Yep change orders are a big deal and $$$. Why did you remove the DG that your landscaper added?
We took out the grass on one end of our backyard, added concrete/boulder/stone hardscape and finished with compacted DG (decomposed granite). Simple to maintain (leaf blower) and economical with water. Our dog has no problems going on the compacted DG and it's easy for us to clean up after him. We intend to replicate this in our front yard once the hotter days are behind us. Other than the concrete and boulders the wife and I did the rest over the course of a couple months.
Before
After (different angle of course)
