San Diego’s Mediterranean climate makes outdoor living a central appeal for any home. Improvements to your outdoor living space can help to increase functionality while increasing the value of your property. The right outdoor improvement project can enhance your satisfaction with your home and creates a relaxing, enjoyable environment. There are many different types of outdoor projects, each ranging in scope and budget.

Decks

The first and more common type of outdoor project is a deck. Adding a deck is a great way to increase space, capture a view, or convert unusable areas of your property into flat, level entertaining spaces. Woolsey Construction has helped many clients choose between a deck remodel, rooftop deck conversion, or a number of different types of new deck options. 

There are several different options when determining the materials to use for your deck, but a primary determinant of material is drainage. For a solid surface deck, we recommend clients consider a deck with wood sub-structure that is waterproofed using the ALX system. The ALX system combines acrylic resins and cement blends into a reinforced, galvanized metal lath. Clients can choose the color and texture of the waterproof coating or can select an overlay material such as tile or Trex. Other popular alternatives include composite decking or wood. Handrails are another important feature of your deck. The handrail you choose significantly influences the design aesthetics that your deck contributed to your home. Choices range from stained or painted wood, wrought iron, cable, composite, or glass handrail.

Covered Outdoor Entertainment Space

Another option for improving your outdoor space is an attached or detached covered entertainment space. The cost of building an outdoor entertainment space varies widely based on type of cover, structural aesthetics, and features. The type of cover is typically determined by the style of the primary dwelling on the property. Most clients match the roof of their covered outdoor space to their home by selecting a composition shingle, tile, or more trendy materials like sheet metal roofing. There are also several structural aesthetics like; exposed beams, stucco or wood ceiling, and post-column finish (e.g., stone or stucco wrapped).Clients should weigh out the cost and comfort of adding convenience features such as lighting, plumbing for overhead space heaters (gas versus electric), installation of ceiling fans, tv and type of fireplace (pit or chimney). These features offer comfort and functionality but also increase project cost.

Outdoor Kitchen & Dining

A third type of outdoor improvement project and one that is growing in popularity, is an outdoor kitchen and dining space. Living in sunny San Diego makes this an appealing option since many homeowners enjoy entertaining outdoors for most of the year. An outdoor kitchen and dining space project will involve the extension of utilities. The need for running utilities to the outdoor space will influence the project’s placement on the property, job cost, and permitting/code compliance. Depending on the type and size of kitchen appliances a client may need 110v or 220v electrical and gas run to the site. Other unique features to consider adding to your outdoor kitchen are specialty cooking features such as a wood, gas, or electric pizza oven, smoker, kamado-style grill, a side grill or warming drawer. If you are unsure of all the cooking features you may want in the future, plumbing for additional features can be run during construction and hooked up to appliances several years later.

No matter what type of outdoor improvement project you decide is best, you should always begin by considering the basic layout of your yard. Create a master plan for what your yard may eventually look like and consider additional structures that you may want in the future (e.g., pool, ADU, covered parking). You’ll want to outline basic traits of your area, such as the size and shape, as well as location on the property. Be sure to take into account the conditions of the site when determining the placement of your outdoor project, characteristics like accessibility, distance from utilities, slope and footing will impact the type of construction and project cost. With everything there is to consider, our team is here to help! We can help walk you through these decisions and assist you with everything from plans and permits to design and construction. Contact us today to begin your project! Woolsey Construction can help bring the indoors out so you can enjoy your outdoor space all year long.

Customer Testimonials

"The end result is amazing! The process went smoothly, the crew that we worked with was well qualified, conscientious, and worked collaboratively with us. In addition, they were all great guys and we enjoyed working with them. We felt very confident that all of the structural issues were handled appropriately. If an issue came up, alternatives were discussed and agreed upon before moving forward. We would absolutely use Woolsey Construction again and highly recommend them!"

DAWN O., LA MESA

"Luke Woolsey is every house owner’s dream contractor. Not only does he do excellent work to a very high standard, he is also honest, reliable, prompt, trustworthy, and a delight to work with."                                                                                 
DONNA K., SAN DIEGO

"I would highly recommend Luke Woolsey and his team for any construction or remodeling job.  From bid to final inspection they were great to work with.  His bid package included  everything that we requested which was just the first indication that Luke pays attention to the details.  His sub contractors do high quality work and Luke is there to make sure everything is perfect.  He kept us informed throughout the project and in the end  we love our casita!"

TOM M., CHULA VISTA

Woolsey Construction
​1934 John Towers Ave, Ste. E
El Cajon, CA 92020
P: 619.449.0633
Lic # 900515

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