Service 05 · The Connective Tissue

The difference between
a pool install and a backyard.

Patios, pergolas, stone walls, planting beds, pathways, drainage, exterior lighting, waterfalls, and rock features. The connective tissue between the house, the pool, and the rest of the property — what separates "we put a pool in" from "we built the backyard."

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RutherfordMade pool with rock slide, waterfall, patio, planting beds, and landscape stonework

The Problem

A gorgeous pool in the middle of a patchy lawn still looks unfinished.

Pool looks stranded

A beautiful pool surrounded by grass and a half-broken concrete patio reads as incomplete. The eye goes to the patchy spots, not the water.

Drainage problems hidden for now

Every Georgia yard has drainage quirks. If the pool builder didn't think about runoff, you'll find out the first heavy rain.

Nothing works at night

The pool glows. Everything else is black. You're sitting in a lit bubble with the rest of the yard invisible.

Our Approach

Hardscape, planting, lighting — designed with the pool from day one.

We draw the full backyard at the design stage. Pool, patio surfaces, paths, pergolas, walls, plantings, low-voltage lighting, waterfalls, and rock features on one plan. Drainage engineered into the grade. Lighting circuits pulled with the pool. Planting beds prepped before the hardscape seals them off. Everything comes up together.

1

Full backyard site plan

Not just around the pool — the whole usable outdoor space. Paths, patios, pergolas, planting, lighting zones.

2

Drainage engineered in

Georgia clay and summer storms. Grade set to carry water away from the house and the pool. French drains where the site demands them.

3

Low-voltage lighting

Path lights, tree uplights, accent wall lights — on zones so you can set a scene. All pulled with the pool permit, no after-the-fact trenching.

4

Mature plantings selected

Trees and shrubs chosen for Georgia climate and the kind of maintenance you want — not whatever the nursery had on sale.

Honest Pricing · $20K–$80K typical

What does landscape & hardscape cost?

$20,000 – $80,000 typical

Pricing depends on size, finish, site conditions, and integrations. You get a real number during the design consultation — not after signing.

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FAQ

What homeowners ask about landscape & hardscape.

Do you do landscape and hardscape without a pool?

Yes, though most of our clients bundle it. Standalone hardscape + landscape projects usually run $30,000 to $100,000 depending on scope. Timeline is typically 3-6 weeks.

What kind of pavers and stone do you use?

Scott specifies based on the finish you want and the traffic load. Travertine, flagstone, and high-grade concrete pavers are the workhorses. We avoid the thin pavers that crack under sun + traffic within a few years.

Can you fix existing drainage problems?

Yes, and if we're building a pool, we have to — Georgia building code requires it and common sense demands it. The team reads the slope on the consultation and flags existing drainage issues.

What about the existing trees?

We work around mature trees wherever possible. Scott will flag any that have to come down during the consultation — usually for root conflict with the pool or hardscape — so there are no surprises.

How much does the lighting add?

Full backyard low-voltage lighting typically runs $4,000 to $12,000 depending on zone count and fixture type. It's one of the highest-impact-per-dollar upgrades — dramatically changes how the space feels at night.

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Let's talk about your backyard.

The RutherfordMade team walks the yard and shows you what's possible with landscape & hardscape — honestly, no sales pitch.