Hardscape Design and
Installation in Southeastern Pennsylvania

Blue Tree Outdoor Living designs and builds patios, outdoor kitchens, fire features, walkways, and retaining walls as part of an integrated outdoor living plan. ICPI-certified installation. 2-year workmanship warranty. Every project engineered for drainage from day one.
43 years
in business since 1983
ICPI-certified
installation
2-year
workmanship warranty
7 counties
across Southeastern PA
  • ICPI Certified |
  • 2-Year Workmanship Warranty |
  • 2D Design Renderings |
  • Free On-Site Consultation

A Patio Is Not a Patio

Hardscaping is the design and installation of the structural, non-living elements of an outdoor space, including patios, walkways, retaining walls, outdoor kitchens, and fire features. Blue Tree Outdoor Living has built hardscapes across Southeastern Pennsylvania since 1983, with ICPI-certified installation and drainage engineered into every project.

Hiring someone to lay pavers is easy enough. Hiring someone to build a patio that drains correctly, sits level after five freeze-thaw cycles, connects to your landscape without awkward transitions, and accounts for township impervious surface regulations, that requires a different kind of contractor.

Most hardscape installations start with a price per square foot and end with a crew stacking pavers on a compacted base. No thought given to where the water goes when it rains. No consideration for how the patio connects to the walkway, the landscape beds, or the pool surround. No conduit run under the steps for the lighting you will want two years from now. No coordination with the landscape designer who planted the beds three feet from where the retaining wall footer needs to go.

Blue Tree Outdoor Living approaches hardscape as a design discipline. Every patio, walkway, and wall is part of a larger outdoor environment that includes your landscape, your pool (if applicable), your lighting, and your drainage. The hardscape is the skeleton of your outdoor space. The landscape is the skin. They are designed together or they work against each other.

Blue Tree's hardscape division is led by Chad Ochnich, ICPI certified and co-owner of Blue Tree since 1995.

Hardscaping Features Designed for Your Property and Your Life

Hardscape design and installation is the discipline of engineering durable, non-living structural elements (patios, walkways, retaining walls, outdoor kitchens, fire features, and seating areas) into a residential property's outdoor environment. Blue Tree Outdoor Living designs every hardscape project within the context of the complete outdoor space: the grading, the drainage, the landscape planting, the pool surround (where applicable), and the lighting are all planned as one integrated design. Blue Tree's hardscape installations are led by ICPI-certified crews under the direction of Chad Ochnich, co-owner and Vice President, who has been building outdoor structures across Southeastern PA for over 30 years. Every project includes 2D renderings so homeowners see the finished result before construction begins, and every installation carries a 2-year workmanship warranty.
Aerial view of a homes backyard with stone walkways, patio seating, a pergola, green lawn, landscaped garden beds, and a circular fountain centerpiece. Hardscape text appears in the top left corner.

Hardscape Design

Custom structural plans for patios, outdoor living spaces, walls, and walkways, designed to work with your landscape and terrain.
Patio area with gray stone pavers, outdoor table, chairs, and umbrella next to a white house. Steps lead to glass doors, with green plants and flowers along the edge, labeled Hardscape in the corner.

Paver Patio Design and Installation

From first property visit through 2D renderings and final
design approval.
Outdoor kitchen with a built-in stainless steel grill and bar area with wicker barstools, stone countertops, and a potted plant on the counter; house and greenery in the background.

Outdoor Kitchens

Cooking and entertaining spaces built around your layout, with options like built-in grills, side burners, pizza ovens, refrigeration, stone countertops, and storage, in materials from manufactured block to natural stone veneer.
Four white wooden chairs surround a stone fire pit with a bright flame on a patio, bordered by stone walls and tall evergreen trees, during dusk.

Fire Pits and Fireplaces

Wood-burning and gas fire features (freestanding pits, built-in fireplaces, and fire tables) for year-round outdoor gathering.
A paved stone walkway and patio area beside a white house, featuring benches, outdoor dining furniture, landscaping with shrubs, and a white gazebo in the background.

Walkways and Pathways

Stone and paver walkways connecting your home to your outdoor spaces, engineered for grade, drainage, durability, and clean transitions.
Outdoor stone patio with a built-in bar counter, four ornate metal barstools, stone pillars, and landscaped greenery in the background. Hardscape is written in the top left corner.

Retaining Walls

Structural and decorative walls for grade changes, terracing, and property definition. Options include manufactured block, boulder, or natural stone.
A small rectangular pool surrounded by stone pavers and low stone walls, with trees and greenery in the background. Steps lead up to a deck on the left. The scene is labeled Hardscape.

Backyard Oasis
Design

Complete outdoor living spaces integrating patios, fire features, kitchens, seating, lighting, and landscape into one cohesive environment.

The Blue Tree Complete Backyard Process for Hardscapes

Every hardscape project follows a structured process, the same eight-step methodology Blue Tree Outdoor Living applies to pools and landscapes. For hardscape, the process carries specific emphasis on grading, drainage, base preparation, and material selection.
1

Step 1: Discovery Consultation (1 visit, 60 to 90 minutes)

A designer visits your property, assesses the grade and drainage patterns, identifies soil conditions, and discusses how you want to use the space. Entertaining? Family use? Cooking? Fire? Quiet retreat? The answers shape the design.
2

Step 2: Custom Design and 2D Renderings (2 to 3 weeks)

Your designer creates a hardscape plan that accounts for the surrounding landscape, any pool or water feature, lighting placement, and drainage flow. 2D renderings show the completed project, including materials and exact proportions, before anything is built.
3

Step 3: Material Selection and Guidance (during design phase)

Blue Tree Outdoor Living presents material options with transparent trade-offs. Manufactured wall block installs in a fraction of the time of natural stone veneer but offers a different aesthetic. Boulder walls take a day where manufactured walls take a week. Your designer explains cost, durability, and appearance differences, then lets you choose.
4

Step 4: Permitting (Where Required) (1 to 4 weeks, varies by township)

Retaining walls above certain heights, outdoor kitchens with gas or electrical, driveways, and structures triggering impervious surface thresholds require township permits. Blue Tree handles all permitting. Stormwater management and grading requirements vary by township and watershed designation, and site evaluation determines the applicable codes before installation begins.
5

Step 5: Site Preparation and Base (3 to 7 days)

Excavation, grading, drainage installation, and base compaction. This invisible step determines whether the patio stays level for 20 years or shifts after the second winter. Blue Tree Outdoor Living runs conduit under steps and walkways during base prep for future lighting and utilities, a detail most contractors skip.
6

Step 6: Installation (1 to 4 weeks depending on scope)

Paver, stone, or block installation. Outdoor kitchen construction. Fire feature integration. Retaining wall engineering. Every element installed to ICPI standards.
7

Step 7: Landscape Integration (1 to 2 weeks)

Planting beds, sod, grading restoration, and landscape elements that frame and complement the hardscape, handled by Blue Tree's landscape division as part of the same project.
8

Step 8: Final Walkthrough and Warranty (1 visit)

Your designer walks you through the completed project, reviews care and maintenance recommendations, and confirms warranty coverage. The 2-year workmanship warranty is documented and your designer remains your point of contact.

What Could Your Backyard Become?

Every project starts with a conversation. A designer walks your property, listens to your vision, and gives you honest guidance on what works, and what does not, for your specific conditions.

What Our Clients Say

What Does Hardscape Work Cost in Southeastern PA?

Paver Patio

$15,000 to $40,000
Full design and engineered base prep, with your pavers installed.

Outdoor Living Space

$40,000 to $100,000
Everything in a paver patio, plus an outdoor kitchen or fire feature.

Full Backyard Transformation

$100,000 or more
Hardscape, landscape, lighting, and water features built together as one project.

Curated Transformations

Browse recent projects from across Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Berks, and Philadelphia Counties.

Hardscape Design and Installation Across Southeastern Pennsylvania

Blue Tree Outdoor Living designs and installs patios, walls, walkways, and outdoor living features across Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Berks, and Philadelphia Counties. Our crews bring 43 years of Southeastern Pennsylvania experience to every project. Explore the towns and communities we serve below, or visit our service areas page for the full coverage map.

Montgomery County
Bucks County
Chester County
Delaware County
Lehigh County
Berks County
Philadelphia County
Blue Tree Outdoor Living service area map covering Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Berks, and Philadelphia Counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania

Common Questions

A standard paver patio ranges from $15,000 to $40,000 depending on size, material, and site conditions.
Premium patios with outdoor kitchens, fire features, retaining walls, and integrated seating run $40,000 to
$100,000 or more. Material selection is the largest cost variable. Manufactured pavers, natural stone, and
premium finishes occupy different price tiers. Blue Tree Outdoor Living provides free on-site consultations with transparent,
itemized estimates.

A standard patio or walkway project takes 2 to 4 weeks from excavation through completion. Full outdoor living
spaces with outdoor kitchens, fire features, and retaining walls take 6 to 12 weeks. Timeline depends on project
scope, weather, permitting requirements (retaining walls over certain heights, structures with gas or electrical,
impervious surface compliance), and whether the project includes landscape integration.

Hardscape refers to the non-living structural elements of your outdoor space: patios, walkways, retaining walls,
outdoor kitchens, fire pits, driveways, and pergolas. Landscape refers to the living and organic elements: plants,
trees, lawn, garden beds, and soil. The two disciplines work together. Hardscape defines the structure and
layout. Landscape provides the texture, color, and seasonal character. Blue Tree Outdoor Living designs both as one integrated
plan.

Blue Tree Outdoor Living works with manufactured pavers, natural stone (flagstone, bluestone, limestone, granite), and
premium materials selected for your property's conditions, aesthetic, and budget. Our 30-year supplier
relationships give us access to material quality and warranty coverage that newer contractors lack. Your
designer presents material samples with transparent cost-benefit analysis.

It depends on the township and the scope. Retaining walls above a certain height (varies by municipality)
require engineering and permits. Outdoor kitchens with gas lines or electrical require permits. Projects that
push the property's total impervious surface coverage over the township threshold require compliance. Blue
Tree calculates impervious coverage during the design phase and handles all permitting.

Blue Tree Outdoor Living provides a 2-year workmanship warranty on all hardscape installations: patios, walkways, retaining
walls, outdoor kitchens, and fire features. The warranty covers installation quality. If an issue arises, Blue Tree
writes a work order and schedules the repair.

With proper installation, yes. Blue Tree Outdoor Living's ICPI-certified installation process includes engineered base
preparation, proper compaction, and drainage design that accounts for Southeastern PA's freeze-thaw cycles.
Clay soils retain moisture that can cause movement in pavers installed without proper base preparation. Blue
Tree excavates to the correct depth, uses aggregate base at the specified thickness, and compacts in lifts to
prevent settlement.

Retaining walls are designed for slopes. Blue Tree Outdoor Living builds three types: manufactured block walls (fast, cost-effective, engineered for structural loads), boulder walls (natural stone, quicker installation for moderate grade
changes), and veneer walls (premium aesthetic over cinder block core). Wall selection depends on the height,
the load, the aesthetic, and the budget. Your designer recommends the right approach for your specific grade
conditions

Yes. Blue Tree Outdoor Living designs landscape and hardscape as one integrated plan. The planting beds that frame your
patio, the trees that shade your outdoor kitchen, and the ground cover between your walkway and lawn are
planned alongside the hardscape, not added after the fact by a different contractor. Landscape Design and Installation

Hardscaping can be built nearly year-round in Southeastern PA. Spring and fall are the busiest seasons, so booking a design consultation in winter or early spring secures your place before the peak build months. Excavation and base work proceed in any season the ground is workable, and severe frost or saturated soil are the main delay factors.

A retaining wall holds back soil to create level, usable space on a sloped property. It also manages grade changes and controls the runoff and erosion that would otherwise wear a yard down over time. Blue Tree Outdoor Living builds structural retaining walls in manufactured block or natural stone, sized for the load and the grade, with drainage built in behind the wall so water moves through instead of building up.

Request a free on-site consultation. A designer visits your property, assesses conditions (grade, drainage, soil, existing structures), discusses your vision, and provides a transparent estimate. No obligation. Request a Free Consultation

Blue Tree Outdoor Living's Hardscape Warranty: Every Component Covered

Blue Tree Outdoor Living stands behind every hardscape project with the most comprehensive warranty coverage in the region. We publish our terms because we believe homeowners deserve to know what they are getting before they sign.

Hardscape (workmanship)

2 years

Low voltage lighting

2 years

Fencing

2 years

Decking

1 year

Landscaping (plant material)

1-year, one-time replacement

Your Hardscape is Part of Something Bigger

A patio, wall, or outdoor kitchen never stands on its own. The grade beneath your pavers, the beds that frame them, the turf that meets the edge, the pool the deck wraps around, and the care that keeps it all intact are one connected system. Blue Tree Outdoor Living designs the hardscape alongside the rest of your property, and the same company coordinates every crew, so the pieces fit together instead of working against each other.
Pools →
The deck and patio around a pool are hardscape. Blue Tree Outdoor Living builds the pool and the stonework that frames it as one project, so the grade lines up and the finish carries straight from the water to the surround.
Landscapes →
The planting beds and trees that frame a patio are designed alongside the stonework, not added later by a separate contractor, so the greenery softens the hardscape instead of crowding it.
Healthy Yards →
The turf that meets your patio edge holds the grade and keeps the stone clean. The Healthy Yards program keeps that lawn dense and the transition sharp, season after season.
Premier Outdoor Services →
Pavers settle and joints wash out over time. Premier Outdoor Services keeps the hardscape maintained and the joints tight, by the same team that built it.
Chad Ochnich, Vice President of Blue Tree Outdoor Living
Chad Ochnich
Vice PresidentICPI-CertifiedWith Blue Tree since 1995

Chad joined Blue Tree in 1995 and leads the hardscape division. ICPI-certified, he oversees every patio, wall, and walkway for proper base, drainage, and lasting structure.

Designed by the Blue Tree hardscape team
Steve Roehm, Designer at Blue Tree Outdoor Living
Steve Roehm
Designer
John Mattiola, Designer at Blue Tree Outdoor Living
John Mattiola
Designer

Ready to Start?

Whether you're dreaming of a resort-style pool, a patio built for gathering, or a landscape that finally feels like you, let's talk.
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Blue Tree Outdoor Living
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