Washburn 1.1

Washburn 1.1 is the exterior phase of the Washburn property in Pasadena, covering .35 acres of backyard that was barren when AGG Construction Group started. The work was hardscape and landscape, and almost none of the value is visible in the finished photographs.

Grading came first. A sloped lot has to be cut and filled into level, usable areas before anything can be built on it, and how those levels are set determines where water goes for the next twenty years. Retaining walls were built to hold the graded earth and to define the separate zones of the yard, which is what turns one large slope into several rooms.

Utilities were run before any surface went down. Electrical, plumbing, and irrigation were all installed at the rough stage, because retrofitting a line under a finished deck or a planted bed means taking the finished work back out. This sequence is the single most common thing skipped on backyard projects and the most expensive one to correct later.

Custom decks were built as the primary outdoor living areas, along with a custom stairway connecting the levels created by the grading. Deck and stair work at this scale is custom carpentry, because treads, risers, and framing all have to be cut to conditions that only exist on that lot. A greenhouse was installed for growing plants and herbs, and the yard was finished with planting across trees, shrubs, and flowers.

AGG Construction Group works across Los Angeles County and the surrounding communities including Pasadena. You can see the areas we cover on our service area page, or contact us to discuss a backyard build.

Scope of Work: Pasadena Backyard Hardscape and Landscape

• Site graded to create level, usable areas
• Retaining walls built to hold graded earth and define yard zones
• Electrical, plumbing, and irrigation run at rough stage
• Custom decks built
• Custom stairway built between levels
• Custom pathway laid using material salvaged from the original remodel
• Greenhouse installed
• Full landscape planting

Project Note

The original stone was taken off the building facade during the house remodel and reused as the surface of the backyard walkway. Salvaging material across two phases of the same property removed both the disposal cost and the cost of buying new stone.

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