Coastal homes open outward.
Covered patios, outdoor kitchens, pool decks, and backyard landscapes in Solana Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla, Encinitas, and Carlsbad.
The coast asks for indoor-outdoor flow. The marine layer burns off by noon. The afternoon sun lasts until eight in the summer. The temperature on the patio is the same as the temperature in the room. Where the room ends and the yard begins should be a question, not an answer.
We design backyards as continuous rooms with the house, not as separate landscape projects. Materials are chosen for salt air, sun, and the way the family actually uses the space.
Most outdoor projects are designed by a landscape architect who doesn't talk to the firm that designed the house. The result is a beautifully planted yard with a covered patio that doesn't quite match the house, a pool deck that uses a different stone than the interior, and outdoor lighting that doesn't read on the same scale as the indoor program.
We treat the outdoor scope as part of the house. The materials match where they should. The detailing reads as one program. The covered patio is drawn like a room, with structural posts that match the column language of the house, ceiling detailing that continues the interior, and finish materials that survive coastal exposure.
The pool itself is referred out. The deck, the cabana, the outdoor kitchen, and the landscape integration are ours.
What we handle.
Covered patios
Roofed and structurally engineered outdoor rooms, drawn to read as extensions of the house. Column language, ceiling detailing, and finish materials carried from the interior.
Outdoor kitchens
Grill stations, prep counters, refrigeration, and bar setups specified to the same standard as the interior kitchen. Stainless construction, marine-grade hardware, weatherproof cabinetry.
Pool decks and pool surrounds
Decking, drainage, and waterproofing detailed for long-term coastal exposure. Composite, stone, or porcelain depending on the design language of the house.
Backyard landscape
Planting plans, hardscape, lighting, and irrigation coordinated with the architecture. Native and drought-tolerant species selected for the coastal microclimate. Often paired with a whole-home remodel or addition.
Elevations does not build swimming pools. Pool construction is referred out. We handle decks, cabanas, surrounds, outdoor kitchens, and landscape integration around new and existing pools.
Specified to the SKU.
Coastal exposure is unforgiving. The wrong specification fails in eighteen months. The right specification looks better in five years than it did on install day.
- DeckingComposite (TREX) or thermally modified hardwood for low maintenance and long coastal life. Stone in IPE or porcelain for higher-end finishes.
- RailingsStainless steel cable, sometimes with horizontal wood top rails. Glass railings are typical for ocean-view lots.
- HardwareMarine-grade stainless throughout. Standard galvanized hardware corrodes within two years on coastal lots.
- Outdoor kitchen countersStone selected for low absorption and high UV resistance. Quartzite, granite, and certain engineered stones rated for outdoor use.
- CabinetryStainless or HDPE cabinetry for outdoor kitchens. No wood substrates.
- LightingMarine-grade fixtures throughout. Low-voltage path lighting and integrated fixture lighting in the structural elements.
Four steps, one team.
Discovery Call
A complimentary phone consultation. We talk about the yard, the way the family uses it, the interior project (if there is one), and the scope.
Design Consultation
A $250 on-site walkthrough with our principal. We walk the yard, look at the existing exterior conditions, and confirm what's possible inside the lot's setbacks and coverage rules.
Design Phase Contract
Site plan, hardscape plan, planting plan, structural drawings for the covered patio, outdoor kitchen layout, lighting plan, and material specification. Six to ten weeks typical.
Construction Contract
Sitework, foundations, structural framing for the covered patio, hardscape, outdoor kitchen install, planting, lighting, and irrigation. The crew is the same crew that built the interior, with landscape and irrigation subs we've worked with for years.
Featured work.
Open Air
La Jolla, CA · 2023A backyard re-planned as a single connected room. Pool deck, cabana, and a covered cooking pavilion read as one space across a continuous deck. The indoor great room opens directly onto it.
See the case studyBefore you call.
Does Elevations build swimming pools?
No. We refer pool construction out to specialized pool contractors and handle the decks, cabanas, outdoor kitchens, and landscape integration around new and existing pools. The pool contractor and our crew coordinate on the same schedule.
Can an outdoor space be designed and built before a whole-home remodel?
Yes. Outdoor scopes can run as standalone projects when the rest of the house isn't in scope. They're often most efficient when paired with an interior remodel that opens to the same outdoor room, because the connecting wall and the indoor-outdoor threshold get drawn once.
What materials hold up to coastal exposure?
Composite decking, stainless steel cable, marine-grade hardware, and stone selected for low absorption. We specify against the coastal environment, not against an inland template. Standard galvanized hardware, untreated softwood, and porous stone all fail within a few years on a coastal lot.
Do you handle landscaping and irrigation?
Yes. Planting plans, hardscape, irrigation, and lighting are part of most outdoor scopes. We work with landscape subs we've used for years. The planting palette is selected for coastal microclimate and drought tolerance.
Can you build a covered patio that matches my existing house?
Yes. The covered patio is drawn during the Design Phase with structural posts, ceiling detailing, and finish materials specified to match the column language and trim program of the existing home. If matching isn't possible, we'll flag the alternatives during design.
Do outdoor projects require a coastal permit?
Projects in the coastal zone require coastal permits if the scope includes structural work, significant grading, or changes to the building footprint. Smaller projects (replacing a deck, adding a planted bed, installing low-voltage lighting) typically don't require coastal permits. We confirm during the Design Phase.
Start with a conversation.
A $250 in-person design consultation with our principal, credited in full to your project. We'll walk the yard.
Licensed and insured · CSLB #1142324
Last updated: May 2026