diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 4344aeba1..42514f74b 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 default_language_version:
-    python: python3
+  python: python3
 ci:
-    autofix_commit_msg: |
-        [pre-commit.ci] auto fixes from pre-commit hooks
-    autofix_prs: true
-    autoupdate_branch: 'pre-commit-autoupdate'
-    autoupdate_commit_msg: '[pre-commit.ci] pre-commit autoupdate'
-    autoupdate_schedule: monthly
-    skip: [no-commit-to-branch]
-    submodules: false
+  autofix_commit_msg: |
+    [pre-commit.ci] auto fixes from pre-commit hooks
+  autofix_prs: true
+  autoupdate_branch: "pre-commit-autoupdate"
+  autoupdate_commit_msg: "[pre-commit.ci] pre-commit autoupdate"
+  autoupdate_schedule: monthly
+  skip: [no-commit-to-branch]
+  submodules: false
 repos:
   - repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/pre-commit-hooks
     rev: v4.6.0
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ repos:
       - id: check-yaml
       - id: end-of-file-fixer
       - id: trailing-whitespace
-        exclude: '\.(rst|txt)$'
       - id: check-case-conflict
       - id: check-merge-conflict
       - id: check-toml
@@ -25,11 +24,11 @@ repos:
     rev: 24.4.2
     hooks:
       - id: black
+        exclude: ^tests/test_helpers.py$|^tests/test_commands.py$
   - repo: https://github.com/pycqa/flake8
     rev: 7.0.0
     hooks:
       - id: flake8
-        exclude: ^tests/test_helpers.py$|^tests/test_commands.py$
   - repo: https://github.com/pycqa/isort
     rev: 5.13.2
     hooks:
@@ -49,6 +48,21 @@ repos:
   - repo: https://github.com/codespell-project/codespell
     rev: v2.3.0
     hooks:
-    - id: codespell
-      additional_dependencies:
-        - tomli
+      - id: codespell
+        additional_dependencies:
+          - tomli
+  # prettier - multi formatter for .json, .yml, and .md files
+  - repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/mirrors-prettier
+    rev: f12edd9c7be1c20cfa42420fd0e6df71e42b51ea # frozen: v4.0.0-alpha.8
+    hooks:
+      - id: prettier
+        types: [yaml]
+        additional_dependencies:
+          - "prettier@^3.2.4"
+  # docformatter - PEP 257 compliant docstring formatter
+  - repo: https://github.com/s-weigand/docformatter
+    rev: 5757c5190d95e5449f102ace83df92e7d3b06c6c
+    hooks:
+      - id: docformatter
+        additional_dependencies: [tomli]
+        args: [--in-place, --config, ./pyproject.toml]
diff --git a/news/prettier_yml_dump.rst b/news/prettier_yml_dump.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9e5aa3b25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/prettier_yml_dump.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+**Added:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Changed:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Deprecated:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Removed:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Fixed:**
+
+* update yaml.dumper in fsclient so that it outputs code that passes prettier and black tests
+
+**Security:**
+
+* <news item>
diff --git a/src/regolith/fsclient.py b/src/regolith/fsclient.py
index 37336ae82..f2026a521 100644
--- a/src/regolith/fsclient.py
+++ b/src/regolith/fsclient.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def __exit__(self, type, value, traceback):
 
 
 def _rec_re_type(i):
-    """Destroy this when ruamel.yaml supports basetypes again"""
+    """Destroy this when ruamel.yaml supports basetypes again."""
     if type(i) in YAML_BASE_MAP:
         base = YAML_BASE_MAP[type(i)]()
         if isinstance(base, dict):
@@ -97,8 +97,11 @@ def load_yaml(filename, return_inst=False, loader=None):
 def dump_yaml(filename, docs, inst=None):
     """Dumps a dict of documents into a file."""
     inst = YAML() if inst is None else inst
+    inst.indent(mapping=2, sequence=4, offset=2)  # Match Prettier's default
+    inst.preserve_quotes = True  # Prevent unnecessary quote changes
+    inst.width = 79  # Keep line width under control
+    inst.explicit_start = True  # Add `---` at the start, Prettier is fine with it
     inst.representer.ignore_aliases = lambda *data: True
-    inst.indent(mapping=2, sequence=4, offset=2)
     sorted_dict = ruamel.yaml.comments.CommentedMap()
     for k in sorted(docs):
         doc = docs[k]
@@ -187,14 +190,14 @@ def load_database(self, db):
         self.load_yaml(db, dbpath)
 
     def dump_json(self, docs, collname, dbpath):
-        """Dumps json docs and returns filename"""
+        """Dumps json docs and returns filename."""
         f = os.path.join(dbpath, collname + ".json")
         dump_json(f, docs)
         filename = os.path.split(f)[-1]
         return filename
 
     def dump_yaml(self, docs, collname, dbpath):
-        """Dumps json docs and returns filename"""
+        """Dumps json docs and returns filename."""
         f = os.path.join(dbpath, collname + self._collexts.get(collname, ".yaml"))
         inst = self._yamlinsts.get((dbpath, collname), None)
         dump_yaml(f, docs, inst=inst)
@@ -250,7 +253,7 @@ def insert_many(self, dbname, collname, docs):
             coll[doc["_id"]] = doc
 
     def delete_one(self, dbname, collname, doc):
-        """Removes a single document from a collection"""
+        """Removes a single document from a collection."""
         coll = self.dbs[dbname][collname]
         del coll[doc["_id"]]