Frequently
Asked Questions

We design with our local conditions first — heavy clay soil, long hot summers, and high humidity. That means choosing plants proven to thrive here, prepping beds so roots aren't stuck in tight clay, and mulching well to hold moisture and keep soil temperatures down. The goal is a yard that still looks good in August, not just in spring.

They will when they're the right plants, planted the right way. We lean on native and well-adapted, drought-tolerant selections and put each one where it'll do best for sun and drainage. We also loosen and amend tight clay at planting so roots can establish instead of drowning or baking.

A fence here has to stand up to shifting clay soil underfoot and hard sun and humidity overhead. We focus on solid post footings, quality materials rated for our weather, and gate hardware that won't sag after a few seasons. Built right, it stays straight and square for years.

Our clay swells when it's wet and shrinks when it's dry, which is what heaves and leans cheaply-set posts. We set posts deep with proper concrete footings so they're anchored below most of that movement, and we take care with spacing and bracing so the whole run stays solid.

We'll walk you through the trade-offs — typically treated pine for value and cedar for looks and natural weather resistance — and match it to your budget and how the fence will be used. We also recommend sealing where it makes sense to slow sun and moisture damage.

Humidity and sun are hard on a deck, so we build it to shed water and breathe — proper footings set for our clay, board spacing for airflow and drainage, and materials chosen to resist rot and warping. Then we finish it to hold up to Texas UV.

More often than most folks expect — our intense sun and humidity break down stain and sealant faster than in milder climates. We'll tell you what to watch for and roughly how often to re-seal so the deck keeps protecting itself and looking good.

We safely take down dead, damaged, or in-the-way trees, trim for health and storm safety, and haul off the debris so you're not left with a mess. Big mature trees and storm-dropped limbs are common around here, and we've got the gear to handle them.

Timing matters a lot with oaks here because of oak wilt. The Texas A&M Forest Service recommends avoiding pruning oaks from February through June, when the disease spreads most easily — so we plan oak work outside that window when we can and seal fresh cuts. For dead or hazardous limbs we'll still act when safety requires it.

Flagstone patios and walkways, river-rock borders, stacked-stone beds, and retaining walls. Stone gives you a durable, natural look that fits Texas yards and stands up to our weather.

Our expansive clay is rough on rigid slabs — concrete poured over moving soil tends to crack over time. Dry-laid flagstone and stone is more forgiving: the individual pieces ride the soil's movement instead of fighting it, so the surface ages gracefully. We do both, and we'll tell you honestly which fits your project.

Our clay soil doesn't absorb water quickly, and we swing from drought to heavy downpours — so water pools, runs off, and erodes instead of soaking in. Poor drainage shows up as soggy spots, dying plants, washed-out beds, and water sitting against the house.

It depends on where the water's going wrong, but common fixes are solid PVC drain lines, dry creek beds, regrading low spots, and extending downspouts to carry roof water away — solid pipe moves water cleanly and resists the silting and clogging a gravel French drain can develop over time. We look at how water actually moves across your yard and route it somewhere safe.

Yes — in clay country that's worth addressing. Water repeatedly soaking and then drying next to a foundation feeds the soil movement that can crack slabs and stress your home. Getting that water to drain away from the house is one of the most valuable things drainage work does here.