Austin Landscape Design
custom outdoor spaces
designed for year-round texas living
landscape design & build firm in austin, tx
what makes us different
Marian Mayer, our founder and lead designer, guides the design process at Waterloo Outdoor Design Build and is deeply involved from your first consultation through installation. You work directly with Marian on your landscape design. Not a sales team, not a junior designer who hands off your project. We specialize in creating outdoor spaces in Austin that handle our brutal summers, occasional freezes, unpredictable soil, and everything else Central Texas throws at us.
Whether you're ready for a complete backyard design and installation (pool, patio, outdoor kitchen, the works) or you want a custom front yard landscape design, we design spaces that fit your life and Austin's climate. Our landscape design-build approach means we're involved throughout. No "here's your plan, good luck" handoff.
how we work
From the first conversation to the final installation, we offer a thoughtful, fully integrated design-build experience tailored to the way you live. Every project begins with an in-depth consultation at your property, where we study the land and its natural conditions, from the movement of the sun and drainage patterns to existing materials, mature trees, neighboring structures, and the distinctive character of the site.
We then turn our attention to how you envision using the space. Whether you desire an elegant setting for entertaining, a private sanctuary from Austin’s intense summer heat, or a beautifully proportioned pool that enhances rather than overwhelms the landscape, every detail is considered with intention.
Our landscape design-build approach unites vision and execution under one dedicated team. By remaining involved throughout the construction process, we protect the integrity of the design and ensure that each material, detail, and finish is thoughtfully realized.
Our work is informed by the realities of Central Texas, including one hundred-degree summers, flash flooding, expansive clay soil, and the desire to enjoy outdoor spaces throughout the year. When the unexpected arises, whether a drainage complication, difficult soil, or the inevitable discovery of limestone beneath the surface, we respond with experience, precision, and discretion. We refine the design as needed, resolve challenges in the field, and carry the project forward toward a cohesive and enduring result.
landscape & garden
Native plants that don't look boring. Drought-tolerant design that still looks lush. Front yards and backyards designed for Austin's climate and your style.
patios, pergolas & decks
Materials that stay cool in summer heat. Shade structures that actually work in Texas. Outdoor living spaces you'll use year-round.
water features & fountains
Custom water features designed for Austin's climate. From fountains to streams, we create features that fit your landscape and handle temperature swings.
outdoor kitchens & grills
Covered outdoor kitchens with ventilation for Texas heat. Appliances and materials that survive 100° summers. Layouts designed for how you entertain.
what is the process for front and backyard landscape designers?
Here at Waterloo Outdoor Design Build, we work with you all the way from the initial concept to a completed project. Our initial consultation includes a visit to your home, so our designers can start with a thorough understanding of the current state of your property. This allows us to work with a higher degree of certainty and detail as we discuss your goals. From there, we can confirm that the design is exactly as you imagined and provide an accurate estimate for the project.
Austin Landscape Design Services
Complete backyard design and renovations
Pool, outdoor kitchen, patio, landscaping, all designed as one cohesive space, not random features competing for attention. We think about how you move through the space, where shade falls at 3pm in July, how your outdoor kitchen relates to your pool, all of it.
Front yard landscape design
Curb appeal that fits your home's architecture and Austin's climate. No more St. Augustine struggling through summer or foundation plantings that look like everyone else's. We design front yards with personality.
Outdoor kitchen design and installation
Covered areas that actually work in Texas heat. Ventilation that makes August cooking possible. Materials that don't burn your hands. Layouts that make sense for how you entertain.
Swimming pool design integrated with landscaping
Not just a pool dropped into your yard. A pool that fits the overall design, with shade strategies, landscape integration, and materials that work together.
Why choose Waterloo for your Austin landscape design
Many landscape companies in Austin will sell you a design. We're different because Marian actually does the design work and stays involved through installation. Here's what that means:
You work directly with Marian on your landscape design.
She leads the design process and creates your initial design. She's not passing your vision off to someone else. She's the one translating what you want into something that actually works in Austin.
We design for Austin's actual weather.
Shade strategies for 100° summers. Materials that don't crack in rare freezes. Drainage for flash floods. Native plants that don't look boring. Water-wise landscape design that still looks lush.
Landscape design-build means no surprises.
What we design is what gets built. When we find rock during excavation (spoiler: we will), we're there to redesign on the spot, not leave you with a half-finished project and a contractor shrugging.
Female-owned, custom design.
We design outdoor spaces that reflect your style, not a cookie-cutter catalog. Modern, traditional, eclectic. Whatever fits your home and your life.
austin landscape design - serving Austin and surrounding areas
From Tarrytown to Travis Heights, Westlake to East Austin, we've designed landscapes that work with Central Texas's unique challenges. And your unique vision.
Ready to talk about your outdoor space? Call 512-277-5987 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.