Backyard Billions is more than a treasure hunt—it’s a movement to rediscover the hidden history beneath our feet. We’re on a mission to uncover $1 billion worth of buried treasures in backyards around the world by blending travel, adventure, antiquing, history, and metal detecting into one unforgettable journey. As urban archaeologists, we partner with homeowners to explore their properties respectfully, document the stories behind every find, and share the thrill of discovery with a global community.
About Backyard Billions
Backyard Billions is on a mission to uncover hidden history and lost valuables buried beneath everyday backyards. For generations, people have hidden cash, coins, jewelry, and other treasures on their property—sometimes intentionally, sometimes forgotten with time. You might be surprised what could be beneath your own yard.With the homeowner’s permission, our team surveys properties using professional metal detectors and ground-penetrating radar to identify objects hidden below the surface. When promising signals are discovered, we carefully excavate the area to recover and document any items of potential value.All discovered items are cataloged and professionally appraised. Property owners receive 75% of the appraised value, while Backyard Billions receives 25% for conducting the search, recovery, documentation, and appraisal process.Our discoveries and excavation process are also filmed for the Backyard Billions YouTube channel, where viewers can follow along as we uncover forgotten artifacts and buried treasures. Homeowners are welcome to participate on camera, or they may choose to remain completely off-screen while allowing only the search and excavation to be filmed.We take privacy seriously. Backyard Billions never publishes a property’s exact address or identifying location details without explicit homeowner consent.Before any search begins, homeowners simply review and sign a short permission agreement outlining the search process, filming options, and value distribution terms.What might be hiding beneath your backyard?
Our Work
Why we do this:Backyard Billions began as a love‑letter to all the things we find most exciting—travel, adventure, history, antiquing and treasure hunting. From childhood memories of Indiana Jones to weekends spent exploring antique shops, we’re driven by the thrill of discovery and the belief that the past is still alive beneath our feet. We call ourselves urban archaeologists because every dig combines careful research with a sense of wonder.How it started:Our journey began on a California beach. While cleaning up trash, we stumbled upon old jewelry and coins. Curious about what else might be hidden in the sand, we returned with metal detectors—and that first day sparked a passion. Soon we were scouring other beaches, then parks, and eventually realized that the real hidden history might be in private backyards and gardens that had never been searched. Today we’re based in Los Angeles and focus on homes around the city, but our long‑term goal is to take Backyard Billions across the U.S. and even overseas.What we use:We bring professional‑grade equipment to every search, including an OKM Gepard GPR 3D ground‑penetrating radar, Minelab Equinox 800 and Fisher F22 metal detectors, as well as hand wands, sifters and a powerful magnet. These tools let us locate objects deep underground with minimal disturbance to landscaping.What matters to us:Every find has two stories: the history of the object itself and the personal stories shared by the homeowners. We respect both. We take our time, record and photograph each discovery, and always restore yards to the condition we found them. Homeowners receive 75 % of the appraised value of anything we unearth, while Backyard Billions takes 25 % to cover research, equipment and documentation. All homeowners sign a short permission agreement before we begin, and they can choose whether or not to appear in our filming for the Backyard Billions YouTube channel. We never share exact addresses or personal details without consent.Backyard Billions is more than a business—it’s a community‑driven adventure and a way to reconnect with the past. We hope you’ll join us.
Contact Us - Complimentary Search
If you're located in the Los Angeles area and are curious about what might be hidden beneath your property, we’d love to hear from you! Please send us a message and include:Basic details about your land (e.g. size, age of the home, any interesting historical facts or stories you know) & why you think there might be buried valuables (for example, a family legend, old property deeds, or unusual metal detector hits).To ensure a great experience for everyone, please note the following expectations:Homeowner Permission: We require a short, written consent form before any search begins. This covers permission to access your property, outlines our value-sharing agreement (75% to you, 25% to us), and acknowledges that the process may involve minor digging.Respect for Property: Our team uses professional ground-penetrating radar and metal detectors and will restore your yard to its original condition as best we can. We avoid utilities and landscaping features, and we always leave the site tidy.On-Site Presence: We ask that you or a designated adult be present while we survey and dig. Your knowledge of the property’s history can help guide our search.Filming Consent: We often document our searches for the Backyard Billions YouTube channel. You may choose to appear on camera or remain off-screen. We never disclose your address or identifying details without explicit consent.No Guarantees: We can’t promise that we’ll find anything of value, but if we do, we’ll document and appraise it. You’ll receive 75% of the appraised value, and we’ll take 25% to cover our time, equipment and appraisal costs.If all of this sounds exciting and you’re ready to explore the history buried beneath your yard, reach out with your story—we look forward to potentially digging together!
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Pacing to $1B Goal
$1,455 / $1,000,000,000.00
It's easy to focus on the number – a cool billion sounds almost mythical – but every treasure hunt starts with a single find. Right now, our tally sits at $1,455, and we celebrate each coin, relic, or heirloom as a piece of history returned to light. Those modest discoveries remind us of why we started: to blend our love of travel, adventure, antiquing, and history into a mission that treats every yard like an archaeological dig site and every homeowner as a partner in unearthing the past.We know a billion dollars is a lofty goal, but it’s grounded in a real opportunity. There are millions of properties across the country and around the world that have never been scanned or dug. Countless hoards, caches, and forgotten valuables are still out there. As urban archaeologists, we see ourselves on a long journey, not racing to the finish line but savoring the stories and friendships formed along the way. Each yard we survey brings us closer to that ambitious milestone and confirms that there’s still a world of buried history waiting to be uncovered.