We had a total backyard transformation and were very pleased with the final outcome! Design stayed on budget, owner was flexible with small changes along the way, workers showed up on time and the project was complete in a satisfactory timeline given the unusually cold and rainy winter houston weather. We were impressed with the quality and skill of the subs - especially earthworks landsape design! read more

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL PROJECT We previously hired Outer Image in the summer of 2011 for a backyard pergola, patio, and a fire pit, as well as a redesign of our front entry. That project was on budget and on schedule and because of this, the project was very successful. My wife and I both have keen attention to detail and everything was completed with utter satisfaction. We continually were complimented on the overall design of our property and this was due to Steve and his creativity. Fast forward to the summer of 2020, we decided that we wanted to change the pergola out for a covered patio as we wanted an area to sit that was protected from the weather. We had multiple contractors price out the project and ultimately decided to hire Outer Image again. Steve's pricing was competitive; in addition, his design and attention to detail are what made us ultimately chose them again. Since our original pergola was still structurally sound from 2011. Outer image recommended keeping the main structure and just removing the top pergola portion to build the vaulted roof structure. This was a huge cost saving to the budget. Outer Image took care of all of the drawings, designs, and permitting with The Woodlands. As soon as we received approval, they worked with us and the pool contractor to coordinate the schedule, site access, and overall coordination so we could complete both projects on time. There were some roadblocks with typical Houston weather and the Outer Image crew was very accommodating and continued to keep the overall project in line. In addition, any questions that arose during the project were addressed and reviewed directly by Steve in a timely and professional manner with a thorough explanation. During this process, we added some additional scope by changing the original 2011 wood deck to an Azek material, replacing some gas pipes in an outdoor fireplace, as well as adding some lighting and electrical to the new structure. All changes were easy to make and the team at Outer Image was happy to accommodate them. Again, their pricing was fair, their service was top notch and their creativity and problem-solving ability were exactly what we needed for this project. Thank you, Steve and the Outer Image team! read more

Excellent job by Steve and his team! We wanted to add a pea gravel slab and cedar arbor to our pool area. We had four contactors come out and bid the job and he was very competitive on pricing. We had a good idea of what we wanted, but we also wanted a contractor that would use his experience to make recommendations to get us the best outcome. Steve was very helpful in the design phase and patient with my detailed questions. He made sure we were both clear on the final outcome and how some of my concerns would be addressed through the build process. I was also happy with how his team cleaned up at the end of each day, even though they were not finished with the job they cleaned up their tools and scraps, so it looked as nice and tidy. The arbor absolutely exceeded our expectations, and he created the space we had been wanting for a while!! read more

My wife and I loved working with Steve, he was very friendly and helped us get the Outdoor Kitchen of our dreams! He had great suggestions to help us stay within budget which is a rare find. He wanted us to be happy with our finished project and we appreciate that! Our backyard is a beautiful retreat after a long day and our home has become the favorite amongst all of our friends! Thank you Steve and Outer Image Design for helping us get the Backyard and Kitchen we longed to have! I'll be referring all of my friends and family to you guys!!! read more

We wanted to follow up on our outcome of dealing with this company....spoke with Mr. Nedd to get our fee back. He refused to refund our money, he did not finish any design ( after 6 months), and he said that it would cost more to sue him to recover our fee than the fee itself. He was at least honest and correct about that. We have since, hired another firm that created and installed our "dream" on the lake. We'd highly suggest hiring someone else to avoid a messy nightmare with this firm. read more

We hired Outer Image to do a full design of our dream backyard that we would phase out over time. They delivered a beautiful design, that exceeded our expectations with a itemized bid for each "phase" of the project. We have already completed Phase 1 and 2. The crews arrived on time, cleaned up their work each day, and finished both projects in a timely manner. They completed our patio cover a few months ago and just finished our new patio and walkway. We are loving our new backyard and can't wait to finish the final phase. Thanks Outer Image! read more

We contacted Outer Image Design to do an outdoor kitchen design. We understood that he had a lot of experience. This is our first outdoor kitchen so we needed some guidance. We asked for a plan that would fit within a $15,000 budget. We told him what we would like to stay within that budget. He took great notes and listened and said that he thought that budget could achieve our goals. We paid him $700 for a plan. When we received the plan it was for a $25,000 outdoor kitchen. When we asked why we received a plan that was almost double the budget his response was that he put in all of the things we had discussed and that is what it would cost. At no time did he indicate that we would need to scale back to meet our budget. Instead he said that he gave us a plan we would like and if we wanted to have it fit within the budget we would ned to tell him what o do to make it fit. I am flabbergasted. I have done many projects where the contractor provides feedback on the dream vs the reality/budget of the project. So without me knowing what the labor costs and the other "professional costs" would be he expected me to rework his out-of -scope plan. I told him that i was able to meet with others and get a plan within the scope. In fact, I would have expected the required and agreed upon budget plan to be provided. If that was not possible, we should have been told that at the consultation. I had a bad feeling about this when I read that one customer had to get involved in a lawsuit with this company. I often think that negatives are a given too much weight. I can only imagine what would have happened had we contacted to do the job. Nightmare is the only word that comes to mine. There are many companies, I found them, that have BBB ratings, free consultations and plans and provide feedback so that the plan and your budget align. This is not one of those companies. I would not recommend this company. The emphasis is on money and not the customer. He asked what I wanted and I told him half of the money back since the plan did not meet the budget estimate. His response: No it's not refundable and obviously other companies are not as capable as he is and that's why they are able to do what they do in the marketplace (free plans and guaranteed satisfaction). I really hate that we got hoodwinked. But better at this point than later. Look for someone who does free plans and is part of the BBB. That is the only way to go when you are talking about big projects like this. I love to work with small business people, but lately this is becoming very difficult. Sad. read more

We hired Outer Image Design to construct our outdoor covered kitchen/cabana after interviewing with and bidding to several companies. We knew this was going to be a large project as we had several trees and beds that were going to be removed, stairs were going to be constructed down to our boat dock, and we also wanted to expand the deck area and remodel our in-ground pool. New landscaping (front and back yards) and upgrades to our sprinkler system were also included. One of the primary reasons we chose this firm (which was not the low bid) was the fact that Steve created a design which mirrored the existing exterior architecture of our house so closely that it appeared to be an extension of the house although it was a stand-alone structure. Steve prepared and submitted all the necessary paperwork for approval by the Architectural Control Committee of our Property Owner's Association. All small issues and other items we wanted addressed during the build were addressed professionally, and generally in a prompt manner. I was impressed by the friendliness of all Steve's subs, and even more so about how diligently they cleaned up the area each day. I had anticipated having to take down a long section of wrought-iron fence to gain access to the back yard area; however, they navigated all equipment and materials through the existing 4' wide gate and a narrow pathway past our pool pumps, meaning our neighbors were not inconvenienced at all. The final product reflected a very high level of craftsmanship and attention to detail. We've had neighbors who live across the cove comment on how beautiful it looks from the other side or from the water. Friends and family often refer to it now as our "resort area", and it's nice to be able to use our new facilities throughout the entire year. read more