$100,000–$150,000 · 7 weeks
Hill Country terrace, Boerne
A backyard that fell 14 feet from the house, turned into two limestone terraces with a flagstone patio, a cedar pergola and native planting.
Canyon Lake · North shore · 2023
Terraced lake hillside, Canyon Lake
A 30% slope down to a lake view, stabilized with three low limestone terraces, 38 lit steps and a composite deck with cable rail.
Hillside with a bare, eroded face above scrub before terracing, Canyon Lake 
During construction: Hillside with a bare, eroded face above scrub before terracing, Canyon LakeDeck with wood railing above the lake at sunset, Canyon Lake 
Finished: Deck with wood railing above the lake at sunset, Canyon LakePath lights along a curving brick walk at night, Canyon Lake 
Detail: Path lights along a curving brick walk at night, Canyon LakeLow stone wall across native grassland, Canyon Lake 
Detail: Low stone wall across native grassland, Canyon Lake
The brief
What the clients needed
Gail R.'s weekend house on Canyon Lake's north shore sat at the top of a 30% slope. Gullies had cut through the thin soil to bare limestone, roots of an old live oak were exposed, and the only way down was a goat path. The view of the lake from the house was blocked by the deck rail of a rotted 1990s deck.
She wanted a safe way down at night, a deck that opened the view, and a slope that stopped washing into the lake. A septic drain field sat across a third of the slope and couldn't be built on.
What we built
Danny Ochoa ran the job. The old deck came down and a 420-square-foot capped composite deck replaced it, with cable railing to keep the view open and footings pinned into rock. Below it, three terraces with limestone walls under 3 feet break the slope into steps, routed around the septic field after we mapped it.
A walkway of 38 solid limestone block steps with landings every 8 steps leads to the water, lit with 22 path and step lights. Disturbed ground was covered in coir erosion blanket and seeded with sideoats grama and little bluestem the same week. Silt fence stayed up until the grasses rooted.
Materials
Materials and specs
| Deck | 420 sq ft capped composite, pressure-treated framing, footings pinned to rock, cable rail |
|---|---|
| Terraces | Three limestone walls, 2 ft 6 in to 2 ft 10 in, 164 ft total |
| Steps | 38 solid limestone block steps, 6 in risers, 15 in treads, 4 landings |
| Lighting | 22 brass path and step lights on a 300 W transformer |
| Erosion control | Coir blanket, native seed mix, silt fence, 9 rock check dams |
Timeline
8-week build
- Design, septic mapping and permit5 weeks
- Deck demolition and new deckWeeks 1–3
- Terraces and gradingWeeks 3–6
- Steps and lightingWeeks 6–8
- Seeding and blanketWeek 8
What the client said
“I can walk to the dock at 10 at night with a glass of wine and not think about it. The slope held through two big storms the first spring.”
Services used
Services on this project
Portfolio
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