BigDecks Design Assist
A pool tucked into the garden. A table under the trees. Warm wood beneath your feet. Let’s design the backyard you want to spend your life in.
Outdoor design & build · Austin + Central Texas
You don’t need to arrive with a drawing. Start with the things you want more of: dinner outside, a quiet place to swim, room for friends, a little privacy.
We bring those ideas into one design. The deck, pool, stone, planting and practical details are considered together. Then BigDecks can build it.
01 / Stay a little longer
Generous boards. An easy step from the house. A place for a long table, a deep chair, or nothing at all. We work through scale, shade and the way you move through the space.
Explore real-wood decks ↗
02 / Make a daily ritual
Custom gunite, a small concrete tank, or a Plungie pool. A sauna and a place to rinse. We design the water, privacy, equipment access and surrounding space together.
Explore pools & their setting ↗
03 / Let the garden in
Warm limestone or cobbles. Soft planting against a clean edge. We consider the view from the house, the path across the yard and what each material feels like underfoot.
Explore the material palette ↗What you’re investing in
Design Assist turns a collection of ideas into a considered direction for your property. Your tier determines how far we take the design and the documents we prepare.
The design work can include the following. Your proposal confirms the included deliverables and level of detail.
Locate the main elements and their relationship to doors, trees, boundaries and one another. Work through circulation, seating and changes in level.
Understand proportions, sightlines and the way the pieces fit together before making the next decision. The number and type of views are set by your design scope.
Compare wood species and board profiles, stone, metal, pool finishes and planting direction. Choose a few materials that work well together.
Resolve the relationship between a deck and pool, steps and paths, privacy and views. Identify drainage, access and utility questions that need further coordination.
Develop the plans, elevations, selections and details included in your tier. Identify any additional survey, engineering or permit documentation needed for the project.
Use the design to discuss priorities, phasing and the scope to be priced. Construction is quoted separately once the design and site requirements are sufficiently defined.
A tier for the scale of the idea
Design Assist is paid and tiered. We match the tier to the area, complexity and amount of coordination involved. These examples help describe the scope; your proposal sets the package, fee, deliverables and revisions.
Focused scope
A defined deck, bathing area or another individual outdoor element.
Its location and proportions, materials, access and relationship to what’s already there.
“We want a generous deck outside the kitchen, with room to eat and a better way down to the garden.”
Connected spaces
Several outdoor elements that need to be designed as one space.
How the pool, deck, planting, paths and privacy work together, including the transitions between them.
“We want a plunge pool, somewhere to lounge and a garden that makes it feel like it has always been here.”
Whole-backyard scope
A coordinated direction for the wider property, with multiple uses and a larger set of decisions.
Overall layout, outdoor rooms, circulation, materials, planting direction and a sensible sequence for the work.
“Let’s rethink the yard: a pool, dining, shade, somewhere quiet, and a clear plan to bring it all together.”
A place for the everyday
From the first idea to the last board
Bring your priorities, site photographs, location and any survey or existing drawings. References help, but a finished brief isn’t required.
Choose the appropriate tier. Confirm the fee, scope, deliverables and revision allowance in writing before work begins.
Review the layout, views and materials with us. Refine the direction and identify any specialist requirements.
Review the separate construction scope and quote. Once approved, confirm the schedule and move into the build with BigDecks.
Before we begin
It is a paid, tiered service. The fee depends on the scope and complexity of the project and the agreed deliverables. We provide a written proposal before starting. Construction, equipment and specialist services are priced separately unless expressly included.
Your proposal lists the included plans, elevations, 3D views, material selections, details and revision allowance. Those deliverables vary by tier and project. We confirm what you’ll receive before you buy the service.
No. Tell us what is missing from the way you use your yard, what you like and what you want to spend time doing outside. We use that conversation to shape the design brief.
We can discuss a phased approach during design. The aim is to understand the whole space before committing to one part, then identify a practical sequence. Feasibility, scope and pricing are confirmed for your project.
Only when expressly included in your proposal. Design views are not automatically engineered or permit-ready construction documents. We identify the additional surveys, engineering, approvals or specialist work the project needs and confirm how they will be handled.
Yes, subject to the agreed licensing terms. Using a BigDecks design for a self-build or with another builder generally carries a separate design licensing fee. Tell us your intent at the start so the proposal can confirm permitted use, deliverables and any applicable fee.
Already have a design?
We review the drawings, specifications and site information for build readiness. If details are missing, we explain what’s needed to move toward a construction quote.
You don’t need to start over simply because someone else designed it.
Request a build review →Start with a conversation
Share your project location and an idea. John will review your details and follow up within one business day. We’ll arrange a site visit if your project needs one.
A few photographs, a wish list, an idea you keep coming back to. That’s enough to start the conversation.
For Austin and nearby Central Texas projects. Your location helps us confirm the next step.