Provo, Utah
Your dream yard. Done right. Done on time.
Tell us about your project. Jackson gets back to you fast.
Patios, pavers, concrete and walls in Provo all ride on the ground under them. Here is how to judge a hardscape bid before you sign it.
“Everything, from the grading and prep to the stonework, sprinklers, and final cleanup, was done with real care.”
“I will be using them for all of my landscape needs, a pleasure to work with!”
Best Hardscape Contractors
Two paver patios can look the same on the day they are finished. Three winters later, one is flat and the other has a dip by the back door and a hump where the sprinkler line runs. The difference is almost all below grade: how deep they dug, what they packed back in, and where the water goes. In Provo, that hidden part carries most of the price.
Provo makes this harder than most towns because the ground changes from one neighborhood to the next. Valley-floor clay holds water and moves when it freezes. Bench lots up toward Rock Canyon are rocky and tip downhill, so a patio there often needs a wall. Down in the Riverbottoms the water table sits higher, and a base that is fine on the bench can stay soggy.
So the questions on this page are mostly about dirt and water, not stone colors. Pick the stone you love. Then ask any contractor, us included, to explain what goes under it, how it drains, and whether the wall needs a permit. You will learn a lot from how fast and how plainly they answer.
What to look for
A good Provo bid says how deep they will dig, what base rock goes back in, and how many lifts they compact it in. On clay that number matters more than the paver brand. If the bid says only square feet and a price, ask for the base spec in writing before you compare.
Every patio, walk and driveway sends water somewhere. Ask where. It should slope away from the house and toward a spot that can take it, not toward a neighbor's fence or a low corner that already stays wet. Near the river bottoms, ask how they keep water from sitting under the base.
Provo measures wall height with the footing included. A wall that shows 3 feet above the lawn can be over the 4-foot line once you count what is buried, and then it needs a building permit, a site plan and engineered plans. Ask each bidder how tall the wall really is.
New hardscape usually sits on top of old lawn and old sprinkler pipe. Ask who reroutes those lines, and when. If it happens after the pavers are down, someone will be pulling up stone to find a leak. The right order is pipe first, base second, stone last.
What goes wrong in Provo
The fast way to lay a patio is a thin bed of sand right on scraped clay. It looks great at handoff. Then the clay swells in a wet spring and freezes in January, and the pavers start to rock. By year two you have humps, gaps and weeds coming up through the joints.
A block wall in Provo needs drain rock and a pipe behind it so water can get out. Skip that, and wet clay pushes on the back of the wall every spring until it starts to lean. Most bowed walls around town trace back to this one missing step.
Some crews build a tall wall and never mention the permit, or they measure only the part you can see. If the city catches it later, or the wall fails, you are the one dealing with it. A careful contractor brings up the 4-foot rule before you even ask.
Why Provo picks J&H
What homeowners say
"We had a really big project (full lot project) and a crazy timeline, and Jackson and his team were awesome. They are very efficient, work hard to get things done quick, and the quality of their work is top-notch. Great company. Great guys. I would highly recommend them for any landscaping needs."
"Jackson and his crew did a phenomenal job on our back yard. I had a vision and they brought it to life. We had them do a retaining wall, grading, underground trampoline, sprinkler system, and sod. They met deadlines, communication was on point, and the whole crew was friendly.…"
"…The job was completed quickly without sacrificing quality, and the results exceeded our expectations. We would absolutely hire this team again and recommend them to anyone looking for landscaping help."
Everything we do in Provo
More Provo hiring guides
Provo questions
Your dream yard. Done right. Done on time.
Tell us about your project. Jackson takes a look and gets you an honest quote, no pressure.
