heavy soil that needs attention before new plants or hardscape go in. Proper grading, soil prep, and irrigation setup are key to long-term success.
A backyard remodel typically includes a mix of features that extend your home outdoors:
Patios or walkways for gathering and movement
Fire pits, seating walls, or pergolas for comfort and shade
Outdoor kitchens or grills near the main house for easy flow
Lighting that makes the space usable into the evening
Herb & vegetable gardens for homegrown food
A thoughtful layout blends these elements so your yard feels welcoming and functional through every season.
How Much a Backyard Remodel Costs in Long Beach
It’s helpful to have a rough idea of costs before you start designing. While every site is different, here are typical local ranges in 2025:
Plant-focused updates: $8–15 per square foot
Mixed planting and hardscape remodels: $20–45 per square foot
Full outdoor living transformations: $50+ per square foot
Design services, permits, and irrigation upgrades add to the total, but they also prevent costly surprises later. Choosing drought-tolerant plants and permeable surfaces can lower long-term maintenance and water bills, helping your investment last.
See our blog post on landscaping costs for a deeper dive into this topic.
Getting Ready to Plan Your Backyard Remodel
If you’re starting to picture what your space could be, take a few minutes to walk your yard and notice how you use it. Visualize morning coffee spots, play areas for kids or dogs, and where you’d host friends on a warm evening.
You don’t need to have everything figured out — that’s what a designer helps with. Just getting familiar with your priorities, like privacy, open space, and natural flow from indoors to outdoors, will help you get the most out of a consultation.
At Sage Coast, I design Long Beach backyard remodels that balance beauty, function, and everyday comfort.