You've been staring at the same patchy lawn, overgrown shrubs, and cracked concrete for years. You know a backyard or front yard makeover would change how the place looks and how much you spend on water — but you don't know what it costs, how long it takes, or where to start. This is the general landscaping cost picture for the Denver metro: rock, plants, patios, turf, and design. If you're pricing a lawn-to-xeriscape conversion specifically, our xeriscaping cost guide goes deeper — the numbers below match it. When you're ready to build, our xeriscape installation service covers the whole job from demo to final walkthrough.

What a Denver Yard Makeover Includes

A yard makeover isn't just planting a few flowers. Depending on the scope, it can include:

Demo and removal — clearing out old sod, dead plants, overgrown shrubs, and debris
Grading and drainage — reshaping the ground to move water away from the foundation
Hardscape installation — pathways, patios, retaining walls, edging, and boulders
Irrigation work — installing drip, adjusting sprinkler zones, or capping spray zones for a xeriscape design
Soil amendment — Denver's clay-heavy soil often needs work before planting
Planting — trees, shrubs, perennials, and ground covers selected for the Front Range climate
Mulch or gravel — ground cover that holds moisture, suppresses weeds, and finishes the look

Not every project includes all of these. A basic front yard refresh might just be demo, new plants, and mulch. A full property overhaul touches every item on that list.

Landscaping Cost in Denver: Price Per Square Foot

The most honest way to think about landscaping cost is by square footage. These are our published starting rates across Denver and the surrounding suburbs:

Type of work	Our price
General landscaping / xeriscape (rock, plants, shrubs, a tree or two)	From $6/sq ft — most projects $6–10/sq ft
Budget and creative options (wildflower planting, arborist mulch)	From $4/sq ft ($4–8)
Premium, boulder-heavy designs	$8–12/sq ft
Concrete and hardscape (patios, paths, walls)	From $8/sq ft
Artificial turf, installed	From $10/sq ft
Design fee	$500, credited toward the project on installs over $5,000

A real number always comes from a site visit. Here's what moves a planted area toward the low or high end of that $6–10 range.

Closer to $6/sq ft:

Simple mulch or decomposed granite ground cover
Smaller plant starts (1-gallon and 5-gallon sizes)
Drip irrigation only, or no new irrigation
Flat lot with easy equipment access
Minimal demo — starting relatively fresh

Closer to $10/sq ft and up:

Decorative boulders, premium flagstone, or high-end gravel
Dense planting with larger specimens (15-gallon shrubs, larger-caliper trees)
Full drip system installation across multiple zones
Significant grading, drainage work, or difficult access

Front Yard Makeover Cost in Denver

Yard sizes vary across the metro depending on when and where a neighborhood was built. At our typical $6–10/sq ft for planted xeriscape:

Front yard size	Where you see it	Typical cost
~500 sq ft	Newer infill and planned communities — Central Park, Green Valley Ranch, newer Aurora and Centennial neighborhoods	$3,000–5,000
~1,000 sq ft	Classic city neighborhoods and inner suburbs — Wash Park, the Highlands, Park Hill, Wheat Ridge, older Englewood, 1950s–70s Lakewood and Arvada	$6,000–10,000
~2,000 sq ft	Mid-century ranch lots and larger suburban lots — Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster, Littleton, Centennial, Highlands Ranch	$12,000–20,000

Add the $500 design fee, which is credited back on any install over $5,000. For ideas on what to actually put in that space, see our guide to front yard landscaping in Denver.

Backyard Makeover Cost in Denver

Suburban backyards are often much larger than their city counterparts — 2,000–4,000 sq ft is common in Arvada, Centennial, Lakewood, and Aurora. Backyards also tend to mix work types, so price them by area:

Planted beds, rock, and native grasses: $6–10/sq ft (from $4 with wildflower or arborist-mulch options)
Patio, paths, and walls: from $8/sq ft
Artificial turf for a dog run or play area: from $10/sq ft

A 1,000 sq ft backyard that's 300 sq ft of patio and 700 sq ft of planted xeriscape starts around $6,600 (300 × $8 + 700 × $6) and climbs with material choices. Pergolas, lighting, and fencing are priced on top of the landscaping scope. For layout ideas before you price anything, see our xeriscape backyard ideas for Denver.

Full-Property Cost

A full front-and-back conversion on a standard metro lot is the same math at a larger scale — 3,000 sq ft of planted xeriscape at $6–10/sq ft is $18,000–30,000 before any patio or turf. Phasing (front yard this year, backyard next) is a common way to spread it out.

What Drives the Cost Up (or Down)

Things that push costs higher:

Significant demo — removing a full lawn, large trees, or old hardscape adds labor hours fast
Poor drainage or major grading work
Irrigation installation or full system replacement
Retaining walls — taller walls may require permits and engineering
Large specimen trees, which cost far more than 5-gallon starts
Tight access — side yards or backyard-only access slow everything down

Things that keep costs manageable:

Choosing smaller plant sizes and letting them establish over time
A xeriscape design that cuts irrigation down to a simple drip layout
Phasing the project — front yard one year, backyard the next
Straightforward flat lots with good soil and easy access

How Long Does a Yard Makeover Take in Denver?

Most homeowners underestimate the timeline. A realistic sequence:

Consultation and estimate: 1–2 weeks to get on a company's schedule
Design (if included): 1–2 weeks
Scheduling and material lead time: 2–6 weeks depending on the season — spring is the busiest time in Denver and crews book out fast
Installation: 1–5 days for most residential front yards; 1–2 weeks for large full-property projects
Plant establishment: 1–2 seasons before the yard truly looks "done"

Total time from first call to completed installation: plan on 4–10 weeks during busy seasons, faster in fall.

The Best Time of Year for a Yard Makeover in Denver

Spring (April–June) is the most popular season — soil is workable and results show fast, but it's also the hardest time to get on a landscaper's schedule. If you're thinking spring, start calling in February or March.

Fall (August–October) is often the better season for planting. Cooler temperatures mean less stress on new plants, roots have time to establish before the ground freezes, and crews have more availability. Under Denver Water's 2026 drought rules, watering grass and spray irrigation are prohibited from October 1, but trees, shrubs, and other plants can still be watered by hand or with drip (Denver Water) — which is how a new xeriscape gets watered anyway.

Summer (July–August) works for hardscape-heavy projects — patios, walls, pathways — but planting in the heat needs more watering support.

Winter is the time to plan, design, and get on the spring schedule. Our timing guide has the month-by-month detail.

What to Expect During the Process

Consultation — a walkthrough of your property to understand scope, goals, and any drainage, soil, or access issues
Estimate — a written proposal with line items so you know what you're paying for
Design (for larger projects) — a layout showing plant placement, hardscape footprint, and material selections
Deposit and scheduling — expect a deposit to hold your spot on the calendar
Demo day — old material comes out. This is usually the messiest, loudest day
Installation — hardscape first, then irrigation, then planting, then mulch or gravel
Walkthrough — a final walk of the completed project with care instructions for new plants

A good contractor communicates throughout — you shouldn't be wondering when the crew is showing up. If you're comparing bids, our guide to choosing a xeriscape contractor in Denver covers the questions to ask and the red flags to watch for.

Does a Yard Makeover Add Value to Your Home?

A clean, well-built front yard helps curb appeal, and curb appeal matters when you sell. We won't quote you an ROI percentage — the honest answer depends on your house, your block, and the market the year you list. What's more predictable is the ongoing cost: a xeriscape that's established on drip uses far less water than bluegrass and doesn't need weekly mowing.

On rebates: Denver Water and Resource Central offered up to $750 off Resource Central's own turf-removal service in 2026, but those discounts are fully allocated and no longer taking applications (Denver Water). Watch Denver Water for the 2027 program. If you're outside Denver Water, we'll tell you which programs apply to your address.

What Makes Greater Denver Yard Makeovers Different

The Denver metro isn't a standard landscaping market. A few things change the equation here, in the city and the suburbs alike:

Clay soil — almost universal across the metro. Proper amendment and drainage planning matter more than in other markets, and suburban lots that haven't been touched in decades can be badly compacted
Hail — plant selection needs to account for Colorado's summer storms. Delicate ornamentals don't last
Multiple water providers, different rules — Denver Water serves the city; Aurora Water, Consolidated Mutual (much of Lakewood), the City of Arvada, and others serve the suburbs. Rebate programs, watering restrictions, and pricing vary by provider
HOA requirements — Centennial, Highlands Ranch, Parker, and newer Aurora and Arvada developments often have plant lists, material rules, or approval requirements. Factor in HOA review time if this applies to you
Altitude and UV — plants that thrive at 5,000–5,500 feet are a different list than what works at lower elevations
Temperature swings — the metro can hit 70°F in March and get a foot of snow the same week. Plant hardiness and timing windows matter here

For the full picture on designing for this climate, start with our introduction to xeriscaping in Denver. We work across the metro — see the areas we serve.

Ready to See What Your Yard Makeover Would Cost?

Every Xeris project starts with a site visit and a real number. Request an estimate and we'll tell you what your yard makeover would look like and what it would cost.

Landscaping Cost in Denver: What a Yard Makeover Really Costs