Six homeowner workshops, two trade workshops. Each one is one to one-and-a-half hours, small enough that you can ask the question you actually came to ask. We don't run a workshop unless we can teach something useful — so dates are scheduled when there's demand, or run privately for a group of six or more.
What an Arizona Pool Actually Costs
We walk through three real AE pool builds at different price points — small plunge, mid-size family pool, and full resort backyard — line item by line item. Steel, gunite, plaster, equipment, coping, deck, fence, electrical, permits, sales tax. No averages. Real numbers.
You'll leave with
- ·How a pool quote is actually structured
- ·Where allowances hide cost overruns
- ·What 'starting at' means on competitor ads
- ·Where you can save without regretting it in year three
How to Read a Pool & Backyard Contract
Bring any contractor's bid — yours, a neighbor's, one you found online. We read it together and decode payment schedule, change order language, exclusions, warranty exceptions, and the four lines that protect (or expose) you most. Includes a take-home contract review checklist.
You'll leave with
- ·Red-flag clauses in pool and landscape contracts
- ·What a fair payment schedule looks like in Arizona
- ·How to read 'exclusions' and 'allowances'
- ·ROC complaint rights and licensing verification
Drainage, Dust, and Shade in the Valley
Three Phoenix-specific things every backyard has to solve. We cover monsoon runoff and pad design, dust mitigation for the four months it doesn't rain, and where shade actually goes (it's not where most homeowners think). Includes site-walk checklist.
You'll leave with
- ·How to grade a backyard for monsoon flow
- ·Material choices that don't kick up dust
- ·Sun-angle worksheet for your specific lot
- ·Where pergolas, ramadas, and trees actually earn their cost
Front Yard, Driveway & Curb Appeal
Everyone obsesses about the backyard, then forgets the half of the lot guests actually see. We cover desert-appropriate front yard design, driveway material choices (real interlock vs stamped concrete vs ribbon driveways), low-water plant pairings, and lighting that survives Phoenix UV.
You'll leave with
- ·Driveway material comparison with real cost ranges
- ·Desert plant palettes that survive HOA review
- ·Path lighting that lasts 10+ years in AZ sun
- ·What HOA submission packages actually need
Year-One Aftercare: Pool, Pavers, Turf, Glass
What to do (and not do) in the first 12 months of a new backyard. We cover plaster start-up, polymeric sand re-setting on pavers, turf brush-up schedules, glass fence cleaning, lighting transformer adjustments, and which warranty calls are normal vs which mean something's wrong.
You'll leave with
- ·Month-by-month aftercare calendar
- ·Pool start-up chemistry without overbuying chemicals
- ·Paver and turf maintenance that takes 20 min/quarter
- ·Warranty walk-through checklist
Permits, HOAs & the Approval Timeline
The unsexy stuff that adds or removes weeks from your build. We map Maricopa County and city-by-city permit processes (Peoria, Glendale, Surprise, Scottsdale, Phoenix), HOA submission packages, and the order operations that gets you in the ground fastest.
You'll leave with
- ·Realistic permit timelines by city
- ·How HOA architectural committees actually decide
- ·Documents to gather before you sign a contract
- ·What can be built without a permit (and what can't)
60 min · Group (Realtors only)
Realtor Listing Prep: Backyards That Sell
For Realtors prepping a listing where the backyard is the differentiator — or where it's hurting the price. What to invest in vs. what to deprioritize, what photographs well at golden hour, and which AE projects we can turn pre-listing on a 2–6 week clock.
You'll leave with
- ·Pre-listing backyard ROI cheat sheet
- ·Lighting and staging plays under $5k
- ·When to recommend turf, pavers, or a refresh
- ·AE pre-listing scope ranges and timelines
90 min · Quarterly, by invitation
Designer & Architect Material Preview
Quarterly preview for designers, architects, and custom builders. New material releases from Belgard, Pentair, Sonoran Glass & Fence, AE LEDs. Project case studies on integrated indoor/outdoor builds. Co-presentation guidance for client meetings.
You'll leave with
- ·Material samples to take back to your studio
- ·Spec sheets and CAD/Revit blocks where available
- ·Project case studies for your portfolio
- ·Direct line to AE designers for collaboration
All workshops are free to attend. Privately requested sessions for HOAs, Realtor offices, builder groups, or design studios are also free — we'll travel within 45 miles of Peoria for groups of six or more.
