Hardscape & Patios

The foundation of your outdoor living space

A patio is the most-used feature in any backyard — and only as good as what’s underneath it. The surface is the last step; what makes it last 20 years instead of 5 is the base: proper excavation, compacted gravel, and the correct drainage slope. Ryan builds patios with no shortcuts on the prep you’ll never see.

Patio materials we install

Poured concrete

The most versatile, cost-effective option — broomed, stamped, or smooth, integrally colored or stained. With proper base prep and strategic control joints, it lasts decades.

Interlocking pavers

A modular surface that handles movement better than slab concrete — a settled section lifts and re-levels without tearing out the patio. Herringbone, running bond, and basketweave patterns, edge-restrained against shifting.

Natural flagstone

An organic, high-end look that blends with Altadena’s foothill landscape. Dry-laid on compacted gravel or mortar-set on a slab, in warm tans through blue-grays.

Decomposed granite

Budget-friendly and permeable, installed with stabilizer for a firmer surface — ideal for casual seating areas and garden paths.

What goes under your patio

The part most contractors rush: excavation to the correct depth with a compacted subgrade, 4–6” of crushed gravel compacted in 2” lifts, a minimum 1/4-inch-per-foot slope away from the house (with a channel drain where needed), and staked edge restraint so pavers don’t migrate.

Patio design for Altadena properties

Many Altadena yards slope, so a patio often pairs with a retaining wall — Ryan builds them as one integrated project so drainage and grading work together. He sizes the patio to your actual use (grill, table, afternoon shade), meets the door threshold cleanly, and combines materials — pavers, DG, flagstone — so transitions look cohesive, not bumped together.