--- title: "Waterloo Outdoor Design Build — Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/waterloo-outdoor-design-build-pfvwus-pf~154524335 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~154524335.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Waterloo Outdoor Design Build" category: ["Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/ed53d36d0c8805c2_6668-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "Austin, Texas 78758, United States" phone: "(512) 731-1529" website: http://waterlooaustin.com rating: 4.4 review_count: 16 best_of_houzz_awards: 9 followers: 27 last_updated: 2026-11-13 --- # Waterloo Outdoor Design Build Original Houzz profile: [Waterloo Outdoor Design Build](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/waterloo-outdoor-design-build-pfvwus-pf~154524335) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers - **Location:** Austin, TX - **Serves:** Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Buda, Spicewood, Bee Cave, Lost Creek, West Lake Hills, Barton Creek, Hays - **Houzz rating:** 4.4 out of 5 (16 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 9 awards (2020–2026), for Design, Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 1,000 Ideabook Saves - Best of Houzz winner - Locally owned - References available Waterloo Outdoor Design Build is a full-service landscape design and build firm, specializing in residential projects in the greater Austin area. We excel in transforming your outdoors space into an extraordinary area with the use of garden design, custom planters, striking water vessels and tailor-crafted walkways, decks, and patios. We oversee these projects from the design phase to the build out process with the philosophy of maintaining a collaborative approach with our clients. Our designers draw inspiration from modern and traditional influences, which allow for the client’s personality and point of view to be featured in the design and ultimately the final product. For us, our ability to communicate effectively and promptly, along with our ability to deliver a beautiful product are among what we are most proud of. ### Services Provided - Garden Design - Hardscaping - Drought Tolerant Landscaping - Custom Fire Pits - Pool Landscaping - Custom Water Features - Gazebo Design & Construction - Pond Construction - Shed Design & Construction - Edible Gardens - Living Walls - Greenhouse Design & Construction - Potted Plants - Artificial Living Walls - Arbor Design and Construction - Artificial Grass Installation - Automatic Gate Installation - Brick Masonry - Concrete Construction - Concrete Staining - Custom Putting Greens - Deck Building - Decorative Concrete - Demolition - Drip Irrigation Installation - Fence Installation - Holiday Lighting - Irrigation System Installation - Land Leveling & Grading - Landscape Construction - Landscape Drainage System Installation - Landscape Lighting Installation - Landscape Maintenance - Lawn Care - Masonry - Mulching - Outdoor Fireplace Construction - Outdoor Kitchen Construction - Outdoor Lighting Installation - Patio Construction - Paver Installation - Pergola Construction - Planting - Retaining Wall Construction - Sod Installation - Sprinkler System Installation - Stamped Concrete - Tree Planting - Trellis Construction - Wood Fence Installation ### Areas Served - Austin - Round Rock - Cedar Park - Pflugerville - Buda - Spicewood - Bee Cave - Lost Creek - West Lake Hills - Barton Creek - Hays ### Typical Job Cost $1,500 - 250,000 Design Minimum Job Cost Starts At $2,500 Design & Construction Minimum Job Cost Starts $15,000 ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Waterloo Outdoor Design Build | | Address | Austin, Texas 78758, United States | | Phone | (512) 731-1529 | | Website | http://waterlooaustin.com | | Followers on Houzz | 27 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/waterloo.outdoor/ - X (Twitter) — https://twitter.com/WaterlooOutdoor - LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/marian-mayer-1943551a2/ ## Offers Complimentary Introductory Zoom Meetings _Contact Us Today!_ ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Waterloo Outdoor Design Build](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/waterloo-outdoor-design-build-pfvwus-pf~154524335) - **Website:** http://waterlooaustin.com - **Phone:** (512) 731-1529 ## Credentials - **Best of Houzz:** 9 awards (2020–2026), for Design, Service. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 4.4 out of 5 — 16 reviews** ### Reviews **★★★★★ — piquispardo, May 2024** > Waterloo exceeded all my expectations with their outstanding work on my backyard and front yard transformation. From the initial design consultation to the final touches, their team was highly professional and communicative and truly listened to my vision. > > Moreover, their pricing was very competitive compared to other quotes I received, making their exceptional service an incredible value. > > I cannot recommend Waterloo Landscaping enough. Their team's expertise, creativity, and commitment to customer satisfaction are second to none. If you're looking for a top-notch landscaping company, look no further! **Comment from Waterloo Outdoor Design Build:** > Thank you very much for your kind words! We really appreciate the review and recommendation to others! Thank you! **★★★★★ — Brandon Rodriguez, Oct. 2023** > We've had such an amazing experience with Waterloo that after we completed our first project with them we immediately reached out to them for a second project. I highly recommend reaching working with Waterloo for your project. Not only are they just pleasant to work with they are efficient, considerate, humble, talented and the value you get from what you spend is fantastic. We love our first project. **Comment from Waterloo Outdoor Design Build:** > Thank you!!! > > We are so excited to work with you again! It has been an equally pleasant experience for us, and we can't thank you enough for this beautiful review! We love that there is a Phase Two!!! > > Thank you again! > > The Waterloo Team **★ — Travis Ayala Cormier, Oct. 2023** > I would not recommend Waterloo to anyone. Waterloo has failed to assume responsibility for their failure to provide a design that fits within the scope established. > > While we did receive a design, the cost of installation was more than double what we told Marian our budget was. We were given the excuse "scope creep can get out of hand quickly." > > The scope of our project has minimal adjustments, certainly not enough to cause scope creep to account for the cost. What we asked to add was a single planter, a speaker and projector, minor additional lighting, and an additional 530 square feet of turf. Certainly not enough adjustments to account for an additional $30,000 in costs. > > Additionally, at no point in the design phase did Marian indicate to us that the scope of our project would not fit within the budget. Nor were we informed that the requested additions would result in us going out of budget. > > Marian and the team at waterloo are not taking any responsibility for their failure to provide a design that was within the scope/budget established at the begin of the project, nor for their responsibility to advise along the way that the asks (again, which were minor) were likely pushing our project beyond our budget. > > Marian communicated that "It is not possible for me to know the costs of a project as we work through ideas and options together." However, Marian is hired as an industry designer who should have a realistic understanding of what something should cost. After all, what is the purpose of providing a budget if it is not possible for you to know the costs and if your design will fit within that budget? While I certainly don't expect you to be able to know exactly what the cost will be, providing a design that is more than double the proposed budget is unacceptable for a professional. > > This company cannot be trusted to provide a design that is executable within your scope/budget, and they will refuse to take responsibility. Avoid at all costs, unless budget is not a factor. **★ — gnatfraz, June 2021** > I do not recommend hiring Waterloo Outdoor Design Build. Our experience with Marian (Owner) and the team was bad from start to finish. Their price point is high, so we expected a high-quality, accurate design output. We didn’t get it. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, their contract puts the financial risk completely on their client and offers no recourse for addressing low quality or inaccurate deliverables later (a lesson learned for us). They required payment for all services up front before their design work started and did not return phone calls when issues with their design were encountered later after install work started. After we made it clear that work had stopped because of the flawed design, they sent us their online calendar in email (instead of returning multiple voicemails) and said we could schedule a virtual meeting about one month out for a project recap. They took no responsibility for their error and were not willing to work with us to correct a problem resulting from their design. We have never been treated this poorly by a service provider. We spent several weeks working with Waterloo to master plan our site. They made a site visit to take numerous pictures and discuss our vision at the beginning. Unfortunately, after multiple design reviews, it didn’t seem that they used many of the pictures and rather relied on two-dimensional architecture plans which were outdated and didn’t take vertical space into consideration. We informed them of these discrepancies and confirmed what we wanted to see before their work started during the initial site visit. Evidently, they forgot because we had to remind them repeatedly throughout. We raised numerous concerns throughout the process because certain areas weren’t designed correctly. Despite our multiple requests to use the pictures and input we provided from the site visit to enhance their design and make it accurate, they seemed to ignore our feedback and deliver less than expected results at each touchpoint in the process. Supposedly they sent someone out again, but we never saw them, and we didn't see an improved design later. We had to repeat the same feedback multiple times at the different touchpoints, and they did not visit the site again to confirm anything they designed, despite our multiple requests to do so. Eventually we were exhausted by the process and had already paid them up front, so we felt that we had to accept what they gave us as a final design, which was not worth the money we paid in our opinion. In fairness, they finally addressed some of the feedback. Then, due to the winter storms in TX and related home repairs, we didn’t start working with an installer until a few months later and, when we did, ran into additional design flaws that ended up costing us and the installer additional rework time and expense to fix them (hardscapes and planter bed materials and labor). We reached out to Marian and they wouldn't and still haven't returned our phone calls. **★★★★★ — Heather Anderson, Feb. 2021** > It was really difficult to get a landscaping company to chat with me about my ideas for my yard because of the scope (small) of my project. Waterloo, however, did Zoom with me and explained to me options for my project. I really appreciate that Waterloo took the time to meet with me and give me options **Comment from Waterloo Outdoor Design Build:** > Heather, it was very nice talking with you and we really appreciate you sharing your experience with others! Thank you! **★★★★★ — nancyohagan, June 2020** > We moved into our newly built home in Round Rock in 2017. Our son recommended Marian who did their landscaping in their backyard in 2018. We are so pleased we did! My Dad (95) lives with my husband and me. He moved here from San Diego and he missed his beautiful lush backyard. Above all... Marian was such a kind human. And a great listener. Dad has dementia and he was a bit confused about the plans. So what did Marian do? She bought software and designed 3D colored plans and printed them all out for my Daddy and to say he was delighted would be an understatement!! It was a GO!! Now 2 and a half years later we are enjoying sitting out in our beautiful limestone patio listening to our water feature... and looking at beautiful flowers, trees, shrubs, plants, vines, etc! And about once a month Dad will say “can you ask Marian what that plant is?” And so I text her! We adore her! She was very professional and on time, (as well as her crew.) I highly recommend Waterloo! **★★★★★ — Alison Ewing, Feb. 2020** > Great concept and execution. My backyard went from scrub to patio/barbecue area that completely suits my style. In the first stages of design I was given many options - many of which I hadn't thought of - and they worked with me throughout the whole process to make sure that I was happy with the finished product. And I am! **Comment from Waterloo Outdoor Design Build:** > Thank you for the review! It is great to hear that you are so happy with your new outdoor space. We are sure you'll have great fun cooking out there with family and friends. **★★★★★ — HU-837110170, Feb. 2020** > I recently moved to Austin and purchased a duplex (that needed lots of work) on the east side with the intention of fixing it up and renting out one of the units. After several months of working on my own and realizing I bit of way more than I could chew, Waterloo came to the rescue and saved my yard and my tired hands. I had a few ideas of what I wanted, which Marian and Christina were able to take and incorporate into an incredible design. The customer service was wonderful, with Christina even stopping by the house every other day or so to check on progress and making sure I was happy with the work. In the end our landscape and new fencing turned out beautifully and definitely added the extra boost of curb appeal I needed to rent out the unit. Thank you! **Comment from Waterloo Outdoor Design Build:** > We are thrilled to hear that you rented your units! Congratulations! > > Thank you for the review! We enjoyed your project and look forward to working with you in the future **★★★★★ — Shawn McKinney, Dec. 2019** > Waterloo Landscape Design Build did an excellent job with my property improvements from cradle to grave. As a frugal individual, I had difficulty choosing a business to do all the work I wanted done. After dealing with 7 different entities, I finally decided on Waterloo Landscape Design Build. They did not provide the least expensive quote, nor were they the most expensive, but they were the most professional by far. > Marian, the organizer of all, coordinated all activities with the utmost efficiency. Excellent communication skills! She kept me in the loop when things were going ahead of schedule, and she also let me know when delays were expected…primarily due to inclement weather. Marian was great at listening to all of my wants, then helped me decide where to sacrifice some of those wants to get as much done as possible to keep within my budget. Even though I had to sacrifice a couple of the wants for now, I have a good foundation for the future work to occur. > The lead designer, Christina, did an excellent job taking my feedback into consideration when putting together the graphical design of the project. Christina turned my outdoor space into an actual living space. I now have a trellis with hanging baskets with beautiful plants and succulents. One side of the trellis has lattice that provides a structure for the rose vine and provides additional privacy from my neighbors as well as provides shade from the sun as it sets in the West. My deck is absolutely wonderful! For my outdoor kitchen, the crew was able to take my existing stainless-steel grill and put in a converter kit for it to run off of natural gas instead of propane. Now I never have to get propane refills for my grill, which is marvelously incorporated into the granite countertop. Off the back of the deck, opposite the trellis, is my new sauna that they constructed of redwood and cedar. There is a path with limestone that was laid down to get me there safely. The additional drip irrigation that was put in around my house will keep my ground stable so I won’t have foundation problems since I asked for most of my yard to either be deck or zero-scaped with cactus and beautiful granite boulders. > I can’t be happier with how it all turned out. **★★★★★ — Michael Coleman, Nov. 2019** > We really enjoyed working with Marian and her crew at Waterloo. They were professional and easy to work with from start to finish. After seeking estimates from several landscapers in the South Austin area, we decided to contract with Waterloo. We're very pleased with the result. Marian and her team were friendly, responsive, creative, on time and on budget. We didn't have a lot of money to shift from grass to Xeriscaping in our front yard, but the Waterloo team conceived of and executed an attractive, clean and functional design that met our budget and impressed our neighbors. They even followed-up with some replants of a couple of flowers/plants that didn't do so well initially. Highly recommended. **Comment from Waterloo Outdoor Design Build:** > We are happy to hear that you are so pleased! It was great working with you too, Michael. Thank you for leaving such a nice review! **★★★★★ — Lori G, Oct. 2019** > Working with the team at Waterloo Outdoor Design Build has been very streamline. We have developed processes together to ensure everything runs smoothly from start to finish on each project we have worked on together. From the owner to the team, they have all been great to work with. Thank you for your business! **Comment from Waterloo Outdoor Design Build:** > Lori, > > We really enjoy working with you. We know that every time we call you the job will be done beautifully and right the first time. Thank you for taking the time to review us! > > Marian **★★★★★ — Clara Lena, Oct. 2019** > Waterloo Outdoor Design Build just completed an amazing project for us! We just installed a pool, and Marian and her design team came in and mapped out a gorgeous Ipe deck, outdoor kitchen and Pergola cover to complete our space. We have a very contemporary, lush landscape with plantings that create our own little oasis and privacy in our backyard. Thank you, Waterloo! I highly recommend. **Comment from Waterloo Outdoor Design Build:** > Clara, > > Hi! Your space was so fun to design! We really enjoyed collaborating with you. Thank you for taking the time to review us! > > Marian ## Selected projects - [Contemporary Hill Country](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/contemporary-hill-country-pj-vj~5967781) - Location: Austin, TX - Photos: 17 - [Spicewood Ranch](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/spicewood-ranch-pj-vj~5800143) - Location: Spicewood, TX - Photos: 23 - [Travis Heights Modern](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/travis-heights-modern-pj-vj~6076041) - Location: Austin, TX - Photos: 15 - Description: These limestone lueders with blackstar gravel create a pathway and a very tidy, low maintenance front yard that defined where cars needed to stop. This also serves as a mud free, passable pathway from the front yard, down the right side of the house, and into the backyard. Those are blue glow agave on the first photo! In the backyard we designed and built a Trex Composite deck with a floating composite bench and board formed concrete back. - [Great Oaks Austin Composite Deck with Custom Corten Screening](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/great-oaks-austin-composite-deck-with-custom-corten-screening-pj-vj~6364873) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 13 - [Modern Carport with Planters](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/modern-carport-with-planters-pj-vj~5967906) - Location: Austin, TX - Photos: 10 - [Dripping Springs](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/dripping-springs-pj-vj~5860930) - Location: Dripping Springs, TX - Photos: 17 - [South Lamar Contemporary](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/south-lamar-contemporary-pj-vj~6172254) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 16 - Description: The backyard had slopes that left lots of unusable area. With our clients growing family in mind we created multiple functional spaces for play areas and sitting areas so that they could use their entire backyard and side yard. We wanted to make sure the lawn spaces were contained to ease maintenance and used Fairlane Pink gravel for most of the planting beds and pathways to maintain a clean, modern look. We used lots of hardy, blooming plants like agapanthus and ligustrum. - [Barton Hills Modern/Spanish Colonial](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/barton-hills-modern-spanish-colonial-pj-vj~5967916) - Location: Austin, TX - Photos: 12 - [Stoneywood Drive](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/stoneywood-drive-pj-vj~5857181) - Location: Austin, TX - Photos: 6 - [Pond at Radha Madhav Dham Temple](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/pond-at-radha-madhav-dham-temple-pj-vj~5800188) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 9 - [Rivercrest Drive](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/rivercrest-drive-pj-vj~5703862) - Location: Austin, TX - Photos: 14 - [Scenic Bluff Drive](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/scenic-bluff-drive-pj-vj~5703652) - Location: Austin, TX - Photos: 9 - [Miscellaneous Landscape Photos](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/miscellaneous-landscape-photos-pj-vj~5676579) - Location: Austin, TX - Photos: 34 - [Featured Projects](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/featured-projects-pj-vj~7492838) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 1 - [Waterloo Outdoor Design Build](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/waterloo-outdoor-design-build-pj-vj~7422849) - Location: Austin, TX - [Palladius Biergarten](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/palladius-biergarten-pj-vj~7422842) - Location: Taylor, TX - Photos: 15 - [Outdoor Kitchen](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/outdoor-kitchen-pj-vj~7422832) - Location: Austin, TX - Photos: 4 - [Lush and Serene](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/lush-and-serene-pj-vj~7422789) - Location: Austin, TX - Photos: 9 - [Beach Vibes Shade Sails](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/beach-vibes-shade-sails-pj-vj~7422781) - Location: Austin, TX - Photos: 4 - [Arial Structure Pergola, Pavers, Oasis](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/arial-structure-pergola-pavers-oasis-pj-vj~7422764) - Location: Austin, TX - Photos: 4 [See all 20 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/waterloo-outdoor-design-build-pfvwus-pf~154524335) ## Ideabooks - [New seating ideas](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/128412782/list/new-seating-ideas) — 5 ideas - [webuser\_630021026's ideas](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/119787598/list/webuser-630021026-s-ideas) — 13 ideas [See all 2 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/waterlooaustin) ## Community Q&A **Q: Pavers** *(in Photo Questions)* Can you tell me what size pavers were used here? A: These are formed and poured concrete, custom built on site and were different sizes. We keep a standard 6 inch gap between pavers. I’d be happy to discuss further if you’d like to contact us directly to discuss your project! Thank you very much! **Q: what is the width of the car port?** *(in Photo Questions)* Can two cars fit? A: Yes! This was designed for a house that was converted to a duplex. **Q: Corten steel planter.. with hog wire extension. Where can I find it?** *(in Photo Questions)* Was this a product you bought or did someone build it? Thank you! Lisa Cox A: Absolutely. I see you're a sister designer! Love it! **Q: prefab? cost?** *(in Photo Questions)* what's the cost of the build? was it a prefab piece then assembled on site? A: Hi! Thank you for your interest in our project! This was a custom build, installed on site. If you'd like to talk further about typical project budgets and how we get things done, please get in touch! We're using zoom to get started, so send us an email and we'd be happy to talk more: mm@waterlooaustin.com Thank you! Marian **Q: what are the dimensions? it is gorgeous!!,** *(in Photo Questions)* A: This was 25x30x12. We use Sikkens brand stain and seal, which holds up nicely in our area. This also includes painted steel (could be powder coated as well) and a modern, standing seam roof. The barn doors are beautiful and functional. Thank you for your comment and please get in touch if you'd like to work on your project with us! We're also happy to provide hourly consultation for those who would like guidance on their own projects, while we are all spending so much time at home. Have a great afternoon and we look forward to talking with you soon! **Q: Post Dimensions** *(in Photo Questions)* What were the post thickness dimensions? 6x6? A: Thank you! We think this one turned out beautifully as well. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-11-13.*