Outdoor projects · Calgary
Landscaping in Calgary that survives the freeze
A Calgary yard gets maybe five good months, so it should spend them looking sharp instead of half-finished. Silverstone builds and refreshes yards: grading, sod, turf, garden beds, rock, edging, driveways and walkways.
Free. A few yard photos and rough dimensions start the quote.
What Silverstone handles
Yard builds, refreshes and fixes
Good landscaping is grading first, pretty second. Water has to move away from the house, the base under every hard surface has to handle frost, and the plants have to be chosen for a prairie climate that swings 60 degrees across a year.
We do full yard builds for new spaces and targeted refreshes for tired ones, and we're happy quoting the small jobs too.
The cost of getting this wrong: a yard graded toward the house sends every storm into your foundation, and a driveway on a lazy base cracks in two winters. Outdoor shortcuts always send the bill indoors.
- Full yard builds. Grading, sod or turf, beds, rock, mulch and edging as one project.
- Sod & artificial turf. Real lawn or the no-mow kind, prepped and installed properly.
- Garden beds & gardening. Planting, bed cleanups and seasonal tidy-ups.
- Driveways & walkways. Surfaces built on real base prep so frost doesn't heave them apart.
- Drainage & grading fixes. Swales, re-grading and downspout extensions that keep water off the foundation.
Options & project types
Pick the yard job, we'll scope it
Sod & seed
A real lawn, installed on prepped, levelled soil. Costs less up front and rewards regular watering. The classic choice for family backyards.
Artificial turf
One install, then no mowing, no watering, no brown patches in August. Popular for dog runs, small front yards and low-maintenance living.
Gardening & beds
Planting beds shaped, edged and planted for prairie hardiness. Seasonal cleanups keep it looking deliberate instead of abandoned.
Driveways & pads
New driveways, parking pads and walkways with compacted base work included in the scope, because the base is the product.
Rock, mulch & edging
Low-water coverage that stays tidy through wind and melt. Good bones for front yards that need curb appeal without weekly effort.
Mixed-scope yards
Most projects combine two or three of these. One quote covers the lot, sequenced so trades don't trample finished work.
What's included
How a yard project runs
- Photos and rough dimensions first. Most yard quotes start remotely.
- Written proposal. Scope, materials and price, with options priced separately where you're deciding.
- Grading and base work. Water directed away from structures before anything decorative happens.
- Install in the right order. Hard surfaces, then beds, then lawn, so nothing finished gets wrecked.
- Cleanup and haul-away. Spoil, sod scraps and packaging gone. The yard is the only thing left behind.
- Walkthrough and care notes. Watering and first-season care explained before we leave.
What this looks like when it's working
Summer evenings happen in your yard instead of at the garden centre. Rain leaves the lawn and skips the basement. And the front yard finally matches the work you've put into the house.
Pairs well with a fence
Yard and fence quoted together means one mobilization, one schedule and a finished backyard instead of two half-projects. See fence installation.
Recent outdoor work
Yards with the hard parts done
Completed Silverstone outdoor projects live on our Bark profile and Instagram. Case studies are published here as jobs wrap up.
Outdoor gallery
Local knowledge
Landscaping for a prairie climate
Short, intense season
The build window runs thaw to freeze-up, and everyone wants June. Early quotes get the good slots; the proposal locks scope before the rush.
Freeze-thaw movement
Chinooks melt and refreeze the ground all winter. Base depth and compaction under driveways and walks decide whether spring brings cracks.
Dry and sun-baked
Calgary is semi-arid with strong sun. Plant choices, mulch and watering plans have to respect that, or July erases May's work.
Common concerns
Landscaping questions we hear most
"We just moved in and the yard is dirt."
New-build yards are our bread and butter. Grading, lawn, beds and a walkway in one scope, sequenced so you're not living in mud all summer.
"We only want the front fixed."
Then that's the quote. Curb-appeal-only projects are common, and they're a smart way to test how a contractor works before the big backyard plan.
"Water pools by the house every spring."
That's the project to do first, before finishes. Re-grading and drainage fixes are unglamorous and worth more than anything decorative we could sell you.
Budget honesty
What does landscaping cost in Calgary?
Landscaping quotes in Calgary follow the yard, not a formula. Size sets the base, then grading and drainage work, the mix of hard surfaces against beds and lawn, sod versus artificial turf, and machine access decide the rest. A corner lot with drainage problems is a different project from a flat new-build yard of the same size.
One thing we won't do is skip the boring parts to hit a number. Water has to move away from your foundation before anything decorative goes in, because a cheap yard that floods a basement isn't cheap.
Send yard photos and rough dimensions through the free quote form. Booking before the spring rush gets first pick of the calendar, and a fence quoted with the yard means one mobilization instead of two.
- Grading and drainage. The unglamorous line item that protects everything else you spend.
- Hard vs soft surfaces. Driveways, walks and rock cost more per square foot than sod and beds.
- Sod vs turf. Sod costs less up front; artificial turf costs more once and skips the mowing forever.
- Access. If a skid steer can reach the backyard, earthwork gets faster and cheaper than wheelbarrows.
Landscaping FAQs
Quick answers
When is landscaping season in Calgary?
Roughly spring thaw to freeze-up, and the calendar fills fast. Quoting in the off-season gets you a locked scope and an early slot when the ground opens.
How much does landscaping cost in Calgary?
Yard size, grading and drainage needs, the mix of hard surfaces versus lawn and beds, and machine access set the price. Silverstone quotes each yard free from photos and rough dimensions, with options priced separately so you can phase the work if you want.
Real grass or artificial turf?
Sod costs less up front and feels like a lawn; turf costs more once and skips mowing and watering. We price the option you want, and we'll flag which suits your yard's sun, dogs and drainage.
Do you take on small landscaping jobs?
Yes. Bed cleanups, sod patches, edging and single walkways all get quoted. Small yard jobs are often how Calgary homeowners meet Silverstone before the bigger projects.
Can you fix drainage and grading problems?
Yes. Water pooling against a foundation is a landscaping problem that becomes a basement problem. Re-grading, swales and downspout extensions are common parts of our yard scopes.
Do you build driveways and walkways?
Yes. Driveway and walkway projects are quoted with base preparation included, because in Calgary's freeze-thaw the base decides how long the surface lasts.
Should the fence and yard be done together?
Usually, yes. One quote and one mobilization for the fence and the landscaping costs less than two separate projects, and the work gets sequenced so finished surfaces don't get trampled.
Also serving Airdrie, Chestermere, Cochrane, Okotoks, Strathmore, Rocky View County and Foothills County. See all service areas.
Related services
Free yard quote
Built on quality. Finished to last.Five good months. Use them.
Send yard photos and rough dimensions. You'll get a written proposal with the options priced, ready for the season.
- Phone(587) 581-0198
- Instagram@calgarian_sider
- QuotesFree, from photos
- GuaranteeWorkmanship guaranteed