Sketch your yard layout, then find out what it costs
A simple, free DIY yard planner that runs in your browser -- nothing to install, no sign-up. Drag materials onto the grid to design lawn, patio, beds and paths. Front yard or backyard, Yard Layout adds up the square footage, works out cubic yards for anything that gets ordered by depth, and gives you a ballpark cost range. It is a tool for deciding a layout, not a 3D rendering.
Edit outline is the editing mode. Drag a wall to push it in or out. Pulling one inward bites a notch, which is the quickest way to an L. Tap a wall to split it or set its exact length, tap a corner to delete it, or drag either to move it. Picking a material switches to painting, so press Edit outline to go back to changing the shape. You start with a blank sheet: drag out a rectangle to set the yard, then reshape it from there. Draw sides builds a new outline one wall at a time: tap each corner in turn, then tap the first corner again to close it. To curve a side, tap it and pick Make round. Pinch with two fingers to zoom and drag with two to move around, or use the +, − and Fit buttons on the sketch. Map puts an aerial photo of an address under the sketch at true scale, so tracing the yard over it gives you real measurements. Rotate the photo to bring the house square to the grid, and fade it back once you start painting.
Materials
No material is selected to begin with, so dragging on the grid does nothing until you pick one below. Drag to paint an area; tap once to drop a sprinkler head or tree. Add layer builds up instead of replacing, so topsoil then sod on top of it both get counted. A corner mark means a cell has layers under it. Anything measured by the foot (edging, fence, hedge, retaining wall, drip line, string lights) is laid as a run: pick Straight, Curvy, Circle or Freeform, then drag on the sketch. Straight snaps square with Square corners on; curvy bows the drag into waves, with Bends and Height setting how many and how deep; circle rings a bed or a tree; freeform follows your hand exactly. Each run is labelled with its length, and the ground it covers is taken off the material underneath. Runs are priced by the linear foot, and the ground they cover comes off whatever they were laid over. The eraser removes a run you tap.
Totals
Materials and ballpark pricing
Rough national averages for planning only. Get a real quote before you buy.
| Group | Material | Measured by | Typical depth | Ballpark cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawn | Sod | Area (sq ft) | n/a | $0.40 – $1.10 per sq ft |
| Lawn | Seed & Straw | Area (sq ft) | n/a | $0.08 – $0.25 per sq ft |
| Lawn | Artificial Turf | Area (sq ft) | n/a | $8 – $20 per sq ft |
| Concrete | Poured Concrete | Area (sq ft) | n/a | $6 – $14 per sq ft |
| Concrete | Stamped Concrete | Area (sq ft) | n/a | $12 – $25 per sq ft |
| Concrete | Concrete Pavers | Area (sq ft) | n/a | $12 – $28 per sq ft |
| Concrete | Concrete Block | Area (sq ft) | n/a | $10 – $22 per sq ft |
| Stone & Gravel | Gravel | Volume (cu yd) | 3 in | $40 – $85 per cu yd |
| Stone & Gravel | Decomposed Granite | Volume (cu yd) | 3 in | $45 – $95 per cu yd |
| Stone & Gravel | River Rock | Volume (cu yd) | 3 in | $70 – $150 per cu yd |
| Stone & Gravel | Flagstone | Area (sq ft) | n/a | $15 – $35 per sq ft |
| Soil & Mulch | Topsoil | Volume (cu yd) | 4 in | $25 – $60 per cu yd |
| Soil & Mulch | Mulch | Area (sq ft) | n/a | $0.35 – $0.95 per sq ft |
| Soil & Mulch | Compost | Volume (cu yd) | 2 in | $35 – $70 per cu yd |
| Edging | Paver Edging | Length (linear ft) | n/a | $8 – $18 per linear ft |
| Edging | Steel Edging | Length (linear ft) | n/a | $4 – $9 per linear ft |
| Edging | Stone Border | Length (linear ft) | n/a | $14 – $32 per linear ft |
| Flowers & Plants | Annual Flower Bed | Area (sq ft) | n/a | $4 – $12 per sq ft |
| Flowers & Plants | Wildflower Meadow | Area (sq ft) | n/a | $0.30 – $1.20 per sq ft |
| Flowers & Plants | Ground Cover | Area (sq ft) | n/a | $2 – $6 per sq ft |
| Flowers & Plants | Perennial | Count (each) | n/a | $12 – $40 per each |
| Flowers & Plants | Rose Bush | Count (each) | n/a | $25 – $70 per each |
| Flowers & Plants | Ornamental Grass | Count (each) | n/a | $15 – $45 per each |
| Flowers & Plants | Bulbs | Count (each) | n/a | $1 – $4 per each |
| Trees & Shrubs | Tree | Count (each) | n/a | $120 – $500 per each |
| Trees & Shrubs | Shrub | Count (each) | n/a | $25 – $90 per each |
| Trees & Shrubs | Hedge Row | Length (linear ft) | n/a | $30 – $70 per linear ft |
| Irrigation | Sprinkler Head | Count (each) | n/a | $8 – $25 per each |
| Irrigation | Drip Line | Length (linear ft) | n/a | $2 – $5 per linear ft |
| Structures | Deck | Area (sq ft) | n/a | $25 – $60 per sq ft |
| Structures | Shed | Count (each) | n/a | $1,500 – $8,000 per each |
| Structures | Pergola | Count (each) | n/a | $2,000 – $10,000 per each |
| Structures | Fence | Length (linear ft) | n/a | $20 – $60 per linear ft |
| Structures | Gate | Count (each) | n/a | $200 – $1,200 per each |
| Structures | Retaining Wall | Length (linear ft) | n/a | $40 – $120 per linear ft |
| Structures | Raised Bed | Count (each) | n/a | $150 – $800 per each |
| Outdoor Living | Grill | Count (each) | n/a | $200 – $2,000 per each |
| Outdoor Living | Outdoor Kitchen | Count (each) | n/a | $3,000 – $15,000 per each |
| Outdoor Living | Fire Pit | Count (each) | n/a | $300 – $3,000 per each |
| Outdoor Living | Patio Set | Count (each) | n/a | $400 – $3,000 per each |
| Outdoor Living | Umbrella | Count (each) | n/a | $80 – $600 per each |
| Water & Play | Pool | Area (sq ft) | n/a | $80 – $200 per sq ft |
| Water & Play | Pond | Area (sq ft) | n/a | $30 – $90 per sq ft |
| Water & Play | Hot Tub | Count (each) | n/a | $4,000 – $15,000 per each |
| Water & Play | Playset | Count (each) | n/a | $800 – $5,000 per each |
| Water & Play | Trampoline | Count (each) | n/a | $300 – $1,500 per each |
| Water & Play | Sandbox | Count (each) | n/a | $100 – $600 per each |
| Lighting | Path Light | Count (each) | n/a | $40 – $150 per each |
| Lighting | Spotlight | Count (each) | n/a | $60 – $200 per each |
| Lighting | String Lights | Length (linear ft) | n/a | $6 – $18 per linear ft |
Common questions
- Is Yard Layout free?
- Yes, completely free. There is no account, no trial and no paid tier. The site is supported by ads.
- Do I need to install anything?
- No. It runs in any modern browser on a phone, tablet or desktop, and your plan is saved in that browser rather than on a server, so there is nothing to sign up for.
- Is it easy to use if I have never designed a yard before?
- That is who it is built for. There is no CAD to learn, no layers and no account: you drag out a rectangle to set the yard shape, then paint materials onto it, closer to a colouring book than a design program. The fussier tools, like curved edges and layered materials, are there when you want them and ignorable until then.
- Can I trace my own yard from a satellite photo?
- Yes. Switch to Map view and type your address, and an aerial photo of the property drops in behind the grid at true scale. Tracing your outline over it gives real measurements rather than guesses.
- Is this a 3D landscape design program?
- No, and deliberately not. It is a flat, to-scale sketch for deciding where lawn, patio, beds and paths go, and for working out what filling those areas costs. Nothing is rendered in 3D.
- How accurate are the material costs?
- They are ballpark ranges for budgeting, not quotes. Real prices move with region, season and supplier, so treat the totals as a starting point and confirm with your local landscape yard.
- Can I work out mulch, gravel or topsoil quantities?
- Yes. Anything sold by depth is converted to cubic yards from the area you painted and the depth you set, and stone also reports an approximate tonnage for suppliers who quote by weight.