An outdoor living project is one of the larger investments a homeowner makes in a property, and most people begin the process without a clear picture of how it runs, what it costs, or who is responsible when something changes mid-build. The Stone Man has built custom hardscapes across the Charlotte area since 2001 as a licensed general contractor in both Carolinas, working through a defined process with one project manager accountable from design through final inspection. The questions below cover fit, services, process, communication, construction, and pricing. Read what applies to your project, then reach out about anything specific to your property.
Fit, Services, and Service Area
What kinds of projects does The Stone Man take on?
The Stone Man takes on designed outdoor living projects that combine hardscape, structures, and the landscape around them, built and managed as one job. That ranges from a custom patio with a fire feature and seat walls to a full backyard build with a covered structure, outdoor kitchen, pool deck, water feature, and lighting. Work is done for homeowners across the Charlotte metro and for builders and developers on model and spec homes, including projects with Toll Brothers. Properties with grade problems, drainage issues, or an unusable slope are common starting points.
What services does The Stone Man offer?
The Stone Man offers custom patios, covered structures, porches, pergolas, outdoor kitchens, fire features, pool decks, stone walls, water features, outdoor lighting, and landscape design. As a licensed general contractor in North Carolina and South Carolina, the company also handles demolition, excavation, carpentry, permitting, inspections, and the coordination of specialty trades including electric, gas, and plumbing. Most projects pull several of these together rather than standing alone. Materials span concrete pavers, travertine, flagstone, and natural stone.
What projects is The Stone Man not the right fit for?
The Stone Man is not the right fit for small one-off repairs, patio cleaning or sealing on its own, routine lawn maintenance, or lowest-bid work, and homeowners looking for those are better served by a specialist in that trade. The process is built around designed, permitted, fully managed projects, and that carries real cost in design time, project management, licensed trades, and material quality. Homeowners who want a design drawn and then handed to someone else to build are also outside how the company works. Being direct about this saves everyone a consultation that was never going to fit.
What areas does The Stone Man build in?
The Stone Man builds across the greater Charlotte metro from its base in Fort Mill, SC, covering Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Rock Hill, Lake Wylie, and Indian Land in South Carolina, and Charlotte, Ballantyne, Myers Park, Dilworth, South End, Davidson, Matthews, Mint Hill, Pineville, Marvin, Waxhaw, Weddington, Wesley Chapel, and Gastonia in North Carolina. Holding a general contractor license in both states is what allows work on either side of the line. Properties near the edge of that footprint are reviewed against project scope and crew scheduling.
A Closer Look at Our Core Services
What does a full outdoor living build include?
A full outdoor living build brings the patio surface, structures, features, and landscape together on one plan and one schedule. A typical project combines a patio in pavers or natural stone, a covered structure or pergola overhead, a fire feature, seat or retaining walls where the grade calls for them, and layered outdoor lighting, with an outdoor kitchen or water feature added where the household wants them. Grading, drainage, footings, and utility runs are resolved before any finish surface goes down. Building it as one project is what keeps a backyard from looking assembled over several years by different crews.
What is involved in a custom patio installation?
A custom patio installation runs through excavation, base preparation and compaction, the bedding layer, laying and cutting the material, edge restraint, and joint stabilization. The Stone Man builds every patio to best practices for base and drainage, because that hidden work is what determines whether the surface stays level through Carolina clay and seasonal freeze cycles. Material options include concrete pavers, travertine, flagstone, natural stone, and mixed-material designs, installed either dry-laid or set in mortar depending on the surface and the site. Patios are backed by the company’s five-year warranty.
How does a pool deck project work when another contractor is building the pool?
The Stone Man regularly designs and builds the outdoor living space around a pool that another contractor installs, covering the pool deck, coping, surrounding patio, walls, fire features, kitchen, and lighting. Sequencing is the reason to involve both parties early, since deck and utility work has to land at specific points relative to excavation and equipment installation. Bringing the design in before excavation is considerably easier than working around a finished pool and a compacted yard. Acting as general contractor means one party holds the schedule rather than two crews working around each other.
How Projects Are Designed and Built
What happens after I first contact The Stone Man?
The first contact leads to a conversation about your project and what is not working in the space now, followed by an on-site visit where the team walks the property and asks how you intend to use it. From there The Stone Man produces a 3D design, presented to you at the Fort Mill office, showing layout, materials, and how the areas connect. Engineering, permitting, and HOA approvals follow design approval. Construction is scheduled once those approvals are in hand.
Do I see a design before committing to construction?
Every Stone Man project includes a 3D design presented before construction is scheduled. Seeing the space in three dimensions is what lets you judge scale, sight lines, and material combinations while changes are still free, rather than discovering a problem once stone is set. The design is the document you review, adjust, and approve, and it is what the crews build from. Finished projects built from these plans show how those decisions carry through to the built space. Design is typically presented within two to four weeks of the initial consultation.
How long does a project take?
Construction on larger outdoor living projects runs two to four months, and design adds two to four weeks ahead of that, with engineering, permitting, and HOA review in between. Smaller, single-element projects move faster, though the review steps still apply where a permit is required. The Stone Man schedules months out, so the calendar is usually the limiting factor rather than crew availability. Anyone promising a large custom hardscape in a couple of weeks is describing a different kind of work.
Does The Stone Man use its own crews or subcontractors?
The Stone Man’s own masons, hardscapers, and carpenters perform the core design and build work, with licensed specialty trades such as electric, gas, and plumbing brought in under the company’s management as general contractor. Every trade on site works to a schedule the project manager sets and holds, and inspections are coordinated by The Stone Man rather than by you. The full process lays out each stage and who owns it. That management layer is a meaningful part of what the project fee covers. It is also why one company stands behind the finished result.
Communication and Accountability
Who is my point of contact during the project?
Each Stone Man project is assigned a project manager who serves as your single point of contact from the start of construction through final inspection. That person handles scheduling, crews, materials, site conditions, and any question that comes up, so you are not repeating yourself to different people or chasing a crew member for an answer. Clear, regular communication on project details, cost, and timing is part of how the company runs a job. Contact details are provided when your project is scheduled.
Can I change the plan once construction has started?
Change requests during construction are reviewed against schedule, cost, and what has already been built, then confirmed with you before any work shifts. Some changes are straightforward and some affect grade, drainage, footings, or a sequence already underway, which is why the impact is explained before a decision rather than after. Raising a change as early as possible is what keeps it inexpensive, and the design stage is where it costs the least. Your project manager is the person to bring it to.
How does The Stone Man handle disruption to the property during a build?
Construction on a hardscape project involves excavation, equipment access, and material staging, and The Stone Man works to keep that contained and the site clean and safe throughout. Access routes, staging areas, and protection for existing lawn and plantings are planned before crews mobilize rather than improvised. Homeowners are told in advance about the stages that will be loudest or most disruptive. Restoring the areas used for access is part of the project rather than an extra.
Construction, Materials, and Performance
How does The Stone Man build for Carolina soil and weather?
Charlotte-area properties bring heavy clay, real grade change, heat, humidity, and seasonal freeze cycles, and each one affects how a hardscape has to be built. The Stone Man sets base depth, compaction, and drainage for the actual conditions on your site rather than to a single default spec, and directs water away from structures before any finish surface goes in. Patios and walls fail because of what sits underneath them and where the water goes, which is why those decisions come before material selection. Plant material is chosen for the exposure on your property.
What certifications does The Stone Man hold?
The Stone Man is a licensed general contractor in North Carolina and South Carolina, a Belgard Authorized Contractor, and ICPI certified, with the required program training and installation coursework completed. The company has also earned Best of Houzz awards for both Design and Service across multiple years and is rated five stars by more than 100 clients. Those credentials matter because hardscape quality is largely invisible once the project is finished. The full list of awards, reviews, and certifications is available on our process page.
What does the five-year warranty cover?
The Stone Man backs its hardscape design and build work with a five-year warranty covering the patios, walls, steps, and masonry the team installs. That length reflects how the base and drainage are constructed rather than a marketing position, since those are what determine whether a hardscape holds up. Manufacturer warranties on specific materials and appliances run separately and are documented alongside it. Warranty terms are confirmed in your project documents.
Are outdoor living spaces usable outside of summer here?
Outdoor spaces across the Charlotte metro get used well beyond summer when warmth, light, and shelter are designed in from the start. Fire features draw people outside on cool evenings, covered structures and porches handle rain and afternoon sun, and layered lighting keeps the space usable through early winter sunsets. Heaters, fans, and shade elements extend both ends of the season further. These have to be planned into the design, since adding a roof, a gas line, or wiring to a finished patio is expensive.
Pricing and Getting Started
How is project pricing determined?
Pricing on a Stone Man project is built from the approved design: square footage, material selection, site conditions such as grade and equipment access, drainage requirements, structures, and the scope of the built elements. Two patios of identical size price very differently when one sits on stable ground with easy access and the other requires machine access across a slope and significant base correction. Budget range is discussed at the consultation, before design work begins, so the plan is scoped to something you intend to build. Detailed pricing follows the design rather than preceding it.
What budget range should I expect?
Budget range depends entirely on scope, and The Stone Man discusses it openly at the first consultation rather than after a design is drawn. A single defined element such as a patio sits at one end, a patio with a covered structure and fire feature sits well above it, and a full backyard build with a pool deck, outdoor kitchen, and lighting is a larger commitment again. Naming a real number early is what keeps the design honest and prevents a plan nobody intends to build. Phasing across seasons is a normal way to reach a larger vision on a set annual budget.
Does The Stone Man offer financing?
The Stone Man works with local lending partners to provide financing options for outdoor living projects. Terms and availability depend on the lender and your situation, so the specifics are worth discussing directly with the team. Many homeowners also phase a larger project across budget years rather than financing it. Either approach is easier to plan when the full design exists first.
What should I have ready for a consultation?
A useful consultation starts with three things: how you want to use the space, a budget range you are comfortable with, and a rough timeline. Photos of layouts you respond to, a property survey if you have one, and notes on current problems such as standing water or an unusable slope all move the conversation faster. Knowing who else in the household is part of the decision matters as much as the wish list. Nothing needs to be polished, since sorting through it is part of what the visit is for.
How do I get started?
Getting started means scheduling a consultation through the contact page or calling the Fort Mill office at (704) 616-7948. A team member connects with you about the project first, then the on-site visit is scheduled. Projects book months in advance and design adds several weeks ahead of construction, so reaching out early is what secures the season you have in mind. The first conversation carries no obligation beyond a look at the property.
Client Testimonials
“Alan and Travis helped bring our outdoor patio vision to life! I truly appreciate their partnership and dedication to the details throughout this process. From the beginning to the end, we experienced fantastic customer service and continuous communication to ensure we were happy with the progression and overall results. I would absolutely hire The Stone Man again for my next project.”
-YG via Google
Outdoor Living Design and Build in Fort Mill, SC and the Charlotte Metro
The Stone Man is an outdoor living design and build company based in Fort Mill, SC, creating custom hardscapes across the greater Charlotte metro since 2001. As a licensed general contractor in both North Carolina and South Carolina, the company handles design, demolition, excavation, masonry, carpentry, landscaping, lighting, permitting, and the specialty trades on every project, and backs its hardscape work with a five-year warranty. Custom patios, covered structures, outdoor kitchens, fire features, pool decks, stone walls, and water features are designed and built by one team, from the 3D design through the final inspection.