The Plan First series — part two
- Why one plan comes before any bid
- What a complete outdoor design actually includes — you are here.
- How to compare bids once everyone has the same plan
Budget & Planning · Education
A rendering is not a plan. Here is what a buildable one covers.
Almost every homeowner who calls us has seen a pretty picture of their backyard. Far fewer have a document a crew could actually build from. The gap between those two things is where change orders, delays and mismatched bids come from. This is the checklist we use to judge whether a design is finished enough to price — regardless of who drew it.
The honest version: If two qualified contractors cannot build the same thing from your design without calling you with questions, it is not done yet. That is the whole test.
01
1. Layout and dimensions
- A scaled site plan showing property lines, the house footprint, setbacks and existing improvements that are staying.
- Dimensions on every hardscape area, structure, pool, wall and pathway — not just shapes.
- Clearances that get missed on sketches: gate swings, walkway widths, furniture space around a table, equipment access, and room to get machinery in and out.
- Anything being removed clearly identified as demolition rather than implied by its absence.
02
2. Elevations and grading
- Finished elevations for patios, decks, pool coping, thresholds and any raised areas.
- Step and wall locations with heights, because step count and retaining are where budgets move fastest.
- Cut and fill implications — whether soil is coming in, going out, or being balanced on site.
- How each finished surface meets the house, the existing slab and the property edge.
03
3. Drainage
- Where water goes, drawn — not described verbally on a site visit.
- Slope direction across each surface and the collection points, if any are needed.
- Discharge location, and whether it is legal and practical on your lot.
- Roof runoff and existing downspouts, which regularly get ignored until the first monsoon after completion.
- Any low spot that exists today and what the design does about it.
04
4. Utilities and everything underground
- Gas runs and their loads — a grill, fire feature, heater and future firepit are not one line.
- Electrical: circuits, panel capacity questions, subpanel needs, outlets and equipment locations.
- Low-voltage lighting and controls, including transformer location.
- Irrigation modifications and any sleeving under hardscape.
- Pool plumbing routes, equipment pad and how it is accessed and serviced.
- Known existing utilities on the property, which are located and verified in the field before anyone digs.
05
5. Materials, specified not implied
- Hardscape: manufacturer, series, size, color, pattern, and the base and joint treatment for the specific application.
- Turf: product, pile detail, infill type, and the base build for the intended use.
- Pool: interior finish, tile, coping and decking material with names and colors.
- Structures: material, span, finish and attachment method.
- Lighting: fixture types, quantities, mounting and control.
- Written allowances with dollar figures wherever a selection is genuinely still open, so every bidder carries the same money.
06
6. Structures and features
- Footprint, height, span, footing type and attachment for shade structures and pergolas.
- Outdoor kitchen layout with appliance list, utility needs, counter material and clearances.
- Fire and water features with fuel or plumbing routes and control method.
- Fencing and barriers with material, height and hardware — and, for anything around water, confirmation of the requirements that apply to your property.
- A note on anything that may require engineering or review, flagged at plan stage rather than discovered later.
07
7. Approvals, responsibilities and the boring pages
- What is likely to require permitting, engineering or inspection for this scope on this property — with the jurisdiction and approved documents controlling the final requirement.
- Who is responsible for submitting, paying for and scheduling each of those items, in writing.
- HOA submittal needs and insurer requirements, which are the homeowner's to confirm.
- Access, protection, staging and cleanup expectations.
- Warranty boundaries when more than one company is involved.
08
8. Sequence and phasing
- The build order, driven by dependencies: demolition, grading, underground, structural, hardscape, then finishes.
- If the project is phased: exactly what phase one includes, and what has to be roughed in during phase one to protect phase two.
- Which finished areas would have to be reopened for later work, so you can decide whether to pull that work forward.
- Realistic dependency notes rather than promised dates — schedules move with weather, approvals, materials and site conditions.
09
The two-minute audit of any design you have been handed
- Are there dimensions on the drawing, or only shapes?
- Can you point to where water goes?
- Are finished elevations and step counts shown?
- Are materials named by manufacturer and series, or described as “pavers” and “turf”?
- Is demolition explicitly listed?
- Are gas and electrical loads and routes accounted for?
- Does it say who handles approvals?
- If the answer to two or more of these is no, you are not ready to bid it yet.
FAQ
Common questions.
A rendering shows what a space could look like. A plan tells a crew where things go and how they get built: dimensions, finished elevations, drainage direction, material specifications, utility routing, structural details and the order of work. Renderings sell; plans build. Most projects need both, and a lot of homeowners only ever get the first one.
No. Match the depth of the plan to the size and complexity of the project. A patio extension needs dimensions, elevations, drainage and a material spec. A pool with structures, an outdoor kitchen, retaining and lighting needs considerably more. The test is simple: could two different contractors build the same thing from this document without calling you with questions?
That depends on the scope, the property, the jurisdiction and what the contract says. Requirements vary by city, project classification and existing conditions, and the authority having jurisdiction controls the final answer. Your design should identify what is likely to be required, and your contract should state in writing who submits, who pays and who schedules.
Sometimes. Height, soil, attachment, wind and location all factor in, and the requirement is set by the jurisdiction and the approved details for your property — not by a rule of thumb. The plan's job is to flag it early so it is priced and scheduled, rather than discovered after a crew is on site.
Detailed enough that two bidders cannot price two different products. Manufacturer, series, size, color and pattern for hardscape; product and pile or infill detail for turf; finish and color for pool surfaces; fixture types and counts for lighting. Where a decision is genuinely undecided, use a written allowance with a stated dollar figure so everybody carries the same money.
It shows what gets built now, what gets built later, and what has to be installed during phase one so phase two does not require tearing anything out — sleeves under hardscape, stubbed gas or electrical, drainage runs, footing locations and finished elevations that assume the future work.
Yes, and many homeowners do. Make sure the design deliverable is complete enough to build from and that someone with construction responsibility reviews it against real site conditions before it is priced. A beautiful plan that ignores a slope, a setback or where water actually goes creates change orders regardless of who drew it.
It varies with scope, site complexity, how quickly selections are made and how many revision rounds are used. What matters more than the calendar is that the plan is finished — not “finished except for elevations and drainage” — before it goes out for pricing.
Ready to talk to AE about your project?
Get a design that is finished enough to bid
AE plans the full outdoor envelope — dimensions, elevations, drainage, utilities, materials, structures and phasing — so the document you hand to bidders answers questions instead of raising them.
What to bring to the first conversation
- Any existing plan, rendering or sketch you already have
- Your plat or lot dimensions if available
- Photos of the space, including problem areas and drainage
- The feature list you want covered
- Your investment range and what has to happen first
What happens after you reach out
We reply within 1 business day
A real AE team member — not an auto-reply — reads your submission and responds by phone or email, usually same day during business hours.
Quick mutual-fit review
We confirm project type, location, rough budget range, and whether AE's process is the right fit before scheduling any site time.
Scope conversation before pricing
We understand the project first — no rushed generic quote. You get honest guidance on repair vs. rebuild, phasing, and what your investment range actually looks like.
You decide the next step
If it's a fit, we move into design, selections, and preconstruction. If it isn't, we tell you — and often point you toward the right resource anyway.
Two ways to start — pick whichever feels right
The intake form takes about 3 minutes and routes straight to the AE team. Prefer to talk first? Call the number below during business hours.
(623) 300-2589 support@aeoutdoorliving.comExisting client? Use the Client Care path for warranty or aftercare.
Have a design already? Bring it.
Send us what you have — a rendering, a napkin sketch, another company's drawing. We will tell you what is missing before it costs you money, and what it would take to make it buildable on your property.
Have My Design ReviewedYour home investment — protected
Why this is an investment, not a cost.
An AE backyard is engineered to add daily livability and long-term home value. We publish honest ranges and build to code with a licensed and bonded Arizona crew. AE provides project-specific workmanship and manufacturer-warranty information in the signed agreement. Website summaries are for planning only.
- Licensed, bonded & insured in Arizona. ROC 340966 (R-62) · ROC 341002 (R-3) · ROC 347738 (KA-5) · ROC 211530 (CR-21). Most Arizona contracting work valued at $1,000 or more — or requiring a permit — must be performed by a properly licensed contractor, subject to statutory exemptions. Verify the legal entity, license status, and classification with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
- Real ranges, itemized scope. You see materials, finishes, equipment models, and a line-item budget before you sign — not a one-line "pool — $90,000."