A pool that sits in the yard, not on it
Raised spa, travertine coping, glass tile at the waterline. The grade drop was the problem and became the design: the spa spills into the pool from the high side.
Loudoun and Fairfax County · Since 1994
The backyard you were promised.
Pools, patios and outdoor kitchens, designed in 3D and built by one crew. Projects from $80,000 to $600,000, finished on the week we said.
31years building in Northern Virginia
400+backyards designed and built
1crew from excavation to walkthrough
5 yrwarranty on every hardscape
What you are looking at
A sample site Zelipt built for outdoor design-build companies.
Merritt & Vale is fictional. This sample shows a design with project photos, service information and an inquiry form. Share your business link to request your own preview; we reply within 24 hours to discuss photos and timing.
Recent work
Every project is a story, not a thumbnail.
The brief, the problem in the yard, the decision that solved it. This is what a homeowner reads when a friend gives them our name at dinner.
A kitchen that gets used in February
Covered, wired, plumbed. Stone veneer island, granite top, built-in grill and a wood-fired oven. The roof came first, the rest followed.
Fire pit and seat wall
A curved seat wall of stacked stone around a natural stone pit. Fourteen people fit without anyone moving a chair.
Two levels, one screened porch
Composite decking with black metal rail, wide stairs down to a paver patio. The porch is the room this family lives in from April to October.
A front entrance that earns the drive
Tiered stone retaining wall, bluestone steps, boxwood and hydrangea. The old slope was mud after every storm. Now it is the photo they send to their friends.
A pavilion over the pool patio
Timber frame, stone fireplace, ceiling fan and lighting on one switch. Built so the pool season starts in April and ends in November.
Ready when you are
Walk your yard with the person who builds it.
Ninety minutes on site, real numbers, a date you can plan around. No salesperson in between.
What we build
One trade. Done completely.
Pools and spas
Gunite pools, raised spas, tanning ledges and the decks around them. We design the water and the stone together.
Patios and hardscape
Porcelain and concrete pavers, natural stone, seat walls, steps and retaining walls that hold for thirty years.
Outdoor kitchens and pavilions
Covered, wired and plumbed. Islands, grills, pizza ovens, fireplaces and the roof that makes them usable.
Lighting and planting
Path lights, uplit trees and the plantings that make a hardscape look like it grew there.
After dark
The yard should still be there at 9pm.
Lighting is designed with the stone, not added after. Path lights, uplit trees and one switch for all of it.
How a project runs
You will know the date before we break ground.
- 01
Walk the yard
Ninety minutes on site with the owner, not a salesperson. We measure, talk budget in real numbers and tell you what is possible.
Week 1 - 02
Design in 3D
You see the finished backyard before we order a single pallet. Two rounds of changes are included.
Weeks 2 to 4 - 03
One crew, start to finish
Our own crew does the excavation, the stone and the finish work. No subcontractor roulette, one person to call.
Weeks 5 to 16 - 04
Walkthrough and warranty
We walk every square foot with you before the final payment. Five years on hardscape, lifetime on the pavers.
Final week
Spring fills up by February.
We start about twenty projects a year. Book the site walk now and the crew is yours when the ground thaws.
From the owner
“We do not do the most backyards in the county. We do the ones people drive their friends past. If you want a patio in three weeks for the price of a used car, there are good companies for that. If you want the yard your house deserves, walk it with me.”
Start a project
Tell us about the yard.
We take on about twenty projects a year. The budget question is on the form so neither of us wastes a Saturday.
Prefer the phone? (571) 555-0142, weekdays 8 to 5.