Backyards that earn their weekends.
Patios, built-in BBQs, fire pits, pavers, and synthetic turf — designed and installed by one crew so every detail lines up.
A great backyard isn't one element — it's how the patio, fire pit, kitchen, and lawn flow together. We design and build the whole space, so the materials, levels, and sightlines feel like they were always meant to be there.
- Custom patios & seating areas
- Built-in BBQ islands & outdoor kitchens
- Gas & wood-burning fire pits
- Paver walkways & driveways
- Synthetic turf installation
- Landscape lighting & planters
One crew, one vision.
Most outdoor projects fall apart at the seams between trades. We self-perform the concrete, masonry, turf, and finish work — so the patio meets the wall meets the lawn the way it should.
- BBQ islands with stone or stucco veneer
- Fire pits coordinated with seat walls
- Pavers laid on engineered base for stability
- Drainage and lighting planned from day one
Patios & seating areas
The patio is the room everything else hangs off. We design it sized for the furniture you actually own (or want to buy), at the right elevation to flow from inside to outside without a big step, and in a material — stamped concrete, pavers, travertine, porcelain, or natural stone — that complements your home's exterior. Most Walnut Creek, Lafayette, and Danville projects we build use 400–900 sq ft of patio as the anchor.
- Sized for real furniture and circulation
- Material chosen to complement the home's exterior
- Step-down or flush threshold from the house
- Drainage built in from day one
- Integrated lighting in steps and seat walls
Outdoor kitchens & BBQ islands
We build BBQ islands and full outdoor kitchens with stone or stucco veneer, granite or quartz tops, side burners, fridges, sinks, ice bins, and storage — all built around the grill you want (Lynx, Hestan, Bull, Twin Eagles, or a quality drop-in). Gas and electrical are run by licensed subs and inspected, so what's behind the veneer is as solid as what's in front of it.
- Stone, stucco, or porcelain-tile veneer
- Granite or quartz countertops with comfortable overhang
- Premium drop-in grills and accessories
- Gas, electrical, and water run to code
- Powder-coated steel framing, not just CMU block
Fire pits, fireplaces & heating
Gas fire pits are clean, instant-on, and legal on Spare-the-Air winter nights — the right call for daily use in the Bay Area. We build them as round, rectangular, or linear features in stone, concrete, or porcelain, sized to the seating around them. For bigger projects we build full outdoor fireplaces with chimneys and stacked-stone surrounds, plus add infrared overhead heaters under covered patios for shoulder-season comfort.
- Gas fire pits — instant-on, Spare-the-Air friendly
- Wood-burning fire pits where allowed
- Stone or stucco fireplaces with chimneys
- Infrared overhead heaters under covers
- Coordinated with seat walls and patio cover
Pergolas, covers & shade
We build cedar pergolas, structural aluminum louvered covers (Struxure, Equinox-style), and full insulated patio covers tied into the house — each one engineered for snow and wind loads and permitted through the city. The right cover transforms an unusable summer-only patio into a true three-season room across Walnut Creek, Lafayette, and Concord.
- Cedar and redwood pergolas with rafters
- Louvered aluminum covers — open and close with weather
- Solid insulated covers with integrated lighting and fans
- Permitted and engineered to local snow/wind loads
Lighting, sound & finishing details
Low-voltage LED lighting is what separates a backyard that's done at sundown from one you use until midnight. We design layered lighting — path, accent, step, downlight, and tree uplight — on a smart controller you can run from your phone, plus weatherproof outdoor speakers when sound matters. These details cost a fraction of the build but carry most of the experience.
- Layered low-voltage LED — path, accent, step, uplight
- Smart controllers and zoned scenes
- Weatherproof outdoor speakers and subwoofers
- GFCI outlets placed where you'll actually need them
Design through final walkthrough.
- 01
Discovery & design
We walk your yard, listen to how you want to use it, take measurements, and come back with a design — layouts, materials, elevations, and a written scope. Most outdoor-living projects involve 1–2 design rounds before construction.
- 02
Permits & scheduling
We pull required permits for gas, electrical, and covered structures, coordinate with inspectors, and lock in a start date once the design is approved.
- 03
Demo, layout & rough utilities
Old hardscape comes out, the new layout is staked, and rough gas, electrical, and water lines are trenched to where they'll be needed before any concrete or stone goes down.
- 04
Hardscape & structure
Patios, walls, fire features, BBQ islands, and pergolas are built in a coordinated sequence by our own crew — so the materials, levels, and details all line up.
- 05
Veneer, tops & finishes
Stone, stucco, tile, granite, and finish carpentry go on last. This is also when lighting and speakers are wired in and trimmed out.
- 06
Final inspection & walkthrough
Final inspections are passed, the site is cleaned, the system controllers are programmed, and we walk you through every switch, valve, and detail before handing it over.
From compact Pleasant Hill backyards to expansive Alamo and Danville estates, every outdoor-living project we build is sized to the family that will actually use it — and detailed so the patio, kitchen, fire pit, and lawn read as one cohesive space, not five separate ones.
Outdoor living, answered.
Real answers to what Contra Costa County homeowners ask us most.
What does a full outdoor living project cost in Contra Costa County?+
Most full backyard transformations — patio, built-in BBQ or fire pit, lighting, and turf or planting — run $45,000 to $180,000+ depending on size and material level. Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Danville, and Alamo backyards we've built recently have averaged around $85,000 for a complete, designer-grade space.
Do you design the whole space, or just build what I bring you?+
Both. Many clients arrive with Pinterest boards and a wish list — we turn that into a buildable plan with materials, levels, drainage, and lighting all coordinated. If you already have plans from a landscape designer or architect, we'll build to those drawings.
How long does an outdoor kitchen or fire pit installation take?+
A standalone gas fire pit on an existing patio: 3–5 days. A built-in BBQ island with stone veneer and gas/electrical: 2–4 weeks. A full outdoor kitchen with patio cover or pergola: 6–12 weeks depending on permits, materials, and weather.
Do outdoor kitchens and fire pits need permits in Walnut Creek or Danville?+
Gas lines, electrical, and any structure with a roof (pergolas, patio covers) generally require permits in Walnut Creek, Danville, Lafayette, and the rest of Contra Costa County. We pull permits and coordinate inspections as part of the project.
Wood-burning vs. gas fire pit — what's right for the East Bay?+
Gas is cleaner, instant-on, and exempt from most Spare-the-Air burn bans that affect the Bay Area. Wood gives you the crackle and aroma but you'll have nights you can't legally use it. Most clients in Contra Costa go gas for daily use and add a wood-burning element elsewhere if they want both.
How do you make sure the patio, BBQ, and lawn all line up?+
We self-perform the concrete, masonry, turf, and finish work with one crew on one schedule. That's the difference between a backyard where everything meets cleanly and one where the patio is 1.5 inches above the lawn and the BBQ counter doesn't match the seat wall.
"Ken has completed two major projects for me in the past year — two beautiful flagstone patios, one for my main house and one for the guest house. He also installed a 16-foot bamboo privacy fence between the two patios. I've referred friends to Ken — and I rarely make referrals."
Let's plan your project.
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