Case Study · 02 Backyard Landscaping Walkout Lot

A sloped walkout backyard in Scenic Acres, terraced into two usable levels.

The grade dropped away almost as soon as you stepped out the walkout doors. A retaining wall split the yard into a patio up top and open lawn below, with the existing trees kept in place.

Backyard · Scenic Acres, Calgary

2Weeks

Built in two weeks. Retaining wall with built-in steps, a new paving stone patio, slab stepping stones and fresh sod, completed June to July 2026.

Location Scenic Acres Calgary, AB

Key Services Paving · Wall · Sod Paving stones, retaining wall, softscaping

Timeline Jun — Jul 2026 2 weeks on site

Investment $40K — $50K Full project scope

Project Summary

A walkout home with a backyard you couldn't really walk out to.

This walkout basement home was being underused. The grade fell steeply from the back of the house to the rear property line, and with the trees planted higher up the slope, there was almost no flat ground to enjoy once you stepped outside.

Taz set out to give the yard a consistent structure: a natural walkout patio space underneath the deck, with the rest of the yard opened up to show off the greenery. The existing trees stayed, and an AB retaining wall was installed to divide the space into two levels.

The upper level kept its footprint and was redone with new paving stones for a usable patio. The lower level became open green space with new sod.

Moving between the two is seamless: slab stepping stones lead off the patio to a built-in step system set into the retaining wall. The full backyard is now open, usable and ready for the owners to enjoy.

Before & After

Drag the handle to reveal the transformation.

A patchy slope with no defined patio replaced by two clear levels. Use the tabs to compare the view toward the house and the view along the side yard.

After: two-level backyard with retaining wall, steps and new sod

Before: sloped backyard with patchy grass below the deck

Before After

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After: patio under the deck, retaining wall and open lawn

Before: uneven side yard with bare patches along the fence

Before After

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Materials

What went into the build.

A tight palette of charcoal block, grey pavers and dark rundle rock keeps the two levels reading as one design, while the new sod brings the green back to the lower yard.

Retaining Wall

AB Retaining Wall with Steps

Approx. 2 ft high, dividing the yard into two levels with a built-in step system for easy access.

Hardscape

Paving Stone Patio

New paving stones under the deck, turning the walkout level into a usable patio space.

Hardscape

Slab Stepping Stones

Lead from the patio to the wall steps, making the move between levels feel natural.

Decorative Rock

20mm Rundle Rock with Fabric

Low-maintenance groundcover along the side yard and around the upper level, laid over landscape fabric.

Edging

Paver Brick Edging

Clean border between the rock beds and the lawn so each zone keeps its shape.

Softscape

New Sod

Fresh lawn across the lower level, creating open green space under the existing trees.

The Brief

What was needed, and how we approached it.

The goal was to make the whole backyard usable without losing the mature trees that give it its character.

The Challenge

A steep grade right outside the walkout doors.

The slope from the back of the house to the rear property line started almost immediately past the walkout. With the trees planted higher up, the grade left very little flat, usable space.

The result was a backyard the owners looked at more than they used.

Steep slope from the house to the back property line
No defined patio at the walkout level
Mature trees to protect and keep in place
Existing drainage swale along the rear of the yard

Our Approach

Two levels, one clear structure.

An AB retaining wall divides the yard into an upper patio level and a lower lawn level, turning the slope into something you can actually use.

The upper level was redone with new paving stones under the deck. Slab stepping stones and steps built into the wall connect the two levels without breaking the flow of the yard.

AB retaining wall, approx. 2 ft high, with built-in steps
New paving stone patio under the deck
Slab stepping stones between patio and steps
New sod on the lower level, existing trees kept

Design Plan

The 2D plan we walked through before breaking ground.

Every Tazscapes project starts with a measured 2D layout. This plan set the patio footprint, the retaining wall and step location, the stepping stone path, rock zones and the new sod areas.