Design-build
Terraces, patios, kitchens, and planting plans — designed in 3D before we dig, built by our own crew, priced in writing before you commit. Owner Cal Brooks runs every design personally.
The process
You always know what happens next, what it costs, and who’s standing in your yard.
Stage 01
Free · about 45 minutes
Cal walks the property with you — drainage, slope, sun, sight lines — and listens to how you actually want to live outside: dinners for ten, or coffee for two. You get an honest budget range on the spot, and sometimes a “you don’t need us for this.”
Stage 02
$750–$2,500 · credited to your build
A scaled plan and a 3D walkthrough of your own yard: grading and walls, stone selections, the planting plan, lighting positions. Two revision rounds are included — this is where you change your mind cheaply, on screen instead of in stone.
Stage 03
Fixed written price · posted schedule
One dedicated crew — ours, not subs — from excavation to the final plant. You get a weekly text update with photos, a clean site every Friday, and a final walk-through with Cal before the last invoice.
Honest pricing
Nobody publishes real numbers, so budgets get set by guesswork and then everyone’s disappointed. Here are ours — Williamson County, last two seasons.
Hardscape only — from $8,500
One patio, walkway or retaining wall on its own, without a planting or lighting package. The three budgets below are whole-yard builds.
Courtyard refresh
$15K–$35K
A defined outdoor room: paver patio to ~400 sq ft, planted borders, steel edging, and low-voltage lighting. Most are done in 2–3 weeks.
Full backyard build
$35K–$80K
The one most families choose: terraced levels or a large patio, a fire feature, retaining walls where the slope demands them, irrigation, and a full planting plan.
Outdoor living estate
$80K–$150K+
Outdoor kitchen, pergola or pavilion, pool surround, multiple terraces, and mature-size plantings that skip the five-year wait. Phased builds welcome.
Hardscape square footage
The single biggest driver — stone and base labor scale by the foot
Slope, grading + walls
Every foot of engineered retaining wall is real money
Material tier
Concrete pavers → porcelain → natural Tennessee fieldstone
Access
A gate a machine fits through can save thousands in hand labor
Utility runs
Gas, electric, and water to kitchens and fire features
Plant maturity
3-gallon shrubs vs. planted-full-size is a taste-and-budget call
Ranges reflect typical Stonebrook projects in Williamson County over the last two seasons. Your written proposal is a fixed price — not an estimate that grows.
Paying for it
A backyard build is home improvement, and it can be financed like one. Two honest routes — and a third that costs nothing.
Option 1
Through our partner lenders on builds over $10K. Apply from your phone in minutes; approval doesn’t obligate you to build. Longer fixed-rate terms are available for larger projects.
Option 2
For estate-scale projects a home equity line is often the cheapest money available. We’ll structure a payment schedule to match your draw dates — deposits are never more than the stage we’re building.
Option 3
The 3D design covers the whole vision; the build happens in two or three seasons. Terrace and patio first, kitchen next year. The plan makes sure phase one never has to be dug up for phase two.
Financing subject to credit approval; terms shown by the lender before you accept. Financing is optional and never required.
Portfolio
Six slots, ready for real photos. A design-build page earns its keep when the work is yours — see the Read Me for the two-minute swap.
Project slot 01
Wide shot · finished terrace or patio
Project slot 02
Detail · stonework or steps
Project slot 03
Evening shot · lighting on
Project slot 04
Before/after pair · same angle
Project slot 05
Planting · one season in
Project slot 06
The clients using the space
Booking now
Fall is the smartest time to build — crews move faster, plants root all winter, and you’re grilling by April.