Project · West Valley City, UT
A Backyard Built for Grandkids
A West Valley City grandmother needed a yard her grandchildren could actually play in. Here's how a nine-person SLC crew regraded it, fixed the drainage, and laid artificial turf wall to wall — in five days.
- West Valley City, UT
- Project location
- August 2025
- Completed
- 9-person
- Crew on site
- Turf & drainage
- Scope of work
Project spotlight
A closer look at the work
Five days, nine people, and a yard that went from bare dirt to somewhere the grandkids could be turned loose. These photos were taken as the work went in and after it wrapped.
The story
A yard a family could grow into
Brenda is helping care for her grandchildren after a loss in the family, and still working. Her yard had become one more thing she didn't have time for — clutter on bare dirt, nowhere for a toddler to play. She didn't need a showpiece. She needed a foundation: a yard that holds up to kids, takes almost no upkeep, and gives the family somewhere to be together.
- 1
The need
Somewhere the kids could play. Brenda was helping care for her grandchildren after a loss in the family, and the yard had gotten away from her.
- 2
The plan
Drainage first, turf second. Fix the water, rework the irrigation around the new layout, and pull city permits before a shovel moved.
- 3
The work
Nine people, five days. A mini-excavator, a dump truck, two rock types hauled in for drainage, and rosebushes in the front beds.
- 4
The result
Inspected and signed off. West Valley City confirmed the permits and approved the work. The homeowner was thrilled; the neighbors noticed.
The install
Base to finish
Turf is only as good as what sits under it. The yard was stripped, regraded, drained, and compacted before a single roll came off the truck.
1 The front yard stripped back to dirt 
2 The backyard graded and compacted 
3 Turf going down over the new base
What we did
- Base first. Regraded and compacted a base built to hold wall-to-wall turf flat.
- Drainage rebuilt. Two rock types hauled in so water moves instead of pooling.
- Irrigation reworked. The existing sprinklers rearranged around the new layout.
- A custom grade. Hand-cut the height change from the concrete patio to the side gate.
- Front beds planted. Rosebushes set into fresh river rock along the porch.
- Permitted and inspected. City permits pulled, construction mats laid to cross a city drainage area.
The result: A low-maintenance yard that drains properly and is ready for kids — finished in five days.
Turf supplied by Turfing Zion.
Services used: artificial turf, landscaping & renovation, and irrigation & sprinkler repair.
Beyond the estimate
The parts a bid doesn't cover
Two problems this yard was hiding, and three things we handled on our own dime. None of it changed the price.
A grade we invented
Patio high, gate low. We hand-cut the transition so the turf runs clean between them — no dip, no trip edge.
A city drainage crossing
The only way in ran straight through it. Construction mats carried the equipment across without damage — the method city inspectors approved.
The rest of the yard, free
Leftover material, put to work. We cleaned up and finished the back half of the yard at no charge.
A drip zone we didn’t bill
Two mature trees, one new zone. Cheaper to keep them watered than to replace them later.
Extra fabric and rock
More than the estimate covered. The yard needed it, so it went in anyway.
The takeaway: A yard is a foundation. Get it right once and it gives a family somewhere to be together for years.
How it landed
Signed off and well received
West Valley City inspectors came out, confirmed the permits were pulled, and approved the work — including the construction mats we used to cross the city drainage area.
The homeowner was thrilled with the result, and neighbors stopped by to say how good it looked.
Outcome reported by our crew on site
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Permitted
City-inspected and approved
Permits pulled up front, inspectors welcomed on site, and the work signed off before we left.
Beyond scope
We finish what we start
Leftover material and a free drip zone went back into this yard rather than back on the truck.
Local turf and drainage experts
Because a valley lot has its own problems, and turf hides none of them.
Permitted and inspected
We pull the permits the city asks for and we welcome the inspection. On this job West Valley City checked our work and signed off on it.
Drainage before turf
Turf laid over a yard that does not drain is a puddle waiting to happen. Two rock types and a rebuilt drainage path came first.
We know West Valley
Flat valley lots, heavy clay soil, and city easements running behind the fence — we work these neighborhoods every week.
Ready for a yard the kids can actually use?
Get a free artificial turf estimate from SLC Landscaping & Dumpsters today.