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Free Site Assessment and Design
We take the levels, look at where rain currently stands and ask how you want to use the space, then draw something that answers all three.
Metairie
Outdoor Living and Deck Builders for Metairie’s Low Ground
Decks, patios, outdoor kitchens, pergolas and sunrooms, drawn and built by one team for ground that sits three feet above sea level and rain that arrives all at once.
What You Get
What Do You Get on an Outdoor Living Project in Metairie, Louisiana?
A free estimate after a site visit, a design drawn for ground three feet above sea level, licensed work, and one team from the first drawing to the last check. The drainage decision comes first here, because it is what everything else stands on.
A Free In-Home Estimate
We come out, walk the lot and give you a figure built from what is actually there. No charge, and no obligation attached to it.
Drainage-Aware Planning
Metairie sits about three feet above sea level on a natural levee, so water has nowhere obvious to go. French drains and proper sloping are designed in before a surface or a material is chosen.
Licensed Work
Residential License # 890459 and Commercial License # 3667. The same licences cover every one of the fourteen cities we build in.
One Team From Plan to Finish
The people who set the levels and choose the materials are the people who install them, so no detail falls between two companies.
Materials Chosen for This Climate
Sustained humidity and heavy rain decide the specification, not the sample board. We say plainly what each option will ask of you each year.
Weekday Scheduling You Can Plan Around
We work Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and you are told the order of the stages before the first one starts.
Why People Call
Why Do Metairie Homeowners Call an Outdoor Living Contractor in the First Place?
Usually because the yard has stopped being usable. Water that sits after every shower, a deck that has gone soft, or a patio nobody stands on in July are the three we hear most, and all three are cheaper to solve at design stage.
Water Sits After Every Shower
Flat ground and heavy rain leave standing water wherever no fall was built in. It is the single most common reason a Metairie yard goes unused.
Nowhere Shaded to Sit
An unshaded surface in high summer is a surface people look at from the kitchen window. Shade is usually what unlocks the rest of the yard.
A Deck That Has Gone Soft
Sustained damp reaches framing long before it shows on the boards. By the time a deck feels wrong underfoot, the structure is the part that needs the work.
Entertaining Splits the House in Two
Cooking inside while everyone sits outside puts the host in the wrong room. An outdoor kitchen or a proper seating area is what fixes that.
Getting the House Ready to Sell
Usable outdoor space is one of the features buyers look for here. What a specific build returns depends on the house and the market, so we would not put a figure on it.
Planting Has Taken Over
Roots lift paving, and beds drain onto surfaces they were never meant to reach. The landscaping and the build have to be planned together.
A Surface That Has Had Its Day
Cracked concrete, sunken pavers, or a finish stripped by heat and rain. Sometimes it is a repair and sometimes a rebuild; the base underneath tells us which.
The Yard Does Not Connect to the House
A space you cross wet grass to reach does not get used. Where it meets the door matters more than how big it is.
A Layout That Never Worked
Furniture in the only dry corner, a grill sitting in its own smoke, a table nobody can get around. Most of it comes down to a layout nobody drew.
What We Build
Which Outdoor Living Services Do We Offer Across Metairie, Louisiana?
All five, across the whole of Metairie and the communities beside it. Most projects here combine two or three of them, and they work better drawn together than added a year apart.
Outdoor Home Decks
Outdoor Home Decks in Metairie. A level, usable surface where the ground will not cooperate, with the upkeep of wood and composite weighed against this climate.
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Outdoor Kitchens
Outdoor Kitchens in Metairie. A grill, the counter and storage around it, and the gas, water and power that have to reach the island.
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Patios
Patios in Metairie. Hard surfaces set to drain properly on flat ground, sized for the furniture and the number of people you want to seat.
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Pergolas and Gazebos
Pergolas and Gazebos in Metairie. Shade where the afternoon sun makes a space unusable, set on footings that hold in this ground.
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Sunroom
Sunroom in Metairie. An enclosed room that keeps the daylight and the view while shutting out the heat, the rain and the insects.
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All Service Areas
The full list of the fourteen cities we design and build in, from Greater New Orleans across the north shore.
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Signs to Watch
What Are the Signs a Metairie Yard Is Ready for Work?
Standing water a day after rain, timber that gives underfoot, and a surface nobody uses between June and September. Any one of the three is worth a site visit, because all three get more expensive the longer they are left.
Water Is Still There the Next Day
On ground this flat, standing water means the fall was never built in. That is a drainage job before it is a surfacing job.
The Structure Gives Underfoot
Softness in a deck is a framing problem, not a board problem, and it is worth checking before another season of damp reaches it.
Nobody Uses It in High Summer
If the space sits empty from June to September, shade is the missing piece and the surface underneath is probably fine.
Local Ground
What Makes an Outdoor Build in Metairie Different From Anywhere Else?
Three feet of elevation, a natural levee underneath, and lake air over the top. Metairie sits on ground formed by Bayou Metairie, an ancient branch of the Mississippi, and that geography decides more about a build here than any preference does.
| Local condition | What it does to a build | What we do about it |
|---|---|---|
| Three feet above sea level | There is almost no natural fall to help water leave a surface. | Levels and falls taken from the lot itself, with French drains and proper sloping designed in before a surface is chosen. |
| A natural levee underneath | The ridge left by Bayou Metairie means the ground is not uniform across a single lot. | We take the levels on site rather than assume them, which is also what decides whether a deck or a patio is the better answer. |
| Lake air and humidity | With Lake Pontchartrain to the north, the damp here is constant rather than seasonal. | Framing, fixings and finishes specified for sustained moisture, not for a drier state. |
| Heavy rainfall | Water arrives fast and all at once, and flat suburban lots give it nowhere to go. | Drainage designed first. Correcting a fall after a surface is laid means lifting the surface. |
| Housing from the 1910s onward | Metairie urbanised after the streetcar arrived, so lot sizes and setbacks change street by street. | Every design starts from the lot in front of us. Nothing here is drawn from a standard plan. |
| A long hot season | Unshaded decking and paving go unused through the middle of the day. | Shade planned with the build. A pergola over part of a surface also protects what is underneath it. |
Drainage is the first decision on a Metairie build, not the last. At three feet above sea level, where the water goes is what everything else stands on. Every Metairie project gets a free estimate after a site assessment, because the ground is what sets the figure.
Local Contractor
What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Local Outdoor Contractor in Metairie?
Someone who has already seen what this ground does. Metairie sits between the lake and the river on three feet of elevation, and a contractor working here every week designs for that instead of discovering it on your lot.
We Are Already in the Area
Metairie is one of the fourteen cities we serve, and it borders several of the others, so reaching you is not a scheduling problem.
We Know What the Ground Does
Flat lots, a levee ridge and heavy rain are the normal conditions here rather than surprises. That shows up in the drainage design before it shows up in a quote.
You Deal With the People Doing the Work
The same team draws it and builds it, so there is no handover where the detail gets lost.
You Can Check the Licences
Residential License # 890459 and Commercial License # 3667, and finished work you can go and look at across Greater New Orleans.
How It Runs
How Does an Outdoor Living Project Run in Metairie, From Start to Finish?
In three stages, in the same order every time: a free site assessment and design, then materials and the estimate, then the build with the detailing checked as it goes rather than at the end.
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Materials and the Estimate
Materials chosen against Metairie humidity and rainfall, with a figure built from the site itself rather than from a phone call.
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Build and Final Check
Drainage and base first, then the structure, with the work checked as it progresses and the site left clean.
Before You Start
What Should You Plan Before Building Outdoors in Metairie?
Where the water will go, how much of the year you want the space to work, and what the finished surface will ask of you. Those three settle most of the design, and all three are cheaper to decide on paper than on site.
Decide Where the Water Goes First
On ground this flat it is the decision every other one depends on. It also sets the base, which is the part that costs most to redo.
Decide How Much of the Year It Has to Work
A shaded space and an unshaded one are different builds. Being honest about July at the start avoids adding a structure later.
Decide What Upkeep You Are Willing to Do
Every material trades cost now against attention later. We tell you what each one wants each year before you choose it.
Recent Work
What Outdoor Living Work Have We Designed and Built Near Metairie?
A sample of finished decks, patios, outdoor kitchens and shaded spaces from across Greater New Orleans. Ask to see the projects closest to your own street and we will bring them to the consultation.
Wicker sofa and armchairs on a covered patio beside a green lawn
Timber deck with blooming flowers and potted plants along the railing
Backyard patio with a dining table under a wide umbrella
Outdoor table and chairs set out on a wood deck
Cozy deck corner with chairs and dense potted planting
Adirondack chair and a side table on a timber deck
Lounge seating around a fire pit on a wooden deck
Wooden table and chairs on a paved patio beside planting
About the Area
What Should You Know About Metairie, Louisiana?
It is not a city. Metairie is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, sitting between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi, with New Orleans on one side of it and Kenner on the other.
A Community, Not an Incorporated City
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish. At 143,507 residents in the 2020 census it is the fifth-largest CDP in the United States.
Between the Lake and the River
New Orleans borders it to the east, Kenner to the west, Lake Pontchartrain to the north and the Illinois Central tracks to the south.
Built on an Old River Ridge
The community sits on a natural levee formed by Bayou Metairie, an ancient branch of the Mississippi, about three feet above sea level.
Around Town
Which Parks, Shopping Centres and Landmarks Are There in Metairie?
Parks, shopping and a good deal of local history within a short drive of most streets. We mention them because they are how people describe where they live, which is usually how a consultation starts.
Lafreniere Park
Walking trails, a lake, playgrounds and picnic areas. The land was a race track before it became the park most of Metairie knows it as.
Lakeside Shopping Center
The shopping hub of the area, and the landmark most people give directions from.
Metairie Cemetery
Known for its elaborate tombs and sculptures, and one of the more photographed places in the parish.
The Saints Training Facility
The New Orleans Saints train in Metairie, which is a piece of local identity well beyond football season.
Nearby
Which Communities Near Metairie Do We Also Build In?
The ones on every side of it. Kenner, Harahan, River Ridge and Jefferson all sit inside the fourteen cities we serve, so a build on the Metairie boundary is no different from one in the middle of it.
Kenner and Harahan
Kenner borders Metairie to the west, with Harahan just beyond it. Both are inside our service area and both share the same flat ground and rainfall.
River Ridge
South-west of Metairie and closer to the river. Same conditions, same five services, same licences.
Jefferson
Immediately south of Metairie, with the Causeway Boulevard corridor running down through it, which is how a lot of people cross between the two.
Fun Facts
Which Facts About Metairie, Louisiana Are Most Worth Knowing?
Its name comes from farming, it is not technically a city, and the tallest building in Louisiana outside New Orleans and Baton Rouge is here. None of it changes a deck, but it is the kind of thing that comes up on a first visit.
The Name Comes From Sharecropping
Metairie is the French word for a small tenant farm paid for with a share of the produce. French settlers arrived here in the 1720s.
It Is Not Technically a City
Metairie is unincorporated. It has no mayor of its own and is governed as part of Jefferson Parish.
Three Lakeway Center Is 403 Feet Tall
It is the tallest building in Louisiana outside New Orleans and Baton Rouge, and it stands in Metairie.
Old Metairie Dates to the 1920s
Urbanisation followed the streetcar in the 1910s, and the upscale tracts built off the road in the 1920s are the area now called Old Metairie.
Getting Around
Which Jefferson Parish Transit Bus Routes Serve Metairie, Louisiana?
Jefferson Parish Transit runs the buses here, with several Eastbank routes crossing Metairie and an on-demand zone covering the rest. It matters to us mainly because it tells us how a crew and a delivery will reach your street.
E1 Veterans-Airport
Runs between Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner and the Cemeteries Transit Hub, along Veterans Boulevard and the Pontchartrain Expressway.
E2 Airline Drive
Runs from the Kenner Terminal Parking Garage to Tulane and Loyola downtown, along US-61, Airline Drive and Tulane Avenue.
E5 Causeway
A shorter route between East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie and Causeway at Jefferson Highway, running down Causeway Boulevard.
Move Metairie On-Demand
An on-demand zone that replaced the E4 Metairie Road bus, provided through Lyft rather than on a fixed route.
Where We Build
Which Cities Around Metairie and Greater New Orleans Do We Build In?
All fourteen. We build across Greater New Orleans and the north shore, out to Hammond and Baton Rouge, and every service we offer is available in all of it.
Before You Call
Outdoor Living Questions Metairie Homeowners Ask Us Most
The things Metairie homeowners ask us most, before a first consultation.
How Much Does a Deck or Patio Cost in Metairie?
It comes down to size, the materials you choose, and what the ground needs before anything is built. On flat lots the drainage work is often what moves the figure. We give a free estimate after a site visit rather than a number by phone.
Why Does Water Sit in My Metairie Backyard After Rain?
Because there is very little natural fall to work with. Metairie sits about three feet above sea level on an old river ridge, so unless a fall was built into the surface, heavy rain has nowhere obvious to go.
Should I Build a Deck or a Patio on a Low Metairie Lot?
It depends on the levels. A deck solves ground that will not cooperate, a patio suits ground that can be prepared to drain. We take the levels on site before recommending either, because the answer changes street by street here.
Which Outdoor Materials Last Best in Metairie Humidity?
The ones specified for moisture rather than for looks. Composite asks less of you than wood year to year, and the fixings and the framing underneath matter as much as the surface you can see.
Do You Work in Kenner, Harahan and River Ridge Too?
Yes. Kenner, Harahan, River Ridge and Jefferson are all inside the fourteen cities we serve, and every service we offer is available across the whole area.
Can You Build an Outdoor Kitchen and a Pergola Together?
Yes, and it is cheaper to plan than to retrofit. A pergola over the working end changes where the services run and what the base has to carry, which is easier to settle on a drawing than on a finished island.
How Long Does an Outdoor Project Take in Metairie?
It depends on the size of the build and what the ground needs first, so we give you a schedule after the site assessment. What we can say is that the stages run in the same order on every job.
Are You Licensed to Build in Metairie?
Yes. We hold Residential License # 890459 and Commercial License # 3667, and the same team designs and builds every project rather than handing it between two companies.
Next Step
Start Your Outdoor Living Project in Metairie, Louisiana
Tell us where the water sits and how you want to use the yard, and we will tell you what is realistic on your lot. The consultation and the estimate both cost nothing.
Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM