Boulder, Colorado • Outdoor living since 1995
Custom Patios & Outdoor Living in Boulder, CO
Paver, flagstone, and concrete patios, covered patios, pergolas, and outdoor kitchens designed for Boulder's sun, snow, and clay soils — built by a licensed GC who handles the whole project. Serving Boulder, Lafayette & Louisville since 1995.
Built for Boulder's backyard
Patios that survive Colorado, not just look good in the photos
Boulder gets roughly three hundred days of sun a year, which is exactly why a patio earns its keep here — and exactly why so many of them fail. High-altitude UV, heavy spring snow, freeze-thaw swings, and the expansive clay soils under most of the city will heave, crack, or tilt a patio that was laid on a few inches of fill. A pergola or patio cover set on shallow footings works loose the same way.
Prana Construction has been building outdoor spaces for Boulder homeowners since 1995, and we build every patio the way we'd build a foundation: proper excavation, compacted base, drainage that moves water away from the house, and footings below frost depth for anything that stands on it. We work across Boulder, including Orchard Grove, Wonderland Lake, Glenwood Grove, Knollwood, Twin Lakes, and Heatherwood, from flat Gunbarrel lots to sloped yards backing onto open space. Want to know who's behind the work? Meet David, our owner and lead contractor.
Outdoor living
What we design & build
One contractor for the whole backyard — the patio, what covers it, and what you cook and gather around.
Paver & Flagstone Patios
Concrete pavers or Colorado buff and moss-rock flagstone laid on a compacted, well-drained base so the surface stays flat through freeze-thaw.
Concrete Patios
Broom-finished, stamped, or exposed-aggregate concrete poured at the right thickness with reinforcement and control joints placed where they belong.
Covered Patios & Roof Extensions
A roof over the patio — tied into the house structure and flashed correctly — so the space is usable in July sun and October snow alike.
Pergolas & Shade Structures
Timber or low-maintenance composite pergolas on frost-depth footings, with slat spacing or louvers tuned to the sun your yard actually gets.
Outdoor Kitchens & Built-In Grills
Gas, electrical, and water run by licensed trades to a masonry or framed counter base, finished in stone, tile, or stucco to match the house.
Fire Pits, Seating Walls & Steps
Gas or wood-burning fire features built to code clearances, plus the retaining walls, seat walls, and steps that make a sloped Boulder yard usable.
Patio materials
The right surface for your yard
Pavers, flagstone, or concrete — we'll help you weigh look, upkeep, and how each handles Boulder's soils, then build the base to match.
Concrete Pavers
Interlocking pavers flex with Colorado's expansive clay instead of cracking, and a single damaged paver can be lifted and reset. Countless colors and patterns.
Colorado Flagstone
Buff sandstone and moss rock quarried along the Front Range. Irregular or cut-to-pattern, it looks at home against the foothills and lasts for decades.
Poured & Stamped Concrete
The most cost-effective surface when it's done right: proper base, thickness, reinforcement, and control joints, with stamped or exposed-aggregate finishes.
Timber & Composite Structures
Rough-sawn or glulam timber for a mountain look, or low-maintenance composite and aluminum for a modern one — on pergolas, covers, and privacy screens.
How we build
From bare yard to finished outdoor room
Every patio and structure is handled end to end by a licensed general contractor — not split between a landscaper, a carpenter, and a plumber who never meet.
Site visit & design
We walk the yard, look at grade, sun, drainage, and how you want to use the space, then design a patio and structures that fit the lot.
Permits & HOA
We confirm what the City of Boulder requires for covers, pergolas, and gas or electrical work, pull the permits, and prepare any HOA submittal.
Excavation, base & drainage
The part nobody sees and everybody depends on: excavation to the right depth, compacted road base, and grading that moves water away from the house.
Hardscape & structures
Pavers, flagstone, or concrete go down, and footings, posts, and roof framing go up — flashed and tied in by a finish carpenter's standard.
Utilities, finishes & walkthrough
Gas, electrical, lighting, and the outdoor kitchen are completed and inspected, then we walk the finished space with you — backed by our two-year workmanship warranty.
Patio or deck?
Choosing between a patio and a deck in Boulder
The honest answer is usually decided by your back door. If it opens at or near ground level, a patio is the simpler, lower-maintenance choice and sits naturally in the yard. If the main floor is a few feet above grade, or the lot drops away from the house, a deck gets you outside without a staircase. If your main floor sits well above grade, a custom deck may be the better starting point — and the two often work best together.
A covered patio can also be part of something bigger. On a Boulder whole-home remodel we built a covered patio beneath a new cantilevered balcony as part of the home addition — the outdoor room was designed with the house, not added to it afterward. If you're planning a remodel or addition anyway, it's worth designing the patio at the same time.
Recent outdoor living work
Patios and covered outdoor spaces we've built
A covered patio folded into a Boulder remodel, and a covered outdoor living area with a built-in grill station.
Questions & answers
Boulder patio & outdoor living FAQs
Do I need a permit to build a patio in Boulder?
A simple ground-level paver or concrete patio usually doesn't need a building permit on its own, but a covered patio attached to the house, a larger pergola, an outdoor kitchen with gas or electrical, and any work near a setback, easement, or floodplain typically does. We check with the City of Boulder before we design anything and pull whatever permits the project needs.
Patio or deck — which is right for my Boulder yard?
It mostly comes down to grade. If the door you'll use is at or near ground level, a patio is simpler, lower-maintenance, and sits naturally in the yard. If the main floor is several feet above grade, or the lot slopes away from the house, a deck gets you outside without a flight of stairs. Plenty of Boulder homes do both — a deck off the kitchen stepping down to a patio and fire pit. We build both, so you'll get an honest answer.
What patio material holds up best in Colorado's freeze-thaw?
Any of them, if the base is right. Boulder's expansive clay soils and freeze-thaw cycles will heave a patio that was laid on poorly compacted fill. Concrete pavers flex with the ground and can be lifted and reset; Colorado flagstone looks at home in the foothills and lasts for decades on a proper base; poured or stamped concrete is economical and clean-lined when it has the right thickness, reinforcement, and control joints. We spend as much care on the excavation, base, and drainage as on the surface you see.
Can you add a cover or pergola over my existing patio?
Often, yes. A freestanding pergola or a covered patio needs posts on footings set below frost depth, and an attached cover has to tie into the house framing and roofline correctly so it sheds snow and water away from the wall. We assess the existing slab and base first; sometimes it can carry the new structure, sometimes we cut in new footings around it.
Can you build an outdoor kitchen or fire feature?
Yes. We run the gas line and electrical with licensed trades, build the masonry or framed counter base, set the grill, side burner, refrigerator, and sink, and finish it in stone, tile, or stucco to match the house. Fire pits and outdoor fireplaces are built to the required clearances from the house, fences, and overhead structures.
Will my HOA need to approve a patio, pergola, or covered patio?
In covenant-controlled neighborhoods — common around Gunbarrel, Heatherwood, and Twin Lakes — exterior structures usually need design approval before the city permit. We read your covenants early and prepare the drawings and submittal the HOA asks for.
Ready to build your Boulder patio?
Get a free estimate from a licensed contractor who builds patios and outdoor rooms the Colorado climate can't beat.