Patios
Schedule a Free ConsultationCreate an outdoor living space that feels like a natural extension of your home with professional patio design and installation from Outdoor Spaces.
Our designers look beyond the patio itself to consider how you want to use your backyard, how the space connects to your home and lawn, your property’s grade, and which materials and features best fit your style and budget.
Whether you want a simple space for dining and relaxing or a complete backyard with a patio, fire feature, outdoor kitchen, pavilion, and landscaping, we can develop a plan around your property and how you want to live outdoors.
Is a Patio Right for Your Backyard?
A patio is a ground-level outdoor living surface typically built with concrete pavers, natural stone, brick, or other hardscape materials. It creates a flat, dry space for outdoor furniture, dining, entertaining, and other backyard activities.
Patios are often a great fit when your main outdoor entrance is relatively close to ground level and you want an easy connection between your living space, lawn, landscaping, pool, or other parts of your backyard.
Your property’s elevation and slope also matter. If your back door sits several feet above grade or the yard drops significantly away from the home, creating a level patio may require steps, grading, or retaining walls. In some cases, a deck may be the more practical option. In others, a combination of a deck or landing with a lower patio can work best.
That is why we evaluate the entire property before recommending a solution. The goal is to create an outdoor space that works with both your site and the way you plan to use it.
Patio Design Choices
The best patio designs start with how you want to use the space.
During your consultation, we will talk about whether you want to dine, lounge, entertain, or combine several uses. We also consider sun and shade, access to the yard, children and pets, your preferred style, and any additional outdoor living features you may want to incorporate.
You do not need to know exactly where everything should go before meeting with us. In many cases, homeowners come to us with a list of features they want and rely on our designers to determine how those elements should work together.
Patio Materials
- Concrete pavers are the most common patio material we use. They come in a wide range of sizes, colors, textures, and styles, making them suitable for both traditional and contemporary homes. Paver joints may need to be re-sanded periodically over the life of the patio.
- Flagstone is natural quarried stone that can create either a structured or more organic appearance. It generally costs more than concrete pavers but offers the look and character of real stone.
- Natural brick can be an excellent fit for historic or traditionally styled homes, particularly in places such as Old Town Leesburg.
- Pea gravel works best for more casual or rustic areas, such as an informal space around a fire feature. It can also provide a more economical or temporary option for a phased project.
Steps, Walls and Changes in Elevation
A sloped backyard does not necessarily rule out a patio.
Depending on the property, we may incorporate steps, retaining walls, seat walls, or multiple patio levels to create usable spaces while working with the natural grade.
Taking accurate measurements during the design process helps us understand these elevation changes before construction begins.
Outdoor Living Features
Your patio can also become the foundation for a larger outdoor living space.
Popular additions include fire pits and fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, pavilions, pergolas, lighting, and landscaping.
Landscaping is particularly important for helping a patio feel grounded within the property instead of like an isolated area of hardscape surrounded by lawn.
What Affects the Cost of a Patio?
The cost of a custom patio depends on the design itself and the conditions of the property.
Some of the biggest factors include:
- Patio size
- Material selection
- Property grade
- Steps or retaining walls
- Site access and existing conditions
- Fire features, outdoor kitchens, shade structures, lighting, or landscaping
For example, natural flagstone generally costs more than a typical paver installation, while a property with a significant slope may require additional grading, walls, or steps.
If your long-term vision is larger than your current budget, we can also develop a design that can be completed in phases. Planning the overall space first can help make sure the patio you build today works with features you may want to add later.
Our Patio Design & Installation Process
Consultation and Site Evaluation
The process begins with a free consultation at your home.
We will talk about how you want to use the space, the features you are considering, your style and budget, and any ideas or inspiration you already have.
We will also evaluate the property itself, including grade, access, existing landscaping, and how the outdoor space connects to your home.
Design and Presentation
Next, we develop a scaled design around your property and goals.
We typically aim to present the initial design approximately two to three weeks after the consultation. During the presentation, we will walk you through the plan, discuss materials and features, answer questions, and make adjustments based on your feedback.
Construction
Once the design is approved, the project moves into construction.
Construction timelines vary depending on the size and complexity of the project, time of year, material availability, and other site-specific factors.
Our team remains involved throughout the process to answer questions and help ensure the finished patio reflects the approved design.
Patio FAQs
Can My Patio Project Be Completed in Phases?
Yes. We can create an overall design that accounts for future features even if you do not plan to build everything at once. This can be especially helpful if you eventually want to add an outdoor kitchen, fire feature, landscaping, pool, or other outdoor living elements.
How Much Maintenance Does a Paver Patio Require?
Pavers are relatively low maintenance, but the material between the joints may need to be replenished periodically. When cleaning a paver patio, care should also be taken not to remove too much joint sand with a high-pressure power washer.
Can You Add a Fire Feature or Outdoor Kitchen to My Patio?
Yes. Fireplaces, fire pits, outdoor kitchens, pavilions, pergolas, lighting, and landscaping can all be incorporated into a larger patio and outdoor living design.
Planning these features as part of the overall design can help create better circulation, furniture placement, and connections between different parts of the space.
Do I Need to Know Exactly What I Want Before the Consultation?
No. It is helpful to know which features or activities are important to you, but you do not need to determine the layout yourself.
You can bring inspiration photos or a list of ideas, and our designers can help determine how those elements should come together based on your property, style, and budget.
What Your Neighbors Are Saying
The design services are thoughtful and creative. I live in Arlington and my yard is constrained, but the design team came up with some innovative options that really worked well. The actual execution was reasonably speedy and thorough. Perhaps the best metric: I get compliments from people all the time on the work.
— Rick