Orinda Front Yard: A Paver Walkway and Artificial Turf That Replaced a Dying Lawn

Front yards in Orinda have the same problem as front yards across Lamorinda: a lawn that fights the shade of the oaks, dries out by July no matter how much water it gets, and a concrete walkway that has been cracking since the nineties. This homeowner was tired of paying to water a lawn that still looked bad, and wanted something that looked finished every day of the year with no effort.

Here is what we built, why we built it that way, and what a project like this costs in Orinda, Lafayette and Moraga.

The starting point

The front yard had a patchy lawn with bare dirt in the traffic lane between the driveway and the front door, and a walkway that no longer matched the house. The backyard had a similar lawn and a family with kids who wanted somewhere to play and, if possible, somewhere to putt.

Three goals came out of the on-site design consultation:

1. A clean, level paver walkway from the driveway to the door that would not crack.
2. Green that stays green with zero irrigation.
3. A small putting green in the back that the kids could actually use.

The walkway

The old walkway came out first. Underneath it there was almost no base, which is why it had cracked and tilted. We excavated to about 8 inches, compacted the sub-grade, and installed a crushed rock base in lifts, compacting each one. The base is sloped slightly away from the house so rain moves toward the yard rather than the foundation.

On top of that went a bedding layer and the pavers, a neutral field with a simple contrasting border to define the edge against the turf. The pavers are 8,000 PSI interlocking units, roughly twice the strength of poured concrete, and because they are individual pieces the walkway flexes with the clay instead of cracking. An edge restraint on both sides keeps the walkway from spreading.

We kept the width generous, about 4 feet, so two people can walk side by side and so the walkway reads as part of the entry rather than a strip of pavement.

The turf, and what is under it

Artificial turf gets a bad reputation from bad installs. Turf laid over dirt or over a scalped lawn holds water, develops a smell, and goes lumpy in a year. The turf itself is the easy part. The base is the job.

We stripped the old lawn and roots, graded the area, and installed a compacted crushed rock base a few inches deep. That base drains freely, so rain goes straight through the perforated turf backing and into the ground instead of pooling. A weed barrier went down over the base, then the turf, seamed and stretched tight, nailed at the edges, and finished with infill brushed into the fibers so the blades stand up and the surface stays cool and firm.

Along the walkway the turf meets the paver border cleanly. There is no plastic edging showing and no gap for weeds to come through.

The putting green

In the back, the same base preparation was done with a tighter tolerance, because a putting surface has to be dead flat or slightly contoured on purpose. The putting turf is a shorter, denser product than the lawn turf, with cups set into the base. A fringe of regular turf surrounds it so it blends into the rest of the yard rather than looking like a separate installation.

It is not a large green, but it is used constantly, which is more than the old lawn could say.

Why this combination works in Lamorinda

• Water. Orinda summers are hot and dry and the water bills show it. The turf uses none.
• Shade and oaks. Real lawn struggles under mature trees. Turf does not care.
• Clay soil. A paver walkway on a compacted base flexes with the ground. Concrete cracks.
• Maintenance. The whole front yard is now a leaf blower and an occasional rinse.
• Curb appeal. The house looks finished from the street every day, which matters in a neighborhood where homes hold their value on appearance.

What a project like this costs in 2026

Scope	Typical installed range
Paver front walkway, 3–4 ft wide, 40–60 ft long	$5,000 – $11,000
Artificial turf, front yard, 400–700 sq ft	$7,000 – $16,000
Backyard turf, 600–1,000 sq ft	$10,000 – $24,000
Putting green, 150–300 sq ft, with cups and fringe	$6,000 – $14,000
Full front and back like this project	$25,000 – $50,000

Access, the amount of demolition, curves and borders on the walkway, and the grade of turf all move the number. Doing the front and the back at the same time saves on equipment, hauling and mobilization, which is why bundling the scope usually comes out cheaper than doing it in two phases.

Questions to ask about turf and walkways

1. What is under the turf, and how deep is the base?
2. How does the turf drain in a heavy storm?
3. How is the walkway base built and compacted?
4. How do the turf and the pavers meet at the edge?
5. Is the contractor licensed, bonded and insured?
6. Is the warranty in writing for both the pavers and the turf?

A contractor who talks about the turf brand before talking about the base is selling you the easy half of the job.

From dying lawn to a yard that takes care of itself

The homeowner went from watering a lawn that never looked good to a front yard that looks the same in August as it does in March, a walkway that will not crack, and a backyard the kids use. That is the point of a project like this in Orinda: less maintenance, lower water bills, and a house that looks finished from the street.

Royal Outdoor Solutions builds paver walkways, patios, driveways and artificial turf across Orinda, Lafayette, Moraga, the East Bay, Marin, the South Bay and the Tri-Valley. Family-owned, 15+ years of experience, licensed, bonded and insured, manufacturer's warranty in writing. See the walkway service, look at finished walkways and yards, or book a free on-site design consultation.