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Mark Tivey · Licensed CGC1511598 · Veteran-Owned Since 1988(904) 850-6070
Built by Mark · NE Florida · Since 1988

Outdoor Living Spaces

Build the Backyard You Actually Use

An outdoor living space done right gets used 9 months of the year, not 3 weekends. I build outdoor kitchens, decks, fire pits, hardscape patios, and landscape lighting that hold up to Florida humidity and salt air.

  • Outdoor KitchensMarine-grade stainless and proper venting
  • Decks & HardscapeComposite, wood, paver, and travertine
  • Fire FeaturesFire pits, fire bowls, gas fireplaces
  • Outdoor LightingPath, accent, and entertaining lighting
  • Year-Round Build QualitySpec'd for FL humidity from day one

Outdoor Kitchens

Build a real outdoor kitchen — not a glorified grill island. I install marine-grade stainless cabinetry, gas and electrical rough-ins, vent hoods over the grill, refrigeration, sinks with proper drainage, and sealed-stone or solid-surface countertops that survive humidity and UV.

Typical Northeast Florida Range

$25K–$75K

Final number depends on your specific scope, finishes, and site conditions. I'll quote the exact figure after a walk-through.

Why

An outdoor kitchen is the difference between grilling and entertaining. Built right, it's the second kitchen of the house — used twice a week most of the year.

What

Marine-grade stainless or polymer cabinetry, gas + electrical rough-ins, vent hood over the grill, refrigeration, optional sink with drain to sewer, sealed-stone or solid-surface counters, weather-rated outlets.

How

Foundation and gas/electrical rough-in week 1; cabinetry and counters week 2; appliance install + finishes week 3. Most outdoor kitchens are 3–4 weeks start to finish.

Cheap outdoor kitchens fail in their first Florida summer. I spec marine-grade stainless and proper venting because the difference shows up in year two, not year one.

Outdoor kitchen with stainless cabinetry in Jacksonville
Backyard composite deck in Jacksonville

Decks & Hardscape

Composite, natural wood, paver, or travertine — I build decks and hardscape patios that match the house's lines and the way you actually use the yard. Proper foundations, code-rated railings, drainage that doesn't pond, finish elevations that flow into the existing patio.

Typical Northeast Florida Range

$15K–$60K

Final number depends on your specific scope, finishes, and site conditions. I'll quote the exact figure after a walk-through.

Why

Decks done badly rot, sag, or pond water within 5 years. Done right, a composite deck or paver patio is a 25-year structure that looks better than the house behind it.

What

Composite or wood decking on engineered framing, paver or travertine hardscape on compacted base, code-rated railings, drainage planning, integrated lighting rough-in.

How

Foundation and framing week 1; deck or paver install week 2; railings + finish week 3. Most projects are 2–4 weeks depending on size and any tie-in to the existing patio.

I overbuild the framing and the base because every deck failure I've seen traced back to one or the other. The boards on top are the easy part.

Fire Features

Gas or wood-burning fire pits, fire bowls, and outdoor fireplaces. I install code-compliant gas lines, build the masonry or steel surround, and integrate the feature into the patio so it looks designed in — not dropped in from a catalog.

Typical Northeast Florida Range

$5K–$25K

Final number depends on your specific scope, finishes, and site conditions. I'll quote the exact figure after a walk-through.

Why

Florida nights cool off enough that a fire feature actually gets used. It's also the cheapest single upgrade that changes how the patio feels at night.

What

Gas or wood-burning fire pit, fire bowl, or full outdoor fireplace. Code-compliant gas line + shutoff (if gas), masonry or steel surround, integrated seating wall optional.

How

Gas line and footing week 1, masonry or steel build week 2, finish stone and fuel media day-of-final. About 2–3 weeks total for most fire-feature builds.

Gas fire features need a permitted line and a code-rated valve. I've seen DIY installs flagged at home sale — doing it right the first time is cheaper than the disclosure later.

Outdoor fire pit on backyard patio in Jacksonville
Outdoor landscape and accent lighting in Jacksonville backyard

Outdoor Lighting

Landscape, path, and accent lighting that turn the yard into a usable space after dark. Low-voltage LED systems with weatherproof transformers, smart-home or timer control, and fixtures rated for Florida humidity.

Typical Northeast Florida Range

$4K–$18K

Final number depends on your specific scope, finishes, and site conditions. I'll quote the exact figure after a walk-through.

Why

Most yards go dark at sunset and stop being used. Layered lighting — path, accent, entertaining — adds 4 hours of usable evening to the patio in summer.

What

Low-voltage LED system with weatherproof transformer, path lights, accent uplights on trees + facade, deck/step lights, smart-home or photocell control, all fixtures FL-humidity rated.

How

Plan the scenes (entertaining, security, ambient), trench and run, install fixtures, dial-in. Most lighting installs are 3–5 working days.

Cheap outdoor lighting corrodes in 2 years near the coast. I spec brass or marine-grade fixtures because anything less doesn't survive NE FL salt air.

Frequently Asked Questions About Outdoor Living Spaces

Outdoor Living Spaces Service Areas

We proudly serve Jacksonville and the surrounding Northeast Florida communities. Our team of experienced professionals is ready to bring your vision to life, no matter where you're located in our service area.

Jacksonville
Jacksonville Beach
Atlantic Beach
Neptune Beach
Ponte Vedra Beach
St. Augustine
Orange Park
Fleming Island
Mandarin
San Marco
Riverside
Avondale
Your outdoor living spaces project

One contract. One number to call. One Mark.

Tell me about your outdoor living spaces above — you'll see your real budget range mid-flow, and I'll call within 24 hours with a specific quote. No project managers between us.

Get My 90-Second Estimate