How AE Outdoor Living runs a project — from first call to 30-day follow-up.

Phase 1 — Discovery (Week 1)

• On-site visit with you, in person, walking the actual space
• Lifestyle conversation: how do you use the yard now, how do you want to use it
• Scope alignment: what's in, what's out, what's a phase-two
• Budget reality-check with honest range — not 'call for pricing'
• Decision: AE proposes scope and design fee, you decide whether to proceed

Phase 2 — Design (Weeks 2–6)

• Site analysis: sun mapping, drainage walk, soil check, sight lines, easements
• Conceptual drawings reviewed in person at our showroom or virtually
• Material samples in your hand before final spec
• Line-item bid you can compare apples-to-apples with other contractors
• Engineering coordination if structural elements are involved
• Design fee credited toward install if you build with AE

Phase 3 — Permit & HOA (Weeks 4–18)

Permitting and engineering can't be rushed and we won't pretend otherwise. The city, the county, and your engineer of record are not on your construction calendar. A real submittal package — site plan, stamped structural drawings, drainage, electrical load, gas line routing, pool shell calcs, setback and easement verification, HOA-approved elevations — has to be complete before it goes in. Incomplete submittals don't get 'reviewed with notes'; they get rejected, and a rejection costs more time than slowing down once to do it right. We share realistic timelines at signing, not best-case ones, so you can plan your life around an honest schedule.

• Every detail finalized before submittal — design, materials, footprint, HOA approval, plat/survey on file
• Engineer of record stamps drawings (1–3 weeks of real calculation, not a same-day favor)
• City permit submitted to your AHJ (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Peoria, etc.)
• HOA ARC packet submitted in parallel (Verrado, DC Ranch, Eastmark, etc.) — boards often only meet monthly
• Plan-check corrections handled by AE — you don't talk to the city or HOA
• Plat pull and easement verification
• Honest timeline at signing — including the rounds of corrections most pool plans take

Phase 4 — Pre-construction (Week before mobilization)

• Schedule lock — you know what's happening which week
• Dedicated project manager assigned (your single point of contact)
• Neighbor notification (we knock on doors — not your job)
• Utility marking (Arizona 811)
• Materials staged or scheduled for delivery
• Job-site safety setup, dust control, debris management plan

Phase 5 — Construction (varies by scope)

• Sequenced trades supervised by the AE project manager
• Weekly written client update with photos, progress, next steps, issues
• Same-day response on safety or scope questions
• Inspections coordinated and attended by AE
• Any change order documented in writing within 48 hours of discovery
• Final pre-handoff walk-through scheduled 5–7 days before substantial completion

Phase 6 — Handoff and 30-day follow-up

• Written walk-through with PM and lead foreman
• Full system orientation: pool equipment, automation, irrigation, lighting
• Warranty packet: all manufacturer documents + AE warranty terms
• Care guides for every system installed (linked to AE's online care library)
• As-built drawings
• All permit and HOA closeout documents
• 30-day follow-up visit scheduled at handoff
• Year-one warranty walk and tune-up included

Phase 7 — AE Outdoor Guardian aftercare (free for 90 days)

• Every AE customer gets 90 days free on any Outdoor Guardian plan — no card required if you cancel before day 91
• Digital Command Center: warranties, manuals, equipment models & serial numbers, photos, and as-builts in one secure place
• Seasonal maintenance reminders across pool, irrigation, lighting, hardscape, and glass
• Member service request portal with priority intake while active
• 10% off eligible AE services for active members
• Cancel anytime — AE customers keep read-only access to property, warranties, documents, and photos for life
• Continue on a paid plan ($19, $49, or $99/mo) for ongoing monthly reviews, expert eyes, and full features

Typical end-to-end timelines (Phoenix metro 2026)

• Paver patio or driveway: 4–8 weeks total
• Full backyard remodel (no pool): 8–16 weeks
• New pool with deck and equipment: 16–28 weeks
• Full property remodel (pool + landscape + hardscape): 20–40 weeks
• Commercial pool projects: 6–14 months

Who manages your project

Every project gets a dedicated project manager — your single point of contact from contract through 30-day follow-up. The PM coordinates all trades (in-house AE crews plus our long-term licensed AZ ROC partners), runs the weekly update, attends inspections, and handles any change orders in writing. You're not chasing a different person each phase.

What we won't do

• Start construction without a permit in hand
• Begin without HOA written approval where required
• Submit an incomplete permit package to look fast — rejections cost more time than doing it right
• Pressure an engineer to stamp drawings before the calcs are actually done
• Promise a permit timeline the city or county hasn't given us
• Take verbal change orders that aren't documented
• Sub out work to crews we haven't vetted
• Disappear after handoff

Design & scope — what we confirm before pricing and scheduling

Before final engineering, pricing, and scheduling can be locked, we confirm the details that actually drive them. Skipping this step is where 'we'll figure it out later' turns into change orders and delays.

• Dimensions of every zone the project touches (pool, deck, patio, driveway, walls, planters)
• Features included and excluded (spa, water/fire, kitchen, shade, lighting, drainage, turf, glass)
• Access route and staging — gate widths, side yards, overhead clearances, neighbor coordination
• Material selections that affect engineering (paver thickness, coping, decking, shell interior, equipment)
• Utilities identified — electrical service, gas line, water, sewer/septic, low-voltage runs, Arizona 811 marks
• Drainage and grading — where water goes in a monsoon, not just on a normal day
• Property conditions — existing concrete, structures, walls, trees, and anything hidden that has to be addressed

Engineering, HOA and municipal permitting — three separate reviews

Engineering, HOA architectural review, and city/county permitting are three independent calendars run by outside agencies. AE prepares and submits complete packages, tracks each queue, and handles corrections — but we cannot guarantee an approval date any of them will hand back.

• Engineering — a licensed PE stamps structural, drainage, gas, electrical, or pool-shell calcs (typically 1–3 weeks, longer if scope changes trigger revisions)
• HOA architectural review — community boards approve visible design against CC&Rs (typically 30–45 days; longer if the board meets monthly)
• Municipal / county permitting — the AHJ plan reviewer checks code compliance across every discipline before releasing a permit (first-review windows vary by jurisdiction; expect one or more rounds of corrections on complex plans)
• AE tracks all three in parallel so nothing sits — but the calendars belong to them, not us

Preconstruction readiness — what has to be true before crews mobilize

The working schedule begins only after the project is ready to build. This is the readiness list we walk through with every client — missing one item is usually why a start date shifts.

• Permit released and HOA approval documented where required
• Final material selections locked, especially anything that drives engineering or long-lead orders
• Signed agreement, approved plans, and any required payments per the signed schedule are received
• Utility identification complete (Arizona 811 marks on the ground; private-utility locates where needed)
• Equipment and crew access confirmed — gate openings, side-yard clearance, overhead lines, staging area
• Any required wall, gate, or property preparation completed — including customer-side items called out in the agreement
• Existing concrete, decking, structures, or landscape scheduled for removal or already demoed
• Any change orders since signing are approved in writing before mobilization

Construction — 'time before excavation' vs 'active construction time'

Every project schedule has two very different clocks. Separating them makes the timeline honest.

• Time before excavation or mobilization — design finalization, engineering, HOA, permitting, and readiness. This is largely controlled by outside agencies, selections, and site prep — not by field crews.
• Estimated active construction time — the sequenced trade work on your property once mobilization begins. This is what AE crews and partners control day-to-day.
• Both clocks are estimates; both can move as conditions and outside decisions change
• Your project-specific schedule (not website ranges) is the reference during the build

Possible delays — the honest list

Every construction project hits at least one surprise. Communicating them early is part of the job. Common causes we call out plainly:

• Inspection availability — the AHJ, not AE, schedules the inspector
• Engineering revisions when field conditions differ from assumptions
• Concealed site conditions once excavation opens the ground (soil, buried debris, old utilities, caliche)
• Utility conflicts — relocations or corrections after 811 marks
• Customer-requested changes to scope, materials, or layout
• Material or equipment availability (backorders, allocation, freight)
• Subcontractor sequencing — specialty trades scheduled around inspections and other jobs
• Weather — monsoons, microbursts, extreme heat, dust events, and other acts of Mother Nature
• Safety issues or required corrective work identified in the field or at inspection

Scope and price changes — how additions and reductions really work

Adjusting scope is normal. What people don't always expect is how price responds — because design, engineering, permitting, mobilization, equipment, and other fixed costs remain even when a dimension or item shrinks.

• Removing one item or trimming one dimension does not automatically create a dollar-for-dollar reduction — fixed project costs may not change
• Additions include their own labor, materials, engineering, and any inspection or permit impacts
• Substitutions can move price in either direction — we quote the delta transparently
• Every addition, credit, or substitution is captured in an approved written change order before the work moves
• Change orders reference your existing signed agreement — they do not create new contractual terms

Communication — assigned contact, cadence set at kickoff

Every AE project has an assigned point of contact. The communication cadence — how often you hear from us, in what format, and who to reach for what — is set during kickoff and matched to your project's scope and pace. We commit to responsive, written communication and Jobber-based scheduling for every visit; we don't promise that a specific employee or a specific weekday update applies to every project.

Controlling documents — what actually governs your project

Website content is planning guidance to help you understand outdoor living work before you commit. The signed agreement, approved plans, written change orders, and your project-specific schedule control scope, price, payment schedule, warranty, responsibilities, and dates. If anything on the website ever appears to conflict with your signed documents, your signed documents win.