Education
AE Academy
Learn how to plan an Arizona outdoor project before you hire anyone — including AE.
Core lessons are free and open. You don't need to give us your email to use the core material. Guides and tools open directly from the paths below.
Choose a contractor with fewer blind spots
Work through these six steps in order before signing. Start with one plan, check who you are hiring, then compare what each proposal includes and what still needs a written answer.
Guided paths
Each path stitches together existing AE guides, standards, and tools — we don't duplicate the library, we sequence it.
Planning a complete backyard
Goals, zones, sun and shade, and how the pieces fit together before you talk to anyone.
Planning a pool and surrounding yard
Pool decisions are 60% yard decisions. Plan them together.
Planning a landscape or hardscape project
Pavers, turf, plants, drainage, and lighting — what to decide first.
Permits and HOA responsibilities
What requires a permit, what the HOA controls, and who is responsible for what.
Preparing for construction
Access, utilities, neighbors, schedule reality, and how to stay sane during the build.
Caring for the finished outdoor space
Seasonal care, warranty hygiene, and when to call for service.
How the Academy works
The paths sequence existing guides, checklists, planning tools, and calculators. Resources open directly, and no email is required to use the core material. Choose the path that fits your project and use its resources to prepare questions and decisions before hiring.
Project-ready planning checklist
Use the checklist below to organize your goals, site information, and questions before comparing proposals. These planning topics are useful with any contractor, not just AE.
- Goals and household use
- Feature priorities and trade-offs
- Investment preparation
- Timing and decision-maker readiness
- Site access and staging
- Utilities (gas, electrical, water, sewer)
- HOA submittal requirements
- Existing plans, surveys, and as-builts
- Materials and finishes shortlist
- Maintenance preferences
- Contractor-comparison question bank
Keep your notes and supporting documents together as you work through these planning topics.
AE Open-Book Scope Standard
The same eleven-section framework AE uses internally to define a complete project scope. Use it as a yardstick on any outdoor-living proposal you receive.
- 01Goals and use
- 02Site conditions
- 03Layout and circulation
- 04Drainage
- 05Utilities
- 06Materials and specifications
- 07Engineering, permits, and HOA responsibilities
- 08Scope inclusions and exclusions
- 09Payment and change process
- 10Quality control
- 11Handoff, warranty, and care
Completion marker
After working through the core paths, you can use this statement as a personal planning milestone:
Completed the AE Outdoor Living Project-Planning Academy.
This personal completion marker is for homeowner planning use only. It is not a professional certification, not licensed training, not a contractor certification, and not a code certification.