Fire pit and seating with a 360-degree view, windbreaks that make evenings possible, sandstone and concrete terraces, covered rooms and dark-sky lighting. Designed for acreage, built by one crew.
Outdoor living space design in Elizabeth starts with wind, sky and distance: a prairie wind most afternoons, some of the darkest night skies in the Denver area, and a house that sits alone on its acreage. HLE Landscaping & Concrete designs outdoor rooms that use all three, from a sheltered fire lounge with built-in seating to a covered dining terrace, a sandstone or concrete view terrace and a fire ring at the end of a mown path, typically $30,000 to $150,000+.
Wind, sky and distance are the brief. The design should look like it belongs to the land.
The best outdoor living spaces on Elizabeth acreage do not try to landscape five acres. They build a tightly designed core around the house, a terrace, a fire lounge, a covered room, a kitchen if you cook outside, and let it dissolve into managed native grassland with a mown path to a fire ring or a view point. The core is finished like a room. The prairie is the view. The line between them is a seat wall, a band of boulders or a steel edge, and it is the most important line on the plan.
Three site facts decide everything. The wind arrives from the west and southwest most afternoons, so the fire lounge sits low and sheltered and the dining room sits in the lee of the house. The sky is the darkest in the metro area, so the lighting is designed to disappear when the stars come out. And the property is a drive from anyone’s yard, so the core is built in one mobilization, with stub-outs for whatever comes next.
The house sets the rest. A newer home in Independence or Gold Creek Valley usually has a walkout and a deck a story above the yard; an established place in Ponderosa Park or Elizabeth Forest has pines to work under; a Spring Valley Ranch lot has covenants and a golf-course horizon. We design to the house, the well and septic layout, the propane tank and where the family already gravitates on a summer evening.
Six rooms and edges that turn open ground into a place to live. Each one starts with the wind.
Sunk 18–24 inches below the terrace, wrapped by a curved seat wall that holds ten, backed on the windward side by the wall itself or a planted berm. The fire is propane or natural gas so it lights on a windy night in April. The seating faces the view, the wall stops the wind, and the step lights are the only light you see.
A post-and-beam pavilion or a louvered roof engineered for open-ground wind and snow, set in the lee of the house, with a solid wall or closable louvers on the west, infrared heaters, a fan and a ceiling finished like a room. The floor is exposed aggregate or porcelain matched to the interior. It doubles the season.
Large-format Colorado buff sandstone or an exposed-aggregate slab, edged in steel, ending at a band of half-buried boulders instead of a railing where the grade allows. Fewer lines, bigger pieces, nothing between you and the horizon.
A mown path through native grass to a wood-burning ring or a gas bowl in a cleared, stone-surrounded circle with a few boulders to sit on. Used on still nights, under restrictions, when the wind allows. It is the feature guests remember.
A shelterbelt of ponderosa, Rocky Mountain juniper, native plum and shrubs planted upwind of the core, staggered so it reads as a grove rather than a hedge. It protects the fire lounge, the dining room and every plant behind it, and it frames the view instead of blocking it.
A compacted gravel court with steel edging, a stone or exposed-aggregate apron at the garage and the front walk, boulders and a few specimen trees at the entry, and low lighting on the path. The arrival should feel as designed as the fire lounge.
The palette that belongs here: buff sandstone, exposed aggregate with local river rock, weathering steel edging and planters, gabion or boulder walls, thermally modified wood or steel structures, and mass-planted native grasses and steppe perennials. It costs less to maintain than a lawn and a slab, and it looks like the land.
Placement, shelter, fuel and seat-wall geometry decide whether a fire pit on acreage is used forty nights a year or four.
On acreage the fire lounge is the room that gets used, so it is designed first and designed for the worst evening rather than the best. It drops 18 to 24 inches below the terrace, which alone takes most of the wind off the seating. A curved seat wall at sitting height, deep enough to lean back on and drawn on roughly a twelve-foot radius, holds ten people without a single chair and is itself the windbreak on the west; where the wind is stronger, a planted berm behind it finishes the job. The fire is placed so the heat moves to the seating and the seating faces the sunset or the ridge.
Fuel is a code and a practicality question. Elbert County and the Elizabeth Fire Protection District issue burn restrictions that can close wood fires for weeks, so the fire at the house is propane or natural gas: a stone-veneer masonry pit, a weathering steel trough or a fire bowl, sized for propane at 6,500 feet and run on a permit from the tank with a licensed trade partner. The wood-burning ring goes at the end of the path, with a stone surround, a spark screen and a cleared radius, for the still nights when it is allowed.
The materials match the terrace: sandstone caps on a stone-veneer pit, a steel trough against exposed aggregate, a boulder hearth where the design is rougher. Step lights in the wall and one downlight from a tree are all the light it needs.
2026 market ranges for Elbert County; the propane conversion and the run from the tank appear as their own lines on the proposal.
Distances that are non-negotiable out here: people sit four to six feet back from the flame, a gas feature stays ten feet or more from the house, the deck and anything that burns, and the wood ring gets a cleared, non-combustible circle around it that meets defensible-space guidance.
Judged against wind-driven grit, 100+ freeze-thaw cycles, high-altitude UV, well limits and burn restrictions.
| Element | Our pick for Elizabeth | Why | Typical installed range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrace floor | Large-format Colorado buff sandstone, dry-laid; exposed-aggregate concrete; porcelain under the roof | Belongs to the prairie, resettable; hides dust, takes loads; matches the interior floor | Sandstone 50–100% above pavers; concrete $12–$22 / sq ft; porcelain premium tier |
| Seat walls and edges | Block with a sandstone cap, boulder walls, gabion, weathering steel edging | Wind shelter, grade control, no maintenance | $35–$75 / face ft block; boulder and gabion by length |
| Fire feature | Stone-veneer masonry, weathering steel trough, boulder-ringed wood pit at the path’s end | Propane-ready; no coating to maintain | $2,500–$40,000 by type |
| Structure | Steel-framed pavilion or louvered roof; thermally modified wood or ipe ceilings and screens; cedar with a maintenance plan | Engineered for wind and snow; ember-resistant near the house | $18,000–$75,000+ |
| Ground plane | Stabilized crusher fines paths, 1.5 in and larger local rock, half-buried boulders, native hydroseed | Stays put, drains, reads as design | Varies by area |
| Planting | Ponderosa, juniper and native plum shelterbelt; steppe perennials and grasses in drifts; deer-resistant palette | Survives wind and well limits, moves in the breeze | Varies by tree size |
| Lighting | Brass and copper dark-sky fixtures, mounted, zoned, dimmable | Patina rather than corrode; keep the stars | $4,000–$15,000 |
2026 market ranges for installed work in Elbert County. One mobilization line sits on the proposal in plain sight instead of being buried in the unit prices.
Rock at 1.5 inches and up so it stays put, fixtures mounted rather than staked, structures engineered for open-ground loads, no bark mulch anywhere, and hydroseed with tackifier on every square foot of disturbed soil the week it is finished.
Most Elizabeth homes are on propane. Fire features, grills and heaters are specified or converted for propane, and the line, regulator and burners are sized for 6,500 feet so the flame is full, not a flicker.
Elbert County nights are the reason a lot of people moved here. Every fixture is shielded, warm and low, on zones that dim to a glow. The terrace should be able to disappear when the Milky Way comes out.
Prices by room, with the mobilization shown once, so you can build the fire lounge now and the covered room next year.
| Element | Typical installed range | What moves the number |
|---|---|---|
| Design (whole-core plan, material board, room-by-room proposal) | $1,500–$5,000+ | Property size, structures, engineering |
| View terrace, 500 sq ft, dry-laid sandstone | $16,000–$30,000 | Stone thickness, steps, boulder band, edge |
| Terrace, 500 sq ft, exposed-aggregate concrete | $6,000–$11,000 | Finish, thickened edges, pad for a hot tub or structure |
| Sheltered fire lounge: sunken terrace, seat wall, propane feature, berm | $12,000–$30,000 | Radius, veneer, feature type, berm planting |
| Covered dining room engineered for wind and snow, with heaters and lighting | $25,000–$75,000+ | Span, roof type, wind wall, ceiling finish, permit |
| Outdoor kitchen run on propane, with water and power | $15,000–$60,000+ | Appliances, counters, run lengths from the tank |
| Shelterbelt and privacy planting with 2–4 in caliper trees | $6,000–$25,000 | Tree size and count, staking, drip |
| Fire ring at the end of a mown path, stone surround, boulder seats | $2,500–$7,000 | Distance, stone, clearing |
| Dark-sky lighting system on zones | $4,000–$15,000 | Fixture count, mounting, control |
Elbert County market ranges for 2026. Exposure to wind, the engineering a roof needs out here and the length of the propane run are what push an Elizabeth project to the top of its range.
Sunken, sheltered fire lounge with a propane feature and seat wall, a 500 sq ft sandstone or exposed-aggregate terrace with a steel edge and boulder band, rock beds, first windbreak trees, step and path lighting.
An engineered pavilion or louvered roof in the lee of the house with heaters and lighting over an exposed-aggregate or porcelain floor, the fire lounge below, a stubbed kitchen run, the shelterbelt and a zoned lighting system.
Kitchen run on propane, covered dining room, fire lounge, view terrace, fire ring at the end of the mown path, motor court and apron, full shelterbelt and native restoration, whole-property lighting.
Four steps, one company, one trip out and one trip back.
Wind, sun, view, grade, propane, well and septic, and how you want to use the space. We stand where the fire should go and face the wind.
Day 1 · 90 min on the landRoom-by-room plan of the core, full-size stone and concrete samples against the house, structure engineering where needed, itemized proposal with mobilization shown once.
Weeks 1–5Stamped structure drawings, permits for the structure, gas and electrical, utility locates, covenant review where a community has one.
Weeks 3–10Grading, walls and the pour schedule, then the structure, fire, planting and hydroseed, then lighting. We walk it with you at dusk with the zones on and then off, for the stars.
4–12 weeks on siteTiming: design in winter, permit in February, build when the ground firms up in April. A fire lounge started in April is in use before the first still evening in June.
An outdoor room on acreage has to work on a windy evening in April. That is our standard.
HLE Landscaping & Concrete is a locally owned design-build company in Aurora, about forty-five minutes from Elizabeth, and the owner, Brandon, designs every outdoor living space standing on the property, facing the wind, before a line is drawn. The same company builds it: our own concrete, stone and landscape crews, with licensed gas and electrical trade partners for the propane or natural gas run, under one contract and one mobilization.
We pour the terrace and set the stone ourselves. Structures are engineered for open-ground wind and snow loads and permitted through Elbert County. Fire features are sized for propane at altitude. Lighting is shielded and low. And the proposal is itemized by room, with the mobilization shown once, so you can build the fire lounge now and the covered room next year on the stub-outs already in place.
“HLE Landscaping and Concrete did an amazing job on our backyard. The team that worked on our yard was very professional and listened to exactly what we wanted done. Everything turned out amazing and couldn’t have asked for a better team to get the work done. Brandon was great at communicating about everything going on.”
— Google review, backyard project
| What you should ask any contractor | Our answer |
|---|---|
| Do you design for acreage or paste in a suburban plan? | We design on site for wind, sky, grade and distance; the fire lounge is placed with a compass and the prevailing wind, not on a drawing. |
| Who pours the concrete and sets the stone? | Our own crews. Gas and electrical run through licensed trade partners on our schedule with Elbert County permits. |
| Is the structure engineered for open ground? | Yes, for wind and snow load, with footings, a permit and inspections, not a kit rated for a sheltered yard. |
| Do you know propane, wells and septic? | Propane sizing at altitude, well-permit irrigation limits and septic setbacks are checked before the design starts. |
| What backs the work? | Liability and workers’ comp certificates ride along with the proposal, and the hardscape and workmanship warranty is written into it. |
| Can I see one of your outdoor rooms? | Ask on the site walk for fire lounges, covered terraces and acreage projects, and read the reviews for how the job was run. |
Ask to see a fire lounge or an acreage project on the site walk. Full gallery · client reviews.
A sheltered fire lounge with a built-in seat wall and a 500 sq ft sandstone or exposed-aggregate terrace typically runs $30,000–$55,000 on Elizabeth acreage. Adding a covered dining room rated for wind and snow, with heaters and lighting, brings a project to $70,000–$120,000. A complete outdoor living core with a kitchen on propane or natural gas, covered room, fire lounge, view terrace, windbreak planting and dark-sky lighting starts around $150,000. Mobilization is priced once, which favors building the core in one visit.
Three moves. Sink the fire lounge 18–24 inches below the terrace and back it on the windward side with the seat wall or a planted berm. Put the covered dining room in the lee of the house with closable louvers or a solid wall on the west. Plant a shelterbelt of ponderosa, juniper and native shrubs upwind of the whole core. Then specify for the wind: heavier rock, mounted fixtures, engineered structures and no bark mulch anywhere.
Often, subject to Elbert County and Elizabeth Fire Protection District burn restrictions, which change with conditions and can close wood fires for weeks at a time. A wood-burning ring at the end of the mown path, with a stone surround, spark screen and cleared radius, is a classic acreage feature. For the fire you will use most evenings we recommend a propane or natural gas feature at the house, which stays usable under Stage 1 restrictions.
Yes. Most Elizabeth homes run on propane, and fire features, grills and heaters are available in propane versions or converted with the right orifices and regulator. We size the line from the tank, the regulator and the appliances for propane at 6,500 feet, run it on an Elbert County permit with a licensed trade partner, and stub a capped line to anything you might add later.
Large-format Colorado buff sandstone laid dry on a compacted base for a terrace that belongs to the prairie and can be reset if the ground moves; exposed-aggregate concrete for a refined monolithic floor that hides wind-blown dust and takes a hot tub or a structure; porcelain under a roof where the interior floor continues outside. All three handle freeze-thaw and high-altitude UV. Travertine and thin big-box pavers do not.
Any structure with footings and a roof needs an Elbert County building permit, and on open acreage the structure should be engineered for wind and snow load rather than bought as a kit rated for a sheltered suburban yard. Gas and electrical for heaters, lighting and appliances are permitted and inspected too. Where a community has covenants, such as Spring Valley Ranch, design review applies. We handle the drawings, the permit and the inspections.
Low-lumen, warm-white, fully shielded fixtures aimed down: step and seat-wall lights recessed out of sight, a downlight or two from a tree or the structure, uplights only on trunks and stone where nothing spills past them, and everything zoned and dimmable so the terrace can drop to a glow when the stars come out. Elbert County has some of the darkest skies in the metro area, and the design should keep them.
By giving it edges. A seat wall, a berm and a change of level make a room out of open ground; a windbreak on the west and a couple of specimen trees close the ceiling; a low steel edge and a band of boulders mark where the terrace ends and the prairie starts. The view stays wide open on the side that matters, and the space feels held rather than exposed.
Design and material selection take three to five weeks, engineering and Elbert County permits three to eight weeks, and construction four to twelve weeks on site, scheduled around spring mud and wind season. A fire lounge and terrace is about a month on site; a covered room with a kitchen is two to three. Design in winter to be on the ground in April or May.
Look for a design-build company that will walk the property and design for wind, sky and distance rather than paste in a suburban plan; that pours its own concrete and sets its own stone; that engineers structures for open-ground wind loads; that knows propane, wells and Elbert County permits; that carries full insurance; and that can show you finished outdoor rooms. That is the list HLE Landscaping & Concrete was built around, and the 350+ Google reviews and three Best of Mile High awards are there so you can check it.
Tell us about the property, the wind, the view and how you want to live outside. Brandon will walk the acreage, stand where the fire should go, and come back with a plan and a real number.
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