With about six weeks under your slightly bigger belt of eating, drinking, and being merry… it’s time to buckle down and get healthy, starting next year of course (Wink! Wink!).  So what is it that you’re trying to eliminate?  Sugar, wheat, dairy… all of the above?  Going without these things can have tremendous health benefits and can still be tasty, we promise!

Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls – gluten free

The Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – gluten free

Italian Chicken Sausage and Veggies – yes, most sausage has gluten, but not this one!

White Chocolate Almond Raspberry Cake – gluten free

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies – gluten and dairy free

The Creamiest Vegan Mac and Cheese – dairy free

Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie – dairy free

Molten Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake – Keto (low-carb, no sugar)

Pull-Apart Cinnamon Rolls – no gluten here

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake – Keto

The above suggestions are treats, but if you want to get super serious about your health, get outside on your grill and sizzle up some lean meats and veggies.  Heck you can even grill up some peaches for a sweet surprise.  See?… living outside is better (and better for you)!

Each month we feature one of our most stunning projects, whether it be a covered patio or an outdoor kitchen with a beautiful fire feature, contemporary or traditional … we give you a glimpse of a highlighted completed project!  These projects were built in the greater Houston area and the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  Let’s take a look back at the projects that really stood out for 2018.

Click the link below to discover all details about these projects, including: cost range, size, materials and sketches!

January

February

March

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October

November

Our Process

At Texas Custom Patios, we really get to know our customers. When you choose to build with us, you get your own project developer who will get to know you, your goals, and your style, and will oversee your entire outdoor living project, from start to finish.

Schedule your free consultation today by calling our office or filling out our contact form. We will send one of our experienced project developers to your home to gather information about your project. If we can provide an outdoor living project that meets your budget, then we will create a proposal for you.

Not sure how to budget for your outdoor living project? Look at our dream patio budgeting guide for some ideas.

What Can I Expect During This Visit?

• You will see photos of similar projects to help us determine your preferences
• We will take measurements and photos of the project area
• We will ask lots of questions about your expectations
• We will talk to you about your project budget

DESIGN, PRICING, & PROPOSAL

After your project developer visits your home, we will provide you with a proposal that includes an exact quote proposal for your project. On average, the proposal will be completed in about a week. This proposal will include a design drawing with specifications and dimensions and rendered views and elevations so you can see what the project will look like after completion.

Your project developer will schedule an in-person meeting with you to go over your proposal and answer any questions. Once we have signed a contract, You can visit our office showroom to view samples and make final selections for your project.

EXACT QUOTE

When we say “exact quote,” we mean it. This quote is not an estimate, and there will be no surprise expenses during the course of your project. If changes or additions are made during the construction process, we will address those changes as they occur.

HOA APPROVAL AND CITY PERMITS

Some areas require a permit or HOA approval for outdoor living projects. The only thing your project developer needs in order to get approval for you is a copy of your lot survey. We will provide all of the additional required information.

If you live in a municipality that requires a building permit, we will handle every submission, inspection, and approval required. Depending on the location, this process can take between four and six weeks.

MATERIALS AND SCHEDULING

Scheduling of your project will depend on several factors — how many jobs we are currently working on, the weather, or if you have a particular deadline for an event at your home.

Materials are ordered in a timely fashion so they will be available when we begin construction on your project. Some materials are readily available while others require a special order. We will get you to make selections on stone and other materials quickly after the signing of a contract in case there are time constraints on having the material ready when needed.

Our crews work on several projects at a time. Many times throughout your project, you will see one crew work, have another trade come in to do their part and then the first crew come back to finish up their part of the project. We try to keep production of your project continuous once we begin working, but there may be times when we have some lag time between trades.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND COMPLETION

Your project will be managed and supervised by your Project Developer — the one that first met with you, created your project specifications, and signed off on your dream outdoor living space. Your Project Developer will communicate the construction schedule to you. They will be available at all times via email or phone before, during and after construction of your project. If you ever have any questions or concerns about your project, they are the one to contact.

Upon completion of your project, your Project Developer will walk through the outdoor living space with you to ensure you are completely satisfied with the completed project. We take pride in our work and want you to be delighted with your new space.

WARRANTY PROTECTION

We provide you with a strong written warranty for both material and workmanship. We stand behind what we build and want you to know we will come and make repairs if necessary.

REFERRALS

We have two goals when we are building outdoor living spaces — one is to satisfy you by exceeding your expectations and building you your dream outdoor living space. The other goal is to have you refer us to your friends and neighbors.

We want you to feel confident enough in us to share your experience with others. We do have a referral program in place and will send you a special thank you if one of your friends or family gives us a chance to build their outdoor living space.

Have a project in mind?

We work throughout the Houston and Dallas – Fort Worth areas.

Get a free quote!

Click the image below to discover details of this coastal style project with a rustic twist in Allen, Texas.

Thanksgiving came and went, it did its damage and we have the extra pounds to prove it.  The average person gains between 7 and 10 pounds between turkey day and New Year’s Eve, so we thought we would serve up healthy holiday dishes for this month’s featured recipes!  These are dishes that you can indulge in without the guilt.

Mulled Wine Granita 

Low-fat Eggnog 

Sweet Potato Skins 

Avocado-Feta Dip 

Greek Layered Dip and Pita Chips (or you could substitute for cucumber slices and it’s even healthier)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate and Hazelnut 

Warm Spinach Salad

Winter Fruit Salad

Mushroom Stuffed Pork Tenderloin  

Curried Sweet Potato Puree 

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey and Cinnamon 

Chocolate Avocado Pudding (we saved the best for last, trust us, it’s a gift in itself)

We know it’s a lot, but you need options, right?

Cheers and happy holidays!

The hustle and bustle of the season can leave you saying, “No NO NO” instead of HO HO HO!  We found some easy tips and tricks to get you through the season with holiday cheer!  

Rule #1 – Take it easy on yourself, you create perfection in your mind.  Don’t spend endless hours on something someone else will not even notice!  That’s the only rule, easy right?  Now we have some tips, tricks and holiday hacks!

Decor

Decorate with LED battery operated lights.  They will last forever, you don’t have to worry about a plug and they look so cool!  You can group them inside empty wine bottles, canisters, or our favorite idea, drape them around fire wood!  You get the look of the light in a fire without the mess or the hazard!

Turn your patio into a winter wonderland with these easy and cheap little lanterns.  Fill a little mason jar  1/4 way up with Epsom salt or rock salt, and add a little candle or tea light on top.  Light them and glow!

You can do a lot with little clear jars, fill them with rock salt at the bottom, top with cranberries and sprigs from your Christmas tree.  It’s such a cute affordable way to be festive!

Decorate your windows with snowflakes with hot glue!  Take your glue gun directly to the window and with thin lines create your snowflake.  The best part is when it’s ready come down, it peels right off!

Get out your glue gun again…

Take your pool noodle right from the pool to our outdoor fireplace.  Simply shape the pool noodle in the shape of a wreath and connect it with duct tape.  Hot glue glass ornaments to the frontside if the noodle, wrap a pretty bow around the top and hang!

Food

Create Christmas cubes by freezing cranberries in an ice tray!  It will look festive and gorgeous in a glass of bubbles!

Glue mini candy canes together upside down. Place name tags of food inside them so everyone knows what dish they are enjoying.

Organized

Place all your wrapping paper in a garment bag for easy storage and clutter free gift wrapping!

Avoid a tangled mess with the endless strings of lights by simply wrapping them around a plastic hanger.  They will lie flat to be stored instead of a bulky disaster.

Gifts

Use your leftover paint samples from redoing lil’ Johny’s room, to create DIY gift tags!  Cut into little trees, a snowman, wreathes, you name it!

Patio Party

Have a hot cocoa and dessert bar with your neighbors!  Melt the chocolate for your desserts in a mason jar, set in a slow cooker on low.  This will keep everything warm and gooey for your guests all at once!

Who doesn’t love s’mores… Stay roasty, toasty by the fire without all of the mess.  You can still roast the marshmallows in your fire pit, but instead of using hunks of chocolate, simply spread Nutella on the graham cracker as your chocolate.

Happy holiday hacks!

Halloween… the beginning of the end for the diet, Snickers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Skittles, all of them taunting  you like a bad haunted house.  So what do you do with all that leftover candy you’re hiding from your children?  Eat it? No!  Throw it away… no, that would be a sin!  This is what you do… you turn it into a delectable dessert and give it away!

Kit Kat Stuffed Brownies

Reeses Pie 

Snickers Poke Brownie 

Trash Bark

Candy Corn Blondies 

Candy Bar Pie

Butterfinger Cheesecake

Candy Corn Pretzel Bark

Candy Bar Trifle 

Cinnamon Toffee Cheesecake Dip

Click the image below for details on this gorgeous outdoor living space in Houston, Texas!

Click on the image below for details on this beautiful project built in Spring Branch, Texas.