OUTDOOR LIVING · FORT WORTH & NORTH DFW

Building Outdoor Living in Phases: Where to Start

Straight answers on outdoor living from the team behind 500+ North Texas projects — with a fixed price and a firm schedule before work begins.

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THE SHORT VERSION

Build in this order: hardscape and drainage first, then the covered structure, then utilities roughed in, then the kitchen and fireplace, then screens and finishes. Phasing outdoor living works far better than phasing a kitchen — as long as the utilities are roughed in during the concrete and framing stages.

The phase order that works

Phase	What	Typical Cost
1	Slab, hardscape, drainage, footings	$8,000–$25,000
2	Covered structure or pergola	$8,000–$40,000
3	Utility rough-in (gas, water, drain, electrical)	$3,000–$10,000
4	Outdoor kitchen	$10,000–$30,000
5	Fireplace or fire feature	$3,000–$25,000
6	Screens, lighting, finishes	$3,000–$18,000

Why outdoor living phases better than a kitchen

Indoors, phases interfere with each other — new countertops come off when the cabinets are replaced, flooring gets cut when a wall moves. Outdoors, the elements are more genuinely separable. A covered patio built well does not have to be disturbed to add an outdoor kitchen under it three years later.

The one condition is rough-in. If gas, water, drain, and electrical are stubbed to the right locations during phase one and three, everything after that is straightforward. If they are not, adding a kitchen later means cutting the slab you just poured.

Phase 1 is the one you cannot redo cheaply

Slab, footings, and drainage. Get these right and everything else layers on top; get them wrong and every later phase inherits the problem.

Specifically: size the slab for the final plan, not the current phase. Set the footings for the structure you intend to build even if you are not building it yet. Solve drainage so water moves away from the house and off the patio — a patio that ponds after a spring storm is a permanent annoyance. And stub the utilities.

That last point is worth repeating. Running conduit, a gas line, a water line, and a drain to where the future kitchen will sit costs relatively little while the concrete is open. Doing it afterward means cutting and re-pouring.

Phase 2: the structure, sized for the whole plan

Build the cover for the full eventual footprint rather than the part you can afford to furnish. Extending a roof later means matching materials, re-flashing the tie-in, and adding footings — and the seam usually shows.

Size it for what goes under it eventually: a kitchen needs ventilation clearance, a dining table needs more depth than a seating group, and a west exposure needs depth for shade.

What to defer without regret

Outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, screens, premium furniture, landscape lighting, and audio all add later without disturbing what came before — provided the rough-in exists. Those are the honest deferrals.

What not to defer: drainage, footing size, slab dimensions, structural capacity, and utility stubs. Everything invisible and everything structural belongs in phase one, because that is the phase you cannot revisit cheaply.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I build first in a backyard project?

The slab, footings, and drainage, sized for the final plan rather than the current phase — and with gas, water, drain, and electrical stubbed to where future elements will sit. That groundwork is what makes later phases cheap.

Is it more expensive to build outdoor living in phases?

Somewhat, because of repeated mobilization, but far less than phasing an interior remodel. Outdoor elements are genuinely separable as long as the utility rough-in was done during the concrete stage.

Can you add an outdoor kitchen to an existing patio later?

Yes, if gas, water, drain, and electrical can reach the location. If they were not stubbed during the original slab work, it means cutting and re-pouring concrete, which is the main cost of adding one late.

Should I build the patio cover bigger than I need now?

Yes. Extending a roof later means matching materials, re-flashing the tie-in, and adding footings, and the seam usually shows. Building the full footprint once is cheaper and looks better.

What is the biggest phasing mistake outdoors?

Pouring a slab and building a cover without stubbing utilities. Everything after that becomes concrete work, which turns an affordable addition into a demolition project.

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