Lot of it will depend on what you want to do.. just concrete? stamped concreted, saw cut pattern concrete, slate pavers, connecticut bluestone, brick pavers? There's so many different materials that will determine your final cost. A LOT of landscapers I talked to have really crappy ideas, oh we could do this or that, $5000 for this, $6000 for that or $4000 if we do this. If you don't really care and are looking for lower maintenance and low cost, then a lot of colored concrete, saw cut to give it a pattern is cheap. Once you go tile, retaining walls with stone veneers, built-in barbecues structures, patio covers, then the costs add up quickly.
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I would say at a minimum concrete, plants, some gravel, sod, and irrigation system, would be $10K. I'm sure there are a lot of landscapers who are hurting now, so negotiations can be had. In 2005, you could hardly get a landscaper to come onsite to give you an estimate and even when they did, they were pulling numbers out of their a$$.
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In my opinion, I'd get a landscape designer help you with design, layout, materials, plants, and so on. Know what you want out the space (entertainment, privacy, kids playing, pet friendly, a garden, shade coverage, etc) a designer will actually spend time with you and go over a number of options. Many of the landscapers I talked to, didn't want to do much planning up front. It was essentially, "what do you want me do and what do you have in mind" They start piece-mealing the quotes, $2000 for concrete, $1500 for sod, $2500 for irrigation, etc. At the end you end up not REALLY knowing what you're getting. Oh you wanted plants? That's and extra $1500, oh a pergola (patio cover) that'll be another $6000, oh barbecue, that'll be $6000, oh you wanted lighting $1500. Oh we didn't run the gas line so we'll have to tear up part of the hardscape we already put down.
