The Transformation
See It Before and After
Drag the slider to see this yard before Aaron's crew started, and after the rain garden and path were complete.
Before
After
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Custom patios and walkways that connect your home to your garden with materials that age beautifully and stand up to Michigan winters without a second thought.
Request a ConsultationDrag the slider to see this yard before Aaron's crew started, and after the rain garden and path were complete.
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A well-designed patio or walkway does more than look good - it gives you a reason to actually be in your yard. The right surface material, the right scale, the right connection to the house and garden: these decisions determine whether your outdoor space becomes a place you use or a place you look at from inside. Aaron has been building patios and walkways across Ann Arbor since 2008, and he's learned what works and what doesn't in this climate.
Michigan winters demand that hardscape be built properly from the beginning - with adequate compacted base material, the right drainage slope, and materials that handle freeze-thaw cycles without cracking or shifting. A patio that's installed on a thin base over clay soil looks fine in year one and becomes a tripping hazard by year three. Aaron builds to a higher standard because replacing work that fails is never something he wants to do.
Whether you want a simple flagstone path through the garden, a full entertaining patio off the back door, or a front walkway that makes a welcoming first impression, Aaron will design something that fits how you live and install it to last.
Start a ConversationWe take this work on across Washtenaw County. See what we build in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, or get in touch about your own property.
Common Questions
Almost always the base, not the surface. Our freeze-thaw cycles and clay subsoil are brutal on anything laid on inadequate aggregate. A properly excavated and compacted base with the right depth is what separates a patio that's flat in fifteen years from one that's rippling in three.
Pavers are consistent, faster to install, and easier to repair. You lift one and replace it. Natural stone is more expensive, less uniform, and looks better as it weathers. There's no universally right answer; it depends on the house, the budget and how much irregularity you actually like.
A ground-level patio usually doesn't, but impervious surface coverage, setbacks and stormwater rules vary by municipality and by lot, and historic districts have their own requirements. We check what applies to your specific property before we design around it.
Every patio gets a deliberate slope away from the house, typically about a quarter inch per foot. On heavy clay sites we often add subsurface drainage so water has somewhere to go instead of sitting under the base. Given how much clay there is around Ann Arbor, this is not an optional detail.
A well-built patio or walkway changes how you live in your home. Let Aaron design and build one that lasts.
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