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Your backyard has more potential than it’s showing right now. Whether you’re looking at a blank slate or a space that’s never quite worked, outdoor living design turns underused property into rooms you’ll actually spend time in — for cooking, gathering, relaxing, or just watching the kids play. Ted Lare Design & Build has been doing exactly that across the Des Moines metro for over 40 years.
A lot of people hear “outdoor living” and picture a patio with some chairs. What Ted Lare builds is closer to a full extension of your home — designed around how your household works, what your property allows, and what Iowa’s seasons demand.
Depending on your goals and site, a project might include:
Custom patios — natural stone or paver systems built for durability through Iowa freeze-thaw cycles
Pergolas and shade structures — freestanding or attached, sized and positioned to handle summer sun from the southwest
Fire pits and outdoor fireplaces — designed for use from early spring through late fall, and built to complement the hardscape around them
Retaining walls — functional and decorative, particularly useful on sloped West Des Moines lots where grade changes create drainage challenges
Water features — stone fountains, cascading waterfalls, and similar installations that add both sound and visual interest
Custom plantings and garden beds — species selected for Iowa’s climate zone and the specific light and moisture conditions of your yard
Tree installations — scaled to your property for shade, privacy, or seasonal color
Luxury pool installations — for properties where a full aquatic feature makes sense
Every project starts with design. Ted Lare’s team includes degree-holding landscape architects who work through a structured design-to-build process — so what gets built is what was actually planned, not a rough approximation of it.
The process is design-first, which matters more than it might sound. A lot of outdoor projects fail because installation happens before anyone has thought through how the space will actually be used — traffic flow, sun angles, drainage, and the relationship between different features.
At Ted Lare, the design phase involves your input, your site’s specific conditions, and the experience of a team that has worked on properties throughout Central Iowa for decades. You’ll know what’s being built and why before any ground is broken.
From there, construction is handled by the same team — not handed off to a subcontractor. That continuity tends to produce better results and fewer surprises.
Timeline varies by project scope, but most homeowners find that starting conversations in late winter or early spring puts them in a strong position to be outside and using the space by summer.
You’re probably a good fit for this kind of project if:
– You have outdoor space that you don’t use because it’s not set up for anything in particular
– You’re planning to stay in your West Des Moines home long-term and want the yard to reflect that
– You’re selling in the next few years and want to meaningfully increase your home’s appeal and value
– You’ve tried piecing things together on your own and want a cohesive plan instead
– You’re building new and want the landscape designed alongside the house, not as an afterthought
There’s no minimum project size. Ted Lare works with compact urban lots and large suburban properties alike.
There’s no shortage of landscaping contractors in the Des Moines metro. What Ted Lare offers that’s harder to find elsewhere:
Four-plus decades of local experience. Over 40 years working in Central Iowa means the team understands the region’s soil conditions, drainage patterns, and climate in ways that directly affect how outdoor spaces hold up over time. This isn’t transferable knowledge — it comes from years of building here specifically.
Landscape architects on staff. The design work is done by degree-holding professionals, not salespeople with a catalog. That distinction shows up in the quality of what gets built — and in how problems get solved when a site doesn’t cooperate.
Integrated design and construction. The team that designs your space is connected to the team that builds it. This isn’t the case everywhere, and the difference in quality control is real.
Full-service scope. Ted Lare can handle every layer of an outdoor living project — hardscape, softscape, water features, pools, structures — without coordinating between multiple contractors. That simplifies the process considerably.
Here is where we push back. Plenty of homeowners ask for the largest patio the yard will hold. A smaller space matched to how you really entertain gets used every week. We would rather build the right size and spend the savings on materials.
Late winter through early spring is ideal for starting the design and planning process. Iowa’s shoulder seasons — late April through May and September through October — are typically the best construction windows, since the ground isn’t frozen and summer heat hasn’t set in. Starting conversations in February or March puts you ahead of the spring rush and gives more flexibility in scheduling.
Project costs vary significantly based on scope, materials, and site conditions. A straightforward paver patio installation will land at a very different price point than a full outdoor room with a pergola, fire feature, planting beds, and a water element. Ted Lare works with you during the design phase to understand your priorities and build a scope that makes sense for your budget. Contact the team directly for a project-specific conversation.
Well-built patios, structured shade elements, and cohesive landscaping consistently perform well in terms of resale value — especially in markets like West Des Moines where buyers expect outdoor spaces to be usable, not just green. Fire features and quality hardscaping tend to photograph well and stand out during showings. That said, the features that add the most value to your specific home depend on what’s currently missing and what comparable properties in your neighborhood offer.
Material selection matters a lot. Natural stone and properly installed paver systems are designed to handle freeze-thaw cycles without heaving or cracking, provided the base preparation is done correctly. Drainage is addressed at the design stage — not as an afterthought — particularly on sloped lots or properties where water pooling is already an issue. The goal is a space that comes through Iowa winters without requiring significant repair every spring.
Yes. Smaller lots benefit from thoughtful design as much as — sometimes more than — large ones. Defining zones, choosing appropriately scaled features, and using vertical elements like pergolas or trellises can make a compact space feel complete rather than crowded. Ted Lare works with the site you have, not a hypothetical ideal one.
A patio is a surface. An outdoor living space is a system — hardscape, plantings, shade, lighting, and features like fire or water working together to create distinct functional areas. You can have a patio without an outdoor living space, but a well-designed outdoor living space always includes a patio as its foundation. The difference in how much you’ll actually use the space tends to be significant.
Ted Lare Design & Build serves West Des Moines and the greater Des Moines metro. If you’re ready to talk through what a project might look like for your property, reach out to the team directly.
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