What is a lot survey and why do I need one to build an outdoor living space? We get this question a lot and here’s why…

A lot or land survey is basically a graphic depiction of your property that outlines the legal boundaries and other features. You probably received one when you purchased your home. It is necessary for Texas Custom Patios to see your survey so we can determine what can legally be built on your property.

The lot survey will identify any easements, building setbacks, or other restrictions on your property. It will inform us if your home is in a flood plain or if there are any other special considerations we need to know in order to design and build your outdoor living space.

What if you can’t find your lot survey? There are several options – check with your local tax assessor’s office, they may have one on file. Another option is to get a survey done, there are several companies that specialize in surveying land and can get it done quickly. Surveys typically cost between $300-$500.

When Texas Custom Patios is building your outdoor living space, we will use the survey to file for permits through the city and to submit to your HOA for approval. This is done in order to make sure any new structures are built without crossing over into easements or setbacks on your property. We need this info to not only ensure we are not building inside easements, but also to draw your existing property in our software to allow for an accurate scale for the new drawings we present.

Once it’s all approved, then the fun begins and we can begin building!

One of the first things that most people want to know, is how soon will they be lounging on their new patio? Use the handy guide below to know when your custom patio project needs to begin in order to be completed by these commonly requested dates. Factors such as material supplies and weather prevent us from guaranteeing completion dates, but we understand your excitement and work diligently to meet a desired date. The guide below was created to give you a ballpark look!

First, determine when you want your project completion to be, then discover what month you’ll need to contact our office to get started.

When you call our office, we’ll schedule an initial appointment. After the initial visit, we’ll follow up with a proposal. Once you’ve selected Texas Custom Patios as your outdoor design-builder, we’ll begin the permitting and homeowner association process. This can take up to 90 days depending on the particular rules of your community. When the design has met all requirements, a simpler concrete and cover takes about four weeks to complete. Including a kitchen adds a couple more weeks. Watch this video to discover more about our design-build process. More questions? Give one of our outdoor-living specialists a call at 281-265-1994 in Houston, or 972-915-2727 in Dallas/Fort Worth.

Trending more and more each year is outdoor living, homeowners are now investing in a lifestyle that can be enjoyed on the exterior of the home. Life is short, so why not have your home be your own personal paradise. At Texas Custom Patios, we specialize in perfecting that outdoor living dream custom tailored to your home.

There are a few places where you can upgrade and take your outdoor living to the next level!

Outdoor Kitchens

Having a grill is nice, but having a built-in sizzler, sink and drink fridge is even nicer! We will custom build anything you want as long as it makes sense in the area that you would like. Meticulous detail goes into the design process so that you end up with something that is both beautiful and functional.

Technology

With the love for outdoor living becoming more popular, so has the enchantment for outdoor technology. We build our projects with sound systems, televisions, security, and safety in mind. Home automation is now taking a walk outside, making it even easier to throw that patio party.

Seamless Transition

With a wall of sliding glass panels, it’s now hard to tell where the interior of a home ends and the exterior begins. These type of sliding doors makes for a wide-open transition between home and patio. Every home that likes to entertain needs to think about this addition a little more before closing the door on the idea.

Add the Heat

Although heat is not something Texans yearn for, in the cooler months a fire feature comes highly recommended. It adds an extra flair to your outdoor living area, leaving you with a cozy place to make memories.

There are so many fun things to add to your outdoor living space, take a look at our gallery to get more ideas.

An enjoyable outdoor living space is a must-have for most people here in Texas – we are able to spend just about every day outside without too much trouble.  Of course it does get a little toasty in the summer, but with the right design and ample shade even the summer heat can be beat.  For many, the singular thing that holds us back when making big decisions is something called … moolah.  But with the right budget, a good plan and the perfect builders, your outdoor oasis is actually within reach! Not to mention, tax returns are just around the patio corner!

We now offer many financing options making it even easier to start building now versus later.  For more information on our financing options, visit here!  

Budgeting for your outdoor living space is actually easier than you may think.  We have built outdoor living spaces with just about every single budget in mind.  We put together a quick guide that will you have you well on your way to building out your outdoor space.  So get ready to start planning, building and living (outside)!

How to budget for your outdoor living space …

How big of an area is considered ample?

Whether you are wanting a covered patio, a pergola, a sunroom or a screened in porch about 300 square feet is average. If you go much smaller than that, you will feel cramped and will not have enough room for both a dining area and a sitting area. The cost for something that size would start around 25K – Sunrooms would be more due to windows and inside wall finishes.

What are items that would affect this budget?

* Type and configuration of your home – 1 Story homes usually run more because the roof tie-in is more complicated.

* Do you have concrete already? Having an existing patio or other flat surface will lower your cost… unless you want something more than a standard brushed concrete surface. Upgraded surfaces – stamped concrete, tile, travertine, stone pavers means your cost will increase.

* Type of columns – do you have any existing columns on your home? If so, you may want to match them – are they brick or stone? That will be an added cost because a standard column is wrapped with hardie board and painted to match your home’s paint color.

*Ceiling finish – Like the columns a standard ceiling is just hardie plank painted to match your home’s soffit. If you want a different look, you can go with cedar or stained tongue and groove, you will need to add some to your budget.

* Electrical matters – a basic project does include running electricity for recessed lights and ceiling fans as well as wiring for a TV and sound system.

So, what does a 300 SF project with some of the upgraded options cost?

* With additional items such as those listed above, your 300 SF project would start around 30K -35K.

What if I want to add an outdoor kitchen? Several things need to occur …

*Size of the space – to have adequate space to accommodate the added kitchen area, we suggest an area that is closer to 400 SF. So, that is an added cost to build your covered area.

*A basic kitchen – this is a tough question – you can have a small, very functional outdoor kitchen area that is in the 8 – 10 linear foot area. To get lots of prep and serving space, you may want to consider something that is closer to the 14-15 linear foot option. Our kitchens include a custom built counter area with granite, stacked stone, brick, or stucco, stainless steel appliances (grill, fridge, storage). The 8-10 linear foot kitchens would start around 15-20K, the larger kitchen would start around 20-25K.

Can it be bigger?

* Absolutely! We have built kitchens that are as large as 20-25 linear feet.

* Why the 5K range in the cost?

Many things affect that – type and size of grill, choice of granite, propane or natural gas, raised bar top, type of side finishes, among other choices.

What about adding a fire feature?

*A fireplace – whether wood burning or natural gas – will generally add about 15-20K to your project. Your choice of stone, is there going to be a mantle, and how big will the hearth be all play key roles in the cost of the fireplace.

* A fire pit – again whether it is wood burning or natural gas – will add about 3-6K to your project. The size, shape and type of stone plays a part in the variance of the cost.

So as you can see … a lot goes into the prepping and planning when building something to any extent, but it CAN be done!  Take notes, let us know how we can help and we look forward to building something beautiful for you!

On many occasions, some home owners see their breezeway as something that complicates a potential project.  Others just may not understand what can be done with a breezeway at all.  Some even decide to not pursue a potential patio addition because of this confusion, which is a big mistake!

To start, let’s describe what a breezeway is …

Typically the breezeway connects the house to the garage to protect you from the elements while walking between the two.  Sometimes the breezeway will have your electrical wires running through it, as the breaker box is in the garage.  This is very common and not anything to be concerned about.  The breezeway is typically built to hold only the weight of the breezeway with absolutely zero additional weight.

When Texas Custom Patios comes out for a site visit, we will look at your breezeway and discuss the options available to you.  On average, it’s best to remove the breezeway and run the electrical in the attic space of the new patio cover.

Sometimes we will cut off the existing breezeway and re-attach the remaining breezeway to the new porch, or we build a totally new breezeway if that makes most sense.  Many times homeowners convince themselves this cannot be done, but it’s really not a big deal.  On rare occasions the electrical wires can create a challenge, but your project developer will discuss options to work around this. Our expertise allows us to create a clean, well-thought-out look that even the builder of your home would have done had they built the cover themselves. We have found removing the breezeway, when possible, is a best practice in our industry.

Don’t let your breezeway keep you from exploring a project … trust us, it’s a breeze!  To explore a variety of options to consider when building your patio, click here!

We understand that in today’s economy, it may be more difficult for some people to afford their backyard patio dream.  So we decided we can build, you can finance, and then we all have it made in the shade.  We now provide many excellent choices for homeowners who wish to finance their backyard buildout.  A range of financing options such as 12 month no payments/interest plans, 0% interest plans, low fixed rate plans from 24 to 60 months, and no prepayment penalty plans are available.  That’s just covering a few of our options- we have a plan to fit just about any budget.  And if you really want that extra feature and it just isn’t in your budget right now, we can finance that part of the project.

Upon arrival for your estimate, we can do a speedy credit check and the decision for a payment plan can be mapped out that very day.  It’s simple, easy and quick … so that you can start building your outdoor living area without the stress of having to pay for your project all at once.    Life is short, we want you to enjoy every moment … so don’t delay, call us today.

Mediterranean to modern, traditional to transitional, rustic, tropical, contemporary or even industrial … there are so many style designs that come to mind when creating your outdoor living space. While we specialize in custom patios that look original to your home, we can add flare in any direction that will leave you with something you love.

Here’s a small example of the different styles of projects we have done in the past:

And while we are planning …

You want to know how soon you’ll be able to enjoy your new outdoor style life?  Use the handy guide below to know when your custom patio project needs to begin in order to be completed by these commonly requested dates. Factors such as material supplies and weather prevent us from guaranteeing completion dates, but we understand your desire for having projects completed for the important elements of your outdoor style lifestyle. We created this guide to give us the best opportunity to serve you by getting started in a timely fashion for your desired completion date.  If for instance you are hoping to have something built by Memorial Day Weekend … NOW is the time to call and get the process started!

An enjoyable outdoor living space is a must-have for most people here in Texas – we are able to spend just about every day outside without too much trouble.  Of course it does get a little toasty in the summer, but with the right design and ample shade even the summer heat can be beat.  For many, the singular thing that holds us back when making big decisions is something called … moolah.  But with the right budget, a good plan and the perfect builders, your outdoor oasis is actually within reach!

Budgeting for your outdoor living space is actually easier than you may think.  We have built outdoor living spaces with just about every single budget in mind.  We put together a quick guide that will you have you well on your way to building out your outdoor space.  So get ready to start planning, building and living (outside)!

How to budget for your outdoor living space …

How big of an area is considered ample?

Whether you are wanting a covered patio, a pergola, a sunroom or a screened in porch about 300 square feet is average. If you go much smaller than that, you will feel cramped and will not have enough room for both a dining area and a sitting area. The cost for something that size would start around 25K – Sunrooms would be more due to windows and inside wall finishes.

What are items that would affect this budget?

* Type and configuration of your home – 1 Story homes usually run more because the roof tie-in is more complicated.

* Do you have concrete already? Having an existing patio or other flat surface will lower your cost… unless you want something more than a standard brushed concrete surface. Upgraded surfaces – stamped concrete, tile, travertine, stone pavers means your cost will increase.

* Type of columns – do you have any existing columns on your home? If so, you may want to match them – are they brick or stone? That will be an added cost because a standard column is wrapped with hardie board and painted to match your home’s paint color.

*Ceiling finish – Like the columns a standard ceiling is just hardie plank painted to match your home’s soffit. If you want a different look, you can go with cedar or stained tongue and groove, you will need to add some to your budget.

* Electrical matters – a basic project does include running electricity for recessed lights and ceiling fans as well as wiring for a TV and sound system.

So, what does a 300 SF project with some of the upgraded options cost?

* With additional items such as those listed above, your 300 SF project would start around 30K -35K.

What if I want to add an outdoor kitchen? Several things need to occur …

*Size of the space – to have adequate space to accommodate the added kitchen area, we suggest an area that is closer to 400 SF. So, that is an added cost to build your covered area.

*A basic kitchen – this is a tough question – you can have a small, very functional outdoor kitchen area that is in the 8 – 10 linear foot area. To get lots of prep and serving space, you may want to consider something that is closer to the 14-15 linear foot option. Our kitchens include a custom built counter area with granite, stacked stone, brick, or stucco, stainless steel appliances (grill, fridge, storage). The 8-10 linear foot kitchens would start around 15-20K, the larger kitchen would start around 20-25K.

Can it be bigger?

* Absolutely! We have built kitchens that are as large as 20-25 linear feet.

* Why the 5K range in the cost?

Many things affect that – type and size of grill, choice of granite, propane or natural gas, raised bar top, type of side finishes, among other choices.

What about adding a fire feature?

*A fireplace – whether wood burning or natural gas – will generally add about 15-20K to your project. Your choice of stone, is there going to be a mantle, and how big will the hearth be all play key roles in the cost of the fireplace.

* A fire pit – again whether it is wood burning or natural gas – will add about 3-6K to your project. The size, shape and type of stone plays a part in the variance of the cost.

So as you can see … a lot goes into the prepping and planning when building something to any extent, but it CAN be done!  Take notes, let us know how we can help and we look forward to building something beautiful for you!

We are continuing our series of most popularly asked questions with a question nearly everyone asks. Everyone wants every thing now, now, now!  We often get calls requesting an immediate start date of “tomorrow.”  While we are just as excited as you, it takes just a little bit more time to  get things going.   So a popular question asked daily is, “can you start tomorrow?”  The answer is, we can get the ball rolling, but we won’t be installing the outdoor kitchen sink by tomorrow’s patio party.

We have a thorough process that includes really getting 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!  Your new best friend 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.

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!