The hardscape, built to the same standard as the pool.
Platinum Pools designs and builds custom hardscape across the DFW area — pool decks, outdoor kitchens, fire features, pergolas, walls, walkways, and full backyard installations. Built by the same boutique team, to the same finish-level standard, whether or not a pool is part of the project.
The difference between builder-grade and contractor-grade.
Most hardscape in DFW backyards is installed by landscape contractors at landscape-contractor margins. Ours isn’t. It’s built by the same in-house masonry team that builds the pools — to the same tolerances, with the same materials, under the same lifetime standard.
When homeowners ask why our hardscape costs more than a paver-only installer’s, the honest answer is: because it’s engineered differently. Pool decks built to fail in five years aren’t built the same way as pool decks built to look right in twenty. A retaining wall holding back a slope above a buried gas line isn’t the same job as a decorative knee wall. An outdoor kitchen wired for a 240-volt induction range, plumbed for a sink, and ventilated for live-fire cooking isn’t a stack of cinder blocks with a granite top.
We treat hardscape the way we treat pool construction — as a permanent build that has to hold up to North Texas soil movement, seasonal extremes, and a couple of decades of family use. That standard rules out some materials, requires extra engineering on others, and means we can’t compete on price with crews installing pavers over compacted dirt with no base prep. We don’t try to. The clients who hire us for hardscape are the ones who’d rather build it once than build it twice.
We bring this same approach to our pool builds across Grapevine, Southlake, Colleyville, Keller, Westlake, and the rest of our DFW service area. About half of our annual hardscape work integrates with a pool we’re building. The other half stands alone — patios, outdoor kitchens, fire features, and full backyard installs for homeowners who aren’t ready for a pool, don’t want one, or already have one and want the rest of the backyard brought up to its level.
What we build as your custom hardscape DFW partner.
Hardscape covers more than most homeowners realize. Below are the four practice areas that account for most of our work — both pool-integrated and standalone. If you’re not sure which category your project falls under, that’s normal. The first consultation usually sorts it out.
Pool Decking & Coping
The largest hardscape surface most homes will ever have. Sandblasted natural stone for slip-resistance underfoot, large-format porcelain tile for contemporary durability, or travertine for timeless texture. Specified to your home’s architecture, not pulled from a builder catalog.
- Sandblasted Natural Stone Decking
- Large-Format Porcelain Tile
- Travertine & Limestone
- Custom Stone Coping & Bullnose
Outdoor Kitchens & Pergolas
Full outdoor kitchens built with the same care as the indoor one — proper gas, plumbing, electrical, and ventilation. Cedar lean-to pergolas, structural steel canopies, and covered loggias designed to extend the home’s roofline into the yard. Built to host, not just to photograph.
- Custom Outdoor Kitchens
- Cedar & Hardwood Pergolas
- Structural Steel Canopies
- Covered Loggias & Pavilions
Fire Features & Water Walls
Linear gas fire features running along pool edges or patio perimeters, stone water walls with integrated lighting, and sculpted fire bowls. Engineered as part of the hardscape from day one — not added as an afterthought with exposed conduit and visible gas lines.
- Linear Gas Fire Features
- Stone Water Walls
- Sculpted Fire Bowls
- Custom Fire Pits
Patios, Walkways & Walls
Full backyard hardscape installations using Belgard pavers, natural stone, and custom-fabricated steel accents. Includes patios, walkways, dry-stack walls, seating walls, retaining walls, planters, and grade-change steps. Standalone or integrated with existing landscape and architecture.
- Belgard Paver Patios & Walkways
- Natural Stone Walls & Pillars
- Engineered Retaining Walls
- Seating Walls & Planters
Chosen for how they perform, not how they photograph.
The materials we use most often share two qualities: they hold up to North Texas conditions, and they look better at year twenty than they did at year one. That filter rules out a lot of what gets installed in DFW backyards.
Sandblasted natural stone is our most-specified pool deck surface — for one specific reason. A wet pool deck is the most slip-prone surface most homes will ever have. Sandblasted finishes provide genuine slip resistance underfoot, not just the appearance of it. Limestone, bluestone, and sandstone all sandblast beautifully and weather without staining.
Large-format porcelain tile has become our go-to for contemporary backyards. The durability is excellent — porcelain is harder than most natural stone, doesn’t stain, and resists freeze-thaw damage. The large format (24×48 inches and up) reads modern and minimizes grout lines, which is what most architectural homes are asking for.
Travertine remains the right choice for traditional and Mediterranean architecture. It’s cooler underfoot than concrete, softer than granite, and weathers into a beautiful warm patina rather than fading.
Belgard pavers anchor most of our full backyard installs — patios, walkways, and pool surrounds where natural stone would be over-spec for the budget. We use the heavier paver lines and proper base prep depth, not the thin economy units that fail within a few years.
Custom-fabricated structural steel is our signature differentiator. Most pool builders in DFW can’t fabricate the cantilevered roofs, floating fire walls, and modern architectural canopies we build in-house. That capability extends into hardscape — steel-supported pergolas, steel-framed water walls, and architectural elements that would be impossible in stone or wood alone.
Same process as our pool work — because hardscape is permanent too.
Whether you’re hiring us for a $30,000 patio or a $300,000 full backyard install, the process is the same. Adrian walks the site personally, designs the space, and stays the single point of contact through completion. No project portals, no rotating sales reps, no decisions made by people you’ve never met.
Private Consultation
Adrian visits your property in person — at your convenience, including evenings. We walk the space together, talk about how you actually use the backyard, and review any architectural plans or design preferences you’ve already developed. Before any sketches, we listen.
Design & Itemized Proposal
You receive a fully itemized written proposal with material samples, design renderings (3D where it adds value), and every line broken out — materials, base prep, drainage, electrical, gas, finishes. No vague “allowances,” no markup hiding inside catch-all categories.
Permits, HOA & Build
We manage all city permitting and HOA architectural review on your behalf. Once approved, our in-house masonry team breaks ground with weekly photo updates and direct access to Adrian throughout. Hardscape projects typically run 4–12 weeks depending on scope.
Reveal & Long-Term Care
On completion day we walk you through the finished installation, address any final punch list items, and leave you with documented care instructions for the materials we used. Then we stay reachable — most of our hardscape work comes from past-client referrals across the DFW area.
“I have been involved in over 30 projects with Platinum Pools and look forward to many more. By far the best value and quality pool builder in DFW! Adrian, the owner, always delivers on every project. His attention to detail and quality is superb. Highly recommend.”
What DFW homeowners ask us about hardscape.
Do you build hardscape projects without a pool?
Yes. About half of our hardscape work is standalone — patios, outdoor kitchens, fire features, walkways, and full backyard installs for homes that don’t have a pool project. The process, materials, and standard are identical to our pool-integrated hardscape. The only difference is scope.
What does custom hardscape cost in DFW?
It depends entirely on scope and materials, but for context: standalone paver patios typically start around $15,000–$30,000. Outdoor kitchens with pergolas range from $40,000 to $150,000+ depending on appliances, structure, and finishes. Full backyard hardscape installations — patios, walkways, walls, fire, and outdoor living combined — typically fall between $75,000 and $250,000+. We provide a fully itemized proposal after an in-person walk, never a number from a calculator.
What materials do you use most often?
Sandblasted natural stone (limestone, bluestone, sandstone) for pool decks where slip resistance matters most. Large-format porcelain tile for contemporary backyards prioritizing durability and a modern look. Travertine for traditional and Mediterranean architecture. Belgard pavers for full backyard installs at scale. Custom-fabricated structural steel for architectural canopies, pergolas, and water walls.
How long does a hardscape project take?
Most standalone hardscape projects run 4–12 weeks from contract to completion, depending on scope, weather, and HOA approval timelines. A patio install might run 2–4 weeks. An outdoor kitchen with pergola typically runs 8–10 weeks. A full backyard install with multiple structures can run 10–14 weeks.
How does North Texas soil affect hardscape construction?
Significantly — and most hardscape failures we see in DFW trace back to inadequate base preparation. North Texas has some of the most expansive clay soil in the country, which swells and contracts dramatically with seasonal moisture. Standard residential paver installations over compacted dirt fail within a few years here. We over-engineer the base — proper sub-grade preparation, geotextile fabric, deep crushed stone bases, and drainage planning — on every install. It costs more upfront and lasts decades longer.
Do you handle permits and HOA architectural review?
Yes. We submit and manage all required city permitting and HOA architectural review for every hardscape project — same as we do for pool builds. Most municipalities in our service area (Grapevine, Southlake, Colleyville, Keller, Westlake, the Park Cities) require some level of approval for hardscape work, particularly for retaining walls, structures with roofs, and any project altering site drainage.
Can you match hardscape to an existing pool we already have?
Yes. We frequently update older pools with new decking, coping, and outdoor living additions. The honest conversation upfront is whether your existing pool’s structural condition supports the level of investment you’re considering — sometimes the right answer is to renovate the pool at the same time, sometimes the existing pool is sound and the hardscape upgrade stands alone.
What warranty comes with your hardscape work?
The warranty depends on the materials and the manufacturer. Natural stone, porcelain tile, and pavers all carry their own manufacturer warranties, which we register and document for you. Our installation work is warrantied against settlement, base failure, and workmanship defects for a period spelled out in your written proposal. We don’t disappear after the install — most of our hardscape work comes from past-client referrals, which keeps us accountable.
Your backyard, finished to the same standard as the pool.
Schedule a free, no-pressure consultation. We’ll walk your property, talk through what’s possible at your scale and budget, and let you decide what makes sense. No high-pressure sales pitch — just an honest conversation with the owner who’ll be running the project.