Cost of a New Construction Landscape Package
A bundled new-construction landscape package — grading, retaining walls, hardscape, planting, irrigation, and lighting delivered as one coordinated build — typically lands somewhere between $40,000 and $250,000+ per lot, depending on lot size, grade, and how much of the yard is being finished. There is no single per-lot number that fits every build; the total is really the sum of the individual components a builder or homeowner chooses to include.
Why New Construction Pricing Works Differently
On an established property, a landscape project is usually one scope at a time — a patio this year, a retaining wall next year. New construction is the opposite: the lot is a blank slate, so everything from rough grading to the front walkway to the irrigation mainline is happening in one coordinated sequence, often timed around the builder’s occupancy date. That’s why we price new construction as a package built from the same component pricing we use everywhere else on the site, rather than inventing a separate “new construction rate.” The advantage of bundling is efficiency — one mobilization, one grading pass, shared equipment access — which generally saves money compared to doing the same scopes as separate projects later.
What’s Typically Bundled Into a Package
Most new construction packages we build for builders and homeowners draw from these component ranges. Use them to rough out a total based on what your lot actually needs — not every lot needs every line item:
- Rough & finish grading, drainage: usually the first scope on a new lot, priced within the site-prep portion of whichever hardscape or retaining wall scope it supports; slope and drainage complexity drive this cost more than lot size alone.
- Retaining walls (if the lot has grade change to manage): $8,000–$100,000+ total, at $60–85/sq ft of wall face for small decorative walls, $85–140/sq ft for structural block walls, and $140–220+/sq ft for engineered or difficult-access walls. Measured as wall length x average wall height.
- Paver driveways: $35–65/sq ft, with most driveway packages landing between $30,000 and $125,000+ depending on size and material tier.
- Paver patios: $30–60/sq ft, most projects $12,000–$75,000+.
- Paver pathways & walkways: connecting the driveway, entry, and side/back yard access, priced within the same per-square-foot paver ranges as patios.
- Xeriscaping & planting design: $12,000–$75,000+ total — $18–25/sq ft for a basic conversion, $25–35/sq ft for a complete installation, $35–45+/sq ft for a premium package with boulders, lighting, and mature plants.
- Artificial turf (if included instead of, or alongside, sod areas): $15–25/sq ft, most projects $8,000–$50,000+.
- Outdoor lighting: $4,500–$30,000+ depending on fixture count — $4,500–8,000 for 6–10 fixtures, $8,000–15,000 for 11–20 fixtures, $15,000–30,000 for 21–35 fixtures.
- 2D or 3D landscape design: 2D design starts at $1,500; 3D design starts at $2,500, with $3,500–6,000+ for larger or highly detailed properties. On new construction, this step usually happens early so grading, walls, and hardscape can all be planned together instead of pieced in later.
A typical mid-size new construction package — a paver driveway, a modest patio, foundation and yard planting, a basic lighting package, and a design fee — often lands in the $80,000–$150,000 range before GST. Lots with significant grade change or a full retaining wall system push toward the higher end; simpler flat lots with a smaller finished footprint can come in well under that.
What Moves the Price Within That Range
The same universal adjustments that apply to any Kalagan project apply to new construction packages, often stacked: limited access adds 10–20%, very difficult or hand-access sites add 20–35%, existing material or debris removal adds 10–25%, moderate slope adds 10–20%, and steep slope requires a site consultation before we can estimate. Premium material selections (natural stone, larger-format pavers, specialty plant material) add 15–35% on top of standard pricing. Builder-lot access — construction traffic, staging space, timing around other trades — is one of the most common cost drivers we see on new builds specifically, since it affects how efficiently equipment and crews can move.
A finished front-yard landscape by Kalagan Outdoor Design
Okanagan-Specific Factors for Landscape Design
New construction lots in the Vernon and broader Okanagan area come with a few recurring conditions that shape a package’s cost. Many subdivisions are graded on hillside or bench terrain, so retaining walls and drainage planning are often a bigger share of the budget here than on a flat lot elsewhere — water needs to be directed away from foundations and neighbouring properties from day one, not retrofitted later. The region’s semi-arid climate and watering restrictions during peak summer months make water-wise planting design and efficient irrigation layout a practical default for new landscapes, not just an upsell. Freeze-thaw cycles through the Okanagan winter mean base preparation under driveways, patios, and walls has to be done correctly the first time, since undersized base depth is one of the most common causes of paver and wall settling in this climate. And for lots on the urban-wildland interface, it’s worth planning planting and mulch choices with FireSmart principles in mind from the start, before beds and foundation plantings are locked in.
For the full scope of what a bundled build can include, see our New Construction Landscape Packages service page. If you’re pricing out individual pieces of a package on their own, our guides on the Cost of a Retaining Wall in BC and the Cost of a Paver Patio in the Okanagan break down those components in more detail. If your package includes an outdoor kitchen or entertaining area, the Cost of an Outdoor Kitchen in Kelowna guide covers that separately.
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