Do a retaining wall for a patio and a pool and for the rest of your backyard you can install a drag-lift and enjoy skiing season, you can even sell seasonal passes to your neighbors and their kids and that will pay for everything in the long run :-)

As the landscapers go, make sure you tie the guy up with a safety rope when he cuts the lawn and gold on to him tight.

Good luck

We have a steep slope on one side. We are considering putting a deck over it with rock under and not mowing. Also considering retaining wall. Most difficult is mowing. My husband wears cleats and mows sideways.

In your scenario where it is your backyard, I would do a retaining wall partially down the hill to give you some flat space. I would put my pool here. I would then do some steps down to another flat space created by another retaining wall. In that area I would add a play area for the kids.

Consider a robot mower, like Roomba vacuum cleaners. I saw them everywhere in hilly turfed Scotland. Now thst ive grown used to Roomba I would get a mower for my grassy slope if I hadnt already planted it with groundcover and shrubs.

I’d kill the bottom half of that lawn, and plant all native perennials, with some sort of path to walk through it. The natives will prevent soil erosion, and bring in some pollinators. You may also be able to strategically place some smallish native flowering trees as well, so you won’t be staring at your neighbors.

I'm not a landscape expert, so I don't know how best to calculate ideal retaining walls or terraces. But I'd say you'd be better off with one or more retaining walls with flat terracing in between. You could always have a terrace for a play set or sandbox and a terrace for vegetables and a terrace with flat grassy section for throwing balls, etc. Either keep the retaining walls low for safety, or have fewer taller retaining walls maybe with low fences to prevent kids or dogs from jumping off of them. Speaking from personal experience, the kids will jump off the retaining walls for fun. And maybe the dog too.

I can't really tell from the picture -- is the whole slope yours? meaning, would it make sense to have a retaining wall that spans across into neighboring yards?

I'm not one to be paranoid about kids (with appropriate adult supervision) playing outside, but I would want to observe how the water acts in that retaining area.

How large of an area is serviced by that storm drain? You may have to check with your HOA about excavating to ensure your retaining walls don’t prevent water from going where it is supposed to go, and flooding someone’s basement. Sometimes a gully washer will cause problems if water can’t drain down into the ground, and the slope doesn’t allow it to run off into the storm drain. Looks like a lovely house in a lovely neighborhood, hope your family has many happy years there.🙂

The storm drain is more of a catch basin for the entire neighborhood that leads out into a stream in the back of the neighborhood.

@Jordan What was the cost of something like that and how big was your lot?

Understood. How tall and what was your ball park all in cost if you don’t mind sharing? It is a potential option for us but I assumed the price would be astronomical.

FWIW I wouldn’t start terracing your parcel of this rolling landscape. I see it as part of the broader scene, which is lovely. Embrace the slope. Just plsnt a few well spaced spreading trees.