Everything you need to plan your outdoor living project.

DCM Outdoor's current lead time for project start runs 4–8 weeks depending on the season and current project load. Spring (March–May) books out earliest — projects planned in January and February get the best start dates. Fall (September–November) typically has more flexibility. DCM Outdoor will tell you the current realistic lead time during the initial consultation. We don't give optimistic estimates and disappoint — we give honest timelines.

DCM Outdoor's standard payment schedule is: a deposit at contract signing to secure the project start date and cover material orders, a progress payment at a defined construction milestone, and a final payment at project completion. The specific amounts and milestones are documented in the contract. DCM Outdoor does not request full payment upfront and does not request final payment before work is complete and the client has signed off on the quality walkthrough.

DCM Outdoor handles all required permits as a standard part of every project scope — gas, electrical, building, structural. The homeowner does not need to file any permits or manage any inspector relationships. DCM Outdoor identifies all required permits during the proposal process, files them before work begins, and provides all permit documentation at project completion.

DCM Outdoor provides a full workmanship warranty on all installation work covering defects in workmanship for the warranty period specified in your contract. Workmanship issues — settling from inadequate base preparation, masonry cracks from improper construction, structural failures from incorrect installation — are DCM Outdoor's responsibility to fix. Material defects are covered by the manufacturer's warranty, which DCM Outdoor facilitates on your behalf. The warranty does not cover damage from misuse, Acts of God, or modifications made by others after DCM Outdoor's completion.

DCM Outdoor handles all HOA and ARB submissions as a standard component of every project in a governed community. Before any design work begins, we research your community's current design guidelines — not a general assumption about what's typically allowed. We prepare the complete submission package in the format your ARB requires, submit on your behalf, and manage the review process through to approval. DCM Outdoor does not begin construction until all required approvals are in hand. There is no additional fee for this service.

DCM Outdoor's standard is to communicate any discovery or problem to the client immediately — not at the end of the day, not at the next scheduled update. If a subsurface condition, material issue, or design conflict is discovered during construction that could affect the scope, cost, or timeline, you hear about it from DCM Outdoor before we make any decisions that affect your project. Any resulting scope change is handled through a written change order agreed to by both parties before additional work proceeds.