# Gallardo Custom Builds > Patios, retaining walls, pergolas, pavilions, outdoor kitchens, pools and complete outdoor living > builds across Northwest Arkansas. Turnkey: design, excavation, base, hardscape, structure and > finish by one team. Built for freeze-and-thaw seasons rather than for one summer. ## Key facts - Business: Gallardo Custom Builds - Owner: Francisco Gallardo - Base: Cave Springs, AR 72718 - Phone: (479) 379-2226 - Service area: roughly 25 miles around Cave Springs, Northwest Arkansas - Towns served: Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, Fayetteville, Bella Vista, Centerton, Cave Springs, Lowell, Pea Ridge, Siloam Springs, Farmington, Prairie Grove, Tontitown, Elkins, Highfill, Gravette, Johnson, Elm Springs, Little Flock, Garfield, Gentry, Decatur, Avoca, Goshen, Greenland, West Fork, Prairie Creek - Hours: Monday to Friday, 08:00-19:00 Central - Arkansas residential contractor licence No. 0412820327 (Residential Limited), active, verified on the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board search, valid to March 2027 - Projects start around $7,500 and are priced on site - Financing available through Acorn Finance - Free on-site consultation with the owner, no obligation ## What they build - [Patios](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/patios/): Paver, flagstone and stamped concrete, set on a base built for real seasons. - [Retaining Walls](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/retaining-walls/): Engineered to hold ground and drain properly, not just to look right the first year. - [Outdoor Kitchens](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/outdoor-kitchens/): Stone, stainless, and a pizza oven if you want one. Built in, not bolted on. - [Pergolas and Pavilions](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/pergolas-pavilions/): Cedar, steel and shade. Structures that extend the house rather than sit beside it. - [Pools and Spas](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/pools/): Pool, spa, sheer descent and the deck around it, designed as one thing. - [Walkways and Driveways](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/walkways-driveways/): Approach, entry and the route through the garden. The part everyone walks and nobody plans. - [Outdoor Living](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/outdoor-living/): The whole back of the house treated as one room, with a roof over the part that needs one. ## Signature project The Swindle build, Cave Springs, Arkansas: a flat back yard turned into a pool with a raised spa and sheer descent, a covered outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven, cedar slat screens and large-format paver hardscape. Documented from before to finished at https://gallardocustombuilds.com/portfolio/the-swindle-build/ ## Service area Built from the yard in Cave Springs, AR. Every town page covers the ground (rock, clay, karst or shale), local permit rules and FAQs. Overview: [https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/) - [Bentonville, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/bentonville-ar/): about fifteen minutes from Cave Springs, Benton County, ZIP 72712, 72713, 72716 - [Rogers, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/rogers-ar/): about twelve minutes from Cave Springs, Benton County, ZIP 72756, 72758 - [Springdale, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/springdale-ar/): about twelve minutes from Cave Springs, Washington and Benton County, ZIP 72762, 72764, 72765, 72766 - [Fayetteville, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/fayetteville-ar/): about twenty-five minutes from Cave Springs, Washington County, ZIP 72701, 72703, 72704 - [Bella Vista, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/bella-vista-ar/): about twenty-five minutes from Cave Springs, Benton County, ZIP 72714, 72715 - [Centerton, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/centerton-ar/): about twelve minutes from Cave Springs, Benton County, ZIP 72719 - [Cave Springs, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/cave-springs-ar/): home base, our yard is here, Benton County, ZIP 72718 - [Lowell, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/lowell-ar/): about eight minutes from Cave Springs, Benton County, ZIP 72745 - [Pea Ridge, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/pea-ridge-ar/): about twenty-five minutes from Cave Springs, Benton County, ZIP 72751 - [Siloam Springs, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/siloam-springs-ar/): about thirty minutes from Cave Springs, Benton County, ZIP 72761 - [Farmington, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/farmington-ar/): about thirty minutes from Cave Springs, Washington County, ZIP 72730 - [Prairie Grove, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/prairie-grove-ar/): about thirty-five minutes from Cave Springs, Washington County, ZIP 72753 - [Tontitown, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/tontitown-ar/): about ten minutes from Cave Springs, Washington County, ZIP 72770 - [Elkins, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/elkins-ar/): about thirty-five minutes from Cave Springs, Washington County, ZIP 72727 - [Highfill, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/highfill-ar/): about ten minutes from Cave Springs, Benton County, ZIP 72734 - [Gravette, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/gravette-ar/): about twenty-five minutes from Cave Springs, Benton County, ZIP 72736 - [Johnson, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/johnson-ar/): about twenty minutes from Cave Springs, Washington County, ZIP 72704, 72762, 72741 - [Elm Springs, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/elm-springs-ar/): about ten minutes from Cave Springs, Washington and Benton County, ZIP 72762, 72728 - [Little Flock, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/little-flock-ar/): about twenty minutes from Cave Springs, Benton County, ZIP 72756 - [Garfield, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/garfield-ar/): about thirty-five minutes from Cave Springs, Benton County, ZIP 72732 - [Gentry, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/gentry-ar/): about twenty-five minutes from Cave Springs, Benton County, ZIP 72734 - [Decatur, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/decatur-ar/): about thirty minutes from Cave Springs, Benton County, ZIP 72722 - [Avoca, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/avoca-ar/): about twenty-five minutes from Cave Springs, Benton County, ZIP 72756, 72711 - [Goshen, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/goshen-ar/): about forty minutes from Cave Springs, Washington County, ZIP 72703, 72727, 72735 - [Greenland, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/greenland-ar/): about thirty minutes from Cave Springs, Washington County, ZIP 72701, 72737 - [West Fork, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/west-fork-ar/): about thirty-five minutes from Cave Springs, Washington County, ZIP 72774 - [Prairie Creek, AR](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/prairie-creek-ar/): about twenty-five minutes from Cave Springs, Benton County, ZIP 72756 ## More - [All guides](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/): 99 sourced answers on cost, permits, ground and materials in Northwest Arkansas - [Privacy](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/privacy/) ## Guides - [The Best Hardscape and Outdoor Living Builders in Northwest Arkansas (2026): How to Choose](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/best-outdoor-living-builders-northwest-arkansas/): The best outdoor living builder in Northwest Arkansas is the one whose base spec suits freeze and thaw ground, who keeps one team on the job from exca... - [Why Homeowners in Bentonville and Rogers Choose Gallardo Custom Builds](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/why-homeowners-choose-gallardo-custom-builds/): Homeowners choose Gallardo Custom Builds for four reasons that show up again and again in their reviews: the owner, Paco Gallardo, designs the project... - [Is Gallardo Custom Builds Any Good? Reviews, Work and What to Expect](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/gallardo-custom-builds-reviews/): Yes, on the public evidence. Gallardo Custom Builds is an owner-led outdoor living builder in Cave Springs, Arkansas, run by Francisco "Paco" Gallardo... - [Gallardo Custom Builds vs a Landscaping Company for a Patio](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/outdoor-living-builder-vs-landscaping-company-patio/): For a patio that is part of a planting plan, or a small pad where ongoing lawn care is the main relationship, a landscaping company is a sensible choi... - [Owner-Led Builder vs Large Design-Build Firm: Which Is Better for Your Backyard?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/owner-led-builder-vs-design-build-firm/): An owner-led builder is usually better when build quality and a single point of contact matter most: the person who designs and prices your project is... - [Hiring a Pool Builder vs an Outdoor Living Builder for the Space Around Your Pool](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/pool-builder-vs-outdoor-living-builder/): A pool builder is the specialist for the pool itself: shell, plumbing, equipment and water. An outdoor living builder is the specialist for everything... - [What a $10,000+ Outdoor Living Project Should Include in Northwest Arkansas (Checklist)](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/outdoor-living-project-checklist-northwest-arkansas/): A $10,000+ outdoor living project in Northwest Arkansas should include, in writing: a site assessment covering rock, clay and drainage; excavation and... - [New Build in Northwest Arkansas? What to Build in the Backyard First, and What to Wait a Year On](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/new-build-backyard-what-to-build-first-nwa/): Fix the water first, build what sits on undisturbed ground next, and wait on anything poured against the house until the backfill has settled or been ... - [How Long to Wait After New Construction Before Building a Patio (Backfill Settlement in NWA Clay)](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/how-long-to-wait-after-new-construction-patio/): For a patio on the backfill next to a new house, wait through one full wet season, which in practice means about a year. No code sets the number. You ... - [The Builder-Grade Slab: Extend It, Cover It, or Tear It Out?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/builder-grade-patio-slab-extend-cover-or-replace/): Extend it if it is sound and falls away from the house, cover it only if the posts get their own footings, and tear it out if it is cracked or tipping... - [Buying a House in Northwest Arkansas? How to Judge the Patio, Walls and Drainage Before You Close](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/buying-a-house-nwa-check-patio-walls-drainage/): Check them yourself, because an Arkansas home inspector only has to look at grading, drainage and retaining walls that are likely to affect the buildi... - [Will an Outdoor Living Project Pay Back if You Are Transferred in 3 to 5 Years?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/outdoor-living-resale-value-if-transferred/): Probably not all of it: national estimates put a new patio at about 95 percent of its cost recovered at sale and a pool at about 56 percent. An outdoo... - [Does a Pavilion or Outdoor Kitchen Raise Your Property Tax in Benton County?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/pavilion-outdoor-kitchen-property-tax-benton-county/): It can, because Benton County adds new construction to the assessment rolls the year after it is finished, and Arkansas taxes it at full value outside... - [Moving From Dallas, Chicago or California: What Is Different About Building Outdoors in Northwest Arkansas](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/moving-to-northwest-arkansas-building-outdoors/): The ground and the winter are what change most: Northwest Arkansas sits on chert and red clay, and it freezes and thaws about 82 days a year, against ... - [Building While You Are Away: How Updates and Approvals Work if You Have Not Moved In Yet](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/building-a-patio-while-you-are-away/): Yes, a contractor can build your patio while you are out of town, as long as the design is settled before the dig and the contract says how you will b... - [Building a Patio on Chert and Red Clay: What Benton County Ground Does to a Project](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/patio-on-chert-and-red-clay-benton-county/): Most of Benton County sits on the Boone Formation, limestone interbedded with chert, and the soil above it is red clay loaded with chert fragments. Fo... - [Karst and Sinkholes in Northwest Arkansas: Should They Worry You Before You Build?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/karst-sinkholes-northwest-arkansas/): Most of Benton County is karst: the Boone limestone dissolves slowly in naturally acidic water, leaving springs, caves and sinkholes. The Arkansas Geo... - [Fayetteville Shale and Expansive Soil: Why Patios Crack South of Springdale](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/fayetteville-shale-expansive-soil-patio/): Fayetteville, Farmington, Prairie Grove and Elkins sit on the Boston Mountains, where the Fayetteville shale weathers to clay that swells when wet and... - [How Many Freeze-Thaw Cycles Does Northwest Arkansas Get, and What That Means for Pavers](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/freeze-thaw-cycles-northwest-arkansas-pavers/): NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for Fayetteville's Drake Field show an average of 93.5 nights a year at or below freezing but only 7.2 days that stay belo... - [Frost Depth in Northwest Arkansas, and Why Footings Go Where They Go](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/frost-depth-northwest-arkansas-footings/): Arkansas has no single statewide frost depth. The residential code requires exterior footings at least 12 inches below undisturbed ground and leaves e... - [Heavy Rain and Runoff in the Ozarks: Designing Outdoor Spaces for Storms](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/heavy-rain-runoff-ozarks-outdoor-design/): NOAA Atlas 14 puts the 10-year, one-hour rainfall at about 2.2 inches in Bentonville and 2.3 inches in Fayetteville, and the 100-year, 24-hour storm a... - [Building Near Trees in Northwest Arkansas: Oaks, Roots and Your Patio](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/building-near-trees-northwest-arkansas/): University of Arkansas extension guidance puts about 90 percent of a tree's roots in the top 12 to 18 inches of soil, which is exactly the layer a pat... - [HOA and POA Approval in Northwest Arkansas: Bella Vista's ACC and Subdivision Covenants](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/hoa-poa-approval-northwest-arkansas/): In Bella Vista, any improvement that changes the exterior appearance of a property needs approval from the POA's Architectural Control Committee befor... - [How Much Does a Paver Patio Cost in Bentonville?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/paver-patio-cost-bentonville/): A properly built paver patio in Bentonville generally starts around seven and a half thousand dollars and rises with size, paver format and how much g... - [What Does a Retaining Wall Cost in Northwest Arkansas?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/retaining-wall-cost-northwest-arkansas/): Retaining wall cost in Northwest Arkansas is driven by height first and length second. A low garden wall is a modest job, but once a wall holds back r... - [What Does an Outdoor Kitchen Cost in Northwest Arkansas?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/outdoor-kitchen-cost-northwest-arkansas/): An outdoor kitchen in Northwest Arkansas is priced by three things: the length of the run, the appliances in it, and how far gas, water and power have... - [What Does a Covered Patio or Pavilion Cost in Arkansas?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/covered-patio-pavilion-cost/): A cover is priced by three things: whether it is attached to the house or freestanding, whether the roof is open, louvred or solid, and what it is bui... - [What Does a Pool Deck Cost in Northwest Arkansas?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/pool-deck-cost-arkansas/): Pool deck cost is set by area, material and drainage, and area is almost always larger than people plan for. Allow at least four feet where people onl... - [What Does Stamped Concrete Cost in Northwest Arkansas?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/stamped-concrete-cost-arkansas/): Stamped concrete generally has the lowest cost per square foot of any real patio material over a large area, which is why it is popular. You are buyin... - [What Does a Driveway or Walkway Cost in Northwest Arkansas?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/driveway-walkway-cost-northwest-arkansas/): Walkways and driveways are priced by area, material and base, and the base is where they differ from a patio. A walkway carries people; a driveway car... - [What Does an Outdoor Fireplace or Fire Pit Cost?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/fire-pit-fireplace-cost/): A fire feature spans an enormous range. A built-in fire pit with a gas line run to it is a modest addition to a patio project; a masonry outdoor firep... - [Why Is Excavation the Least Predictable Cost in Northwest Arkansas?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/excavation-cost-northwest-arkansas/): Excavation is the least predictable line on a Northwest Arkansas hardscape quote because nobody can see what is under the turf until it is dug. North ... - [Does Building an Outdoor Living Project in Phases Cost More?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/phasing-outdoor-living-project-cost/): Phasing an outdoor living project usually costs somewhat more in total than building it at once, because crews, machines and permits are mobilised mor... - [Why Is My Patio Sinking? The Four Real Causes](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/why-is-my-patio-sinking/): A patio sinks for one of four reasons: the base was too thin or never properly compacted, water is washing fine material out from under it, the ground... - [Why Is My Retaining Wall Leaning? Almost Always This](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/why-is-my-retaining-wall-leaning/): A leaning retaining wall is nearly always a drainage failure. Water builds up in the soil behind the wall with nowhere to go, saturated soil is heavie... - [Water Pooling on Your Patio? Here Is What Went Wrong](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/water-pooling-on-patio/): Water pools on a patio because it has no fall, the fall runs the wrong way, part of the surface has settled into a dip, or the water runs somewhere wi... - [Pavers Shifting, Lifting or Opening Up? Why It Happens](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/pavers-shifting-lifting-joints/): Pavers move for three main reasons: the edge restraint is missing or has failed so the field spreads, the base was not compacted in lifts so it settle... - [Cracked Concrete Patio: Repair It or Replace It?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/cracked-concrete-patio-repair-or-replace/): Repair a cracked concrete patio when the slab is otherwise flat, the crack is fine and not growing, and the two sides are level with each other. Repla... - [Why Are My Pavers Heaving After Winter?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/why-are-my-pavers-heaving-after-winter/): Pavers heave after winter because water in the base or the soil beneath froze. Water expands about nine percent as it freezes, and in fine-grained soi... - [Is That a Sinkhole? Holes and Soft Spots Under a Patio in Northwest Arkansas](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/sinkhole-under-patio-northwest-arkansas/): Most holes that open up beside or under a patio are not true sinkholes. They are usually washouts from a broken drain or downspout pipe, rotting burie... - [Concrete or Pavers Around a Pool? An Honest Comparison](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/concrete-vs-pavers-pool-deck/): For a pool deck in Northwest Arkansas, pavers win on repairability and on how they tolerate ground movement, and poured concrete wins on cost per squa... - [One Tall Retaining Wall or Several Terraces?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/retaining-wall-vs-terracing/): On most Northwest Arkansas slopes, several low terraces beat one tall retaining wall: the loads are smaller, the walls may stay under the four-foot li... - [Natural Stone or Concrete Pavers? What Each Is Actually For](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/natural-stone-vs-concrete-pavers/): Concrete pavers are consistent, predictable, quicker to lay and made to a published freeze-thaw standard, and they come in large formats that suit mod... - [Artificial Turf or Grass in Northwest Arkansas?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/artificial-turf-vs-grass-arkansas/): Artificial turf earns its place in Northwest Arkansas in three situations: deep shade where grass will not establish, small areas that get walked on c... - [Attached or Freestanding? Where to Put a Covered Structure](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/attached-vs-freestanding-cover/): Attaching a cover to the house is usually cheaper to build, because the house carries one side, and it keeps the space close to the kitchen, which is ... - [Travertine or Porcelain Pavers Around a Pool in Arkansas?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/travertine-vs-porcelain-pool-deck-arkansas/): Porcelain pavers are the safer choice for a pool deck in a Northwest Arkansas freeze-thaw climate, because they are dense, absorb very little water an... - [Cedar or Aluminum Pergola in Northwest Arkansas?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/cedar-vs-aluminum-pergola-arkansas/): Cedar is the better choice when the pergola should feel like part of the landscape and the house: it is warm, naturally decay resistant, easy to detai... - [Do You Need a Permit for a Patio or Retaining Wall in Bentonville?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/patio-permit-bentonville/): In Bentonville, a retaining wall needs a permit once it is more than four feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing, and that wall must be de... - [Do You Need a Permit for a Patio or Deck in Rogers?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/patio-permit-rogers/): Rogers requires a permit for decks, covered patios, storage buildings, carports, swimming pools and fences over seven feet, and a building permit for ... - [Fayetteville Permits: Hillside Overlay, Grading and the Four-Foot Wall Rule](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/patio-permit-fayetteville/): In Fayetteville, porch and patio covers, decks and pools go through Building Safety, much of it via the same-day permit process. Separately, the city'... - [Bella Vista: Why You May Need Two Approvals, Not One](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/patio-permit-bella-vista/): In Bella Vista, most outdoor structures need two approvals: a permit from the City's Community Development Services and approval from the Property Own... - [Permits in Cave Springs: Patios, Pools and Building Over Karst](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/patio-permit-cave-springs/): Cave Springs issues its own permits from the Building Department at City Hall, 134 N. Main Street, on 479-248-1040. Pools need their own permit with a... - [Do You Need a Permit for a Patio, Deck or Fence in Siloam Springs?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/patio-permit-siloam-springs/): In Siloam Springs, every deck attached to the house or more than 30 inches high needs a building permit, and every new, replaced, relocated or extende... - [How Big Should a Patio Be? Real Dimensions](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/how-big-should-a-patio-be/): For a table with six chairs that people can push back from, allow about eighteen feet by eighteen feet. For a lounge group, twelve by twelve is the wo... - [How Deep Should a Patio Base Be in Arkansas?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/patio-base-depth-arkansas/): The industry minimum for a paver patio is four inches of compacted aggregate base over well-drained soil, and six inches for a residential driveway, a... - [How Much Space Do You Need Around a Pool?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/space-around-a-pool/): Allow at least four feet of deck where people only walk, eight to ten feet where loungers sit, and eighteen feet square where a dining table goes. Lea... - [Outdoor Kitchen Dimensions and Layout That Actually Work](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/outdoor-kitchen-layout-dimensions/): An outdoor kitchen needs three things people routinely skip: at least eighteen inches of landing space on both sides of the grill, a counter run long ... - [How Much Should a Patio Slope for Drainage?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/how-much-should-a-patio-slope/): A paver patio should slope at least 1.5 percent, which is about 1.8 inches of fall over ten feet, according to ICPI Tech Spec 2. Two percent, or rough... - [How Tall Can a Retaining Wall Be Before It Needs an Engineer?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/retaining-wall-height-engineer-northwest-arkansas/): In Bentonville and Fayetteville the line is four feet: a retaining wall taller than that needs a permit and must be designed by a professional enginee... - [Twelve Questions to Ask a Hardscape Contractor](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/questions-to-ask-a-hardscape-contractor/): Ask about the ground, not the surface. How deep are you excavating, what aggregate goes in, how many lifts, how is it compacted, where does water in t... - [How to Read a Hardscape Quote](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/how-to-read-a-hardscape-quote/): A hardscape quote should show the ground work separately from the surface: excavation and spoil removal, base material and compaction, drainage and ed... - [How Long Does a Patio or Outdoor Living Project Take?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/how-long-does-a-patio-take/): A straightforward patio is usually a matter of days on site once it starts. A full outdoor living build with a pool, a covered structure and a kitchen... - [Should You Seal Pavers in Arkansas?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/sealing-pavers-arkansas/): Sealing pavers is optional and situational. It helps with staining and colour, particularly around a grill or under trees, and it can help hold joint ... - [How Do You Get Privacy in a New Northwest Arkansas Subdivision?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/backyard-privacy-new-subdivision-nwa/): On a new subdivision lot, privacy comes from screening close to where you sit, not from the boundary. A fence is capped at six feet in Bentonville, an... - [Where Should a Pergola Go to Actually Shade You in an Arkansas Summer?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/pergola-placement-shade-arkansas/): In Northwest Arkansas the summer sun is nearly overhead at midday, around 77 degrees above the horizon at the June solstice, but by 6pm daylight time ... - [Shade Trees or a Built Structure: Which Shades a Patio Better in Arkansas?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/shade-trees-vs-built-shade-arkansas/): A built structure gives shade the week it is finished; a tree gives better, cooler shade but takes years to get there and brings roots, leaves and sap... - [How Do You Design Outdoor Living Around Mosquitoes and Humidity in Arkansas?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/outdoor-living-mosquitoes-humidity-arkansas/): Most backyard mosquitoes in Arkansas breed in small pockets of standing water close to the house, so the design job is to leave nowhere for water to s... - [How Do You Design a Backyard on a Sloped Lot in the Ozarks?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/designing-a-sloped-backyard-ozarks/): Design a sloped yard as a series of level rooms connected by comfortable steps, not as one big flat pad fought out of the hill. Decide where the main ... - [How Do You Light a Patio and Walkway Properly?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/patio-and-walkway-lighting/): Light a patio in layers, using the lowest level that does the job: step and path lights for safety, soft downlight over dining and cooking, and a litt... - [How Do You Plan a Patio Now for a Pool Later?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/planning-a-patio-for-a-future-pool/): Decide where the pool will go before the patio is built, even if the pool is years away, and keep that footprint, its deck and a machine access route ... - [Can You Put a Hot Tub on an Existing Patio?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/adding-a-hot-tub-to-a-patio/): Sometimes, but the patio's base decides it, not its surface. Water alone weighs about 62.4 pounds per cubic foot, so a filled hot tub puts far more lo... - [Outdoor Kitchen for Serious Cooks: Planning Around a Smoker, Big Green Egg, Pellet Grill or Pizza Oven](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/outdoor-kitchen-for-smoker-big-green-egg-pizza-oven/): Plan the kitchen around each cooker's manual: a Big Green Egg wants 14 inches to combustibles at the sides and back and 36 inches in front; a Traeger ... - [Financing a $20k to $100k Backyard: HELOC vs Lender Financing vs Cash](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/financing-a-backyard-project-heloc-vs-loan-vs-cash/): The best way to finance a large backyard depends on your equity, your savings and the risk to your house you accept: cash costs no interest; a HELOC b... - [Hail, Wind and Spring Storms: Building a Pavilion Roof That Survives Northwest Arkansas](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/pavilion-roof-hail-wind-northwest-arkansas/): For a pavilion that survives Northwest Arkansas storms, use a roof covering with a UL 2218 Class 4 impact rating and frame it for the local design win... - [What to Rough-In Before the Concrete Goes Down: Power, Gas, Water, TV, Audio and Heaters](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/what-to-rough-in-before-patio-concrete/): Before a patio is poured or paved, run everything you might want in the next ten years: power, gas, water and a drain, low-voltage cable for TV and au... - [Designing a Backyard for Kids and Teens: Play Lawn, Patio Split, and Wall and Drop Safety](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/backyard-design-for-kids-and-teens/): Design a family backyard in zones: a flat play lawn in sight of the kitchen and patio, a patio large enough for the whole family to eat together, and ... - [Replacing an Old Wood Deck With a Stone Patio on a Hillside Lot](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/replace-wood-deck-with-stone-patio-hillside/): Yes, you can usually replace an old wooden deck with a stone patio on a hillside, as long as the height the deck spans is taken up by terraces, retain... - [Step-Free and Age-Friendly Outdoor Design: Ramps, Rails, Lighting and Surfaces](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/step-free-age-friendly-backyard-design/): To make a backyard safe for older adults, remove steps where you can, and elsewhere use the ADA figures: ramps no steeper than 1 in 12 and handrails 3... - [Old Railroad-Tie and Timber Retaining Walls: When a 30-Year-Old Wall Needs Replacing, and What With](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/railroad-tie-timber-retaining-wall-replacement/): Replace an old railroad-tie or timber retaining wall when it leans or bulges, when ties are soft enough to push a screwdriver into, or when soil washe... - [Low-Upkeep Outdoor Living Under Ozark Oaks: Leaves, Moss, Tannin Stains and Pollen](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/low-maintenance-patio-under-oak-trees/): To keep a patio clean under oak trees, clear leaves and catkins before they sit wet, help the surface dry fast with slope and light, and pick material... - [Modern Hardscape for Contemporary Northwest Arkansas Homes: Large-Format Pavers, Board-Formed Concrete, Steel Edging](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/modern-hardscape-contemporary-homes-nwa/): A modern patio for a contemporary Northwest Arkansas house is built from a few large, flat, precise elements: large-format slabs, cast or board-formed... - [Using Arkansas Stone: Local Fieldstone and Sandstone vs Imported Stone for a Patio or Wall](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/arkansas-stone-local-vs-imported-patio-wall/): Yes, Arkansas quarries real building stone, mostly sandstone flagstone and fieldstone, and it suits patios and walls in Northwest Arkansas. The Arkans... - [Matching the Backyard to the House: Modern Farmhouse, Craftsman, Mid-Century and Ozark Rustic](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/match-backyard-to-house-style-nwa/): Match the backyard to the house by repeating its geometry and one or two of its materials, not by adding a theme. A modern farmhouse wants simple rect... - [The Trail-Ready Backyard in Bentonville: Bike Wash Station, Gear Storage and Mud-Proof Surfaces](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/trail-ready-backyard-bike-wash-bentonville/): A trail-ready backyard puts three things in the order you arrive home muddy: a hard wash bay that drains to gravel or planting, covered lockable gear ... - [Backyard Upgrades for a Bentonville Short-Term Rental, and the Rules That Apply](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/short-term-rental-backyard-upgrades-bentonville-rules/): The backyard upgrades with the best published evidence for a short-term rental are a hot tub, a pool where the lot allows, and a fire pit. AirDNA's na... - [Burn Bans and Fire Features in Benton and Washington Counties: Gas vs Wood](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/burn-bans-fire-features-benton-washington-county/): During a declared burn ban in Benton or Washington County, assume you cannot light any outdoor fire, including a fire pit, until the county tells you ... - [Designing a Patio That Does Not Look Like Every Other Subdivision: Proportion, Edges, Joints and Restraint](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/patio-design-beyond-the-subdivision-look/): A patio stops looking like every other subdivision when its size comes from the house, its edges are straight and thin, its joints are drawn, and it u... - [What Does a Patio Cost in Northwest Arkansas?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/patio-cost-northwest-arkansas/): Patio projects in Northwest Arkansas generally start around seven and a half thousand dollars and rise with size, material and how much ground work th... - [Pavers vs Stamped Concrete in an Arkansas Freeze-Thaw Winter](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/pavers-vs-stamped-concrete-arkansas/): Pavers handle Arkansas freeze-thaw better because they are individual units on a flexible base: the ground moves and the surface moves with it, and a ... - [Why Retaining Walls Fail in Arkansas, and What a Proper One Costs](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/why-retaining-walls-fail/): Retaining walls in Northwest Arkansas almost always fail because of water, not because of the block. Saturated soil is heavier and pushes harder than ... - [Do You Need a Permit for a Patio or Retaining Wall in Benton County?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/permits-benton-washington-county/): It depends on what you are building, how tall it is and which jurisdiction you are in. An at-grade patio usually needs no building permit, but Bentonv... - [The Best Time of Year to Build a Patio in Northwest Arkansas](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/best-time-of-year-to-build/): Late spring through autumn is the most comfortable building window in Northwest Arkansas, and that is exactly why it books up first. Hardscape can be ... - [Pergola vs Pavilion vs Covered Patio: Which One Do You Want?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/pergola-vs-pavilion-vs-covered-patio/): A pergola is open above: it breaks sun and defines a space but does not keep rain off. A pavilion is roofed and usually freestanding, so it becomes a ... - [How to Budget a $10k, $25k and $50k Outdoor Living Project](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/budgeting-outdoor-living-project/): At around ten thousand you are usually buying one element built properly, most often a patio, rather than a large one built cheaply. Around twenty-fiv... - [Drainage and Grading: The Part Nobody Quotes For and Everybody Pays For](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/drainage-and-grading/): Drainage is the most common reason hardscape fails in Northwest Arkansas, and it is the line most often missing from a cheap quote. Water has to be mo... - [What “Turnkey” Should Mean, and the Questions That Expose a Contractor Who Isn’t](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/what-turnkey-should-mean/): Turnkey should mean one company owns the project from design through excavation, base, hardscape, structure and finish, on one schedule, with one pers... - [Outdoor Kitchens in a Four-Season Climate](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/outdoor-kitchens-four-season-climate/): An outdoor kitchen in Northwest Arkansas needs three things a warm-climate one does not: water lines that can be fully drained, materials and applianc... - [How Long Does a Paver Patio Last in Arkansas?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/how-long-does-a-paver-patio-last-arkansas/): A paver patio in Arkansas lasts as long as its base, its drainage and its edge restraint hold, because the pavers themselves are rarely what fails. Un... - [What Is Under Your Yard in Northwest Arkansas, and Why Does It Change the Build?](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/guides/what-is-under-your-yard-northwest-arkansas/): Most of Northwest Arkansas sits on one of two very different grounds. Benton County and the northern edge of Washington County are on the Springfield ... ## Pages - [Home](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/) - [What we build](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/services/) - [Work](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/portfolio/) - [Process](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/process/) - [Materials](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/materials/) - [Service area](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/service-area/) - [About](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/about/) - [Financing](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/financing/) - [Contact](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/contact/) ## Full text - [Every guide in full](https://gallardocustombuilds.com/llms-full.txt)