Outdoor Living Spaces in Wellesley, MA

Outdoor living spaces are our name, literally, Inova Outdoor Living Experts, and the category of work we probably enjoy designing most: outdoor kitchens, fire pits and fireplaces, pergolas, and the patio and hardscape systems that tie them together into a backyard people actually use from May through October, not just for one cookout a summer. In Wellesley and across MetroWest, that means designing for real New England weather: shoulder-season evenings that call for a fire feature, humid August afternoons that call for shade, and a winter that will freeze and thaw any structure built without the right materials and drainage. Pergolas and shade structures come up constantly in these conversations too, especially for patios facing west or south where afternoon sun otherwise limits real use of an expensive space.

An outdoor kitchen is a serious investment, and the projects that hold up best are built on a properly engineered patio base with utilities (gas, water, electrical) planned before the first paver is set, not retrofitted after. We design these spaces the same way we design any hardscape: grading and drainage first, then the patio surface, then the built-in features, so the whole space works as one system rather than a kitchen island dropped onto a slab that was never designed to support it.

Whether you are picturing a full outdoor kitchen with a built-in grill and bar seating, a simple gas fire pit and seating wall, or a phased plan that starts with the patio and adds features over a few seasons, we scope the project from a free site consultation and design around your budget honestly, including telling you where a phased approach makes more financial sense than doing everything at once. We are also candid when a homeowner's wishlist exceeds a realistic single-season budget, laying out which pieces, the patio and gas line rough-in first, cabinetry and appliances later, make sense to build now versus next year.

Problems we solve

Our process

1. 1

   Design consultation

   We discuss how you want to use the space, entertaining size, cooking style, budget, and walk the site to assess sun exposure, existing utilities, and grade.

2. 2

   Layout and utility planning

   For kitchens and fire features, we plan gas, water, and electrical routing before construction begins, not as an afterthought once the patio is poured. Gas line rough-in in particular needs to happen before any patio base goes down, since trenching through a finished patio to add gas later is expensive and avoidable.

3. 3

   Base and hardscape construction

   We build the patio to the same frost-resistant standard as any hardscape project, compacted crushed-stone base, proper pitch, since this surface has to support both foot traffic and built-in structures for years.

4. 4

   Built-in feature construction

   Kitchen islands, fireplaces, or fire pits are built on their own engineered footing where required, with masonry or veneer finishes tied visually to the patio.

5. 5

   Utility connections

   We coordinate gas, water, or electrical hookups with licensed trade partners as needed so features function safely from day one.

6. 6

   Final walkthrough

   We review operation of any built-in appliances or fire features, cover seasonal care, and answer questions before considering the project complete.

What's included

• Free design consultation and written proposal
• Layout planning around sun, wind, and gathering flow
• Frost-resistant patio base engineered for the full space
• Utility coordination for gas, water, or electrical needs
• Built-in kitchen, fireplace, or fire pit construction
• Coordination with licensed trades for utility hookups
• Cleanup and site restoration
• Walkthrough covering operation and seasonal care

What affects your price

We never quote from a photo. Every estimate is a written, itemized scope after an on-site assessment — here's what moves the number up or down:

Why choose Inova

We named the company around outdoor living because it is genuinely the part of this business we find most rewarding, taking a backyard people barely use and turning it into the place they actually spend their evenings. That said, an outdoor kitchen or fireplace is only as good as the base and utility planning underneath it, so we apply the same frost-resistant hardscape engineering to these projects that we do to a standalone patio or wall.

We are insured, offer financing through third-party partners for larger builds, and typically schedule design consultations within 48 hours of your call. Crews communicate in Portuguese and Spanish as well as English. If your project also involves a paver patio foundation or a retaining wall to create a level terrace for the space, we scope and build it as one coordinated project rather than handing you off between contractors.

We design and build outdoor living spaces beyond Wellesley in Needham, Natick, Newton, Dover, and Sudbury, towns where backyard entertaining space is consistently one of the most requested upgrades we quote. Design consultations are free and typically scheduled within 48 hours, we're insured, and larger builds can be financed through third-party partners. Because we're design-build, the same team that plans your utility routing also installs it.