Outdoor Living Spaces in Waterloo, Iowa
Custom outdoor living areas featuring fire pits, outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, and complete outdoor rooms. Matthias Landscaping designs and builds spaces that bring your family together outdoors, from spring through fall.
Creating Outdoor Spaces You Actually Use
An outdoor living space is more than a patio with furniture. It is a designed extension of your home that includes functional zones for cooking, dining, relaxing, and entertaining. When thoughtfully planned, these spaces become the most-used area of the house from spring through fall, and with a fire feature, well into the colder months too.
Matthias Landscaping designs outdoor living areas that integrate seamlessly with your home's architecture, existing landscape, and how your family actually spends time outside. We handle every element, from the paver foundation and stone structures to gas line connections, lighting, and drainage, as a single cohesive project.
- Complete design-through-build outdoor rooms
- Fire pits, fireplaces, and outdoor kitchens
- Seating walls, pergola areas, and covered structures
- Gas, electric, and water connections as needed
Custom Fire Pit Design & Installation
A fire pit is the natural gathering point for family evenings, summer cookouts, and fall celebrations. We build custom fire pits using natural stone, manufactured stone veneer, and block systems that complement your patio materials and home style.
Choose from gas-burning fire pits for convenience, featuring push-button ignition and adjustable flame height, or traditional wood-burning designs for the authentic experience of crackling flames and the smell of burning wood. Both options include proper ventilation, heat-rated construction materials, and integration with your surrounding patio and seating areas.
Popular fire pit styles include circular freestanding fire pits, square contemporary designs, fire pit tables, and fire bowls. We can also build matching seating walls around the fire pit to provide permanent, maintenance-free seating for large gatherings.
Outdoor Kitchen Installation
An outdoor kitchen transforms your backyard into a full-service entertaining area. No more running inside to check the oven or missing the conversation while preparing food. Everything happens in the same space, under the open sky.
Our outdoor kitchen installations include stone or block base structures with granite, concrete, or tile countertops. We accommodate built-in grills, side burners, refrigerators, sinks, and storage cabinetry. Every installation includes proper gas line connections, electrical hookups for lighting and appliances, and water supply and drainage for sinks.
We work closely with you to determine the right layout and features for how you cook and entertain. Whether you want a simple grill station or a complete outdoor kitchen with bar seating, prep counter, and multiple cooking surfaces, we design and build it as one integrated project.
Outdoor Fireplace Construction
An outdoor fireplace makes a dramatic architectural statement while providing warmth and ambiance for cool Iowa evenings. Unlike fire pits, fireplaces direct heat and light in one direction, making them ideal for creating a cozy seating area along a patio wall or at the end of an outdoor room.
Our outdoor fireplaces are built with firebrick-lined fireboxes, heat-rated stone or block surrounds, and proper chimney flue construction for safe and efficient draft. We build both wood-burning and gas-burning fireplaces, with many clients choosing gas for the convenience of instant ignition and no ash cleanup.
- Firebrick-lined firebox for safety and longevity
- Natural stone or manufactured stone veneer surrounds
- Wood-burning or gas-burning options
- Optional built-in wood storage and mantel shelves
Built-In Seating & Entertaining Areas
Built-in seating walls are a practical and attractive way to provide permanent seating around fire features, along patio edges, and within garden spaces. Constructed from the same stone or block materials as your other hardscape elements, seating walls create visual cohesion while eliminating the need for bulky outdoor furniture.
We design seating walls at comfortable seat height (18 inches) with a finished cap stone that provides a smooth, comfortable surface. Curved walls, L-shaped configurations, and freestanding bench walls are all available. Many clients combine seating walls with raised planting beds, creating a dual-purpose structure that adds both seating and greenery to their outdoor space.
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Complete Your Outdoor Living Space
Hardscaping
The paver patio foundation that every outdoor living space is built upon. Patios, walkways, and driveways.
Landscape Design
Professional design plans that integrate your outdoor living features with the surrounding landscape.
Landscape Lighting
LED lighting that extends your outdoor living enjoyment into the evening and highlights key features.
Outdoor Living FAQs
Outdoor kitchen costs in Iowa typically range from $8,000 for a simple grill station with stone base and countertop, to $25,000-$50,000 or more for a complete outdoor kitchen with multiple cooking surfaces, refrigeration, sink, and bar seating. The biggest cost factors are the number of appliances, countertop material, and the size and complexity of the stone or block structure. We design outdoor kitchens at every budget level and provide detailed estimates after understanding your specific goals.
Both work well in Iowa's climate. Fire pits are more versatile because they radiate heat in all directions, allowing people to sit around the entire perimeter. They are also typically less expensive to build. Fireplaces make a stronger architectural statement and direct heat in one direction, which can be more comfortable for seating arrangements along a wall. Many of our clients choose fire pits for casual, family-centered spaces and fireplaces for more formal outdoor rooms. Some projects include both.
Absolutely. With a fire feature, many homeowners enjoy their outdoor space well into November and even through the winter months on milder days. Gas fire pits and fireplaces are particularly convenient for winter use since they ignite instantly. The hardscape materials we use, including pavers, natural stone, and block, are all rated for Iowa's freeze-thaw conditions and require no seasonal protection. We recommend bringing cushions and fabric items indoors during winter months.
Only if you choose a gas-burning fire pit. Wood-burning fire pits do not require any utility connections. For gas fire pits, a licensed plumber runs a natural gas line from your home's gas supply to the fire pit location. We coordinate this work as part of the project so you do not need to hire separate contractors. Gas fire pits offer the convenience of push-button ignition, adjustable flame height, and no ash cleanup, making them the more popular choice for our clients.