The Evolution of the Outdoor Room

By Ashley Harbaugh, LC/dbm

Despite the down economy, outdoor room design and installation is on the rise. According to a survey conducted by a national energy council, 50 percent of American homeowners are spending more time at home than they were five years ago, and 35 percent said they had a finished outdoor room (with 34 percent planning to design one in the next one or two years). Photos courtesy of Richard Cohen Landscape and Construction, Inc.

Richard Cohen, president and founder of the award-winning landscape design, maintenance and construction company Richard Cohen Landscape and Construction, Inc., offers his perspective on the development of the outdoor room design and installation industry, and ways that contractors can take advantage of this in-demand construction trend.

The demand for outdoor living space and its features has developed immensely over the years. ''Back when I started, no one did outdoor rooms,'' said Cohen. ''But then fifteen years ago, fireplaces started showing up in the model complexes so people wanted them, and then outdoor solid cover roof pavilions became more common, and those morphed into outdoor kitchen and outdoor living room seating areas.''

Although general construction has been down because of the current economic climate, the demand for outdoor rooms has steadily increased. According to a recent survey conducted by a national energy council that is a member of the National Council of the Housing Industry (NCHI), half of all American homeowners (50 percent) are spending more time at home than they were five years ago, 80 percent said it is important to have an outdoor living space where they can relax and entertain, and 35 percent said they had a finished outdoor room (with 34 percent planning to design one in the next one to two years).

Since people are not spending as much on traveling or going on vacations, they are instead choosing to invest their money in extending their living spaces to the outdoors. ''Right now everything is a little dead because of the economy, but people are putting in large outdoor rooms,'' said Richard Cohen. ''People want to use their own house and their own yard as a vacation spot.''

More people are investing their money in extending their living spaces, enjoying them as ''staycation'' spots or to improve the resale value of their house. ''Right now everything is a little dead because of the economy, but people are putting in large outdoor rooms,'' said Richard Cohen, president and founder of Richard Cohen Landscape and Construction, Inc. ''People want to use their own house and their own yard as a vacation spot.''

Since people are viewing outdoor rooms as their own personal getaway without having to actually get away, they want all the luxuries and comforts that a vacation setting offers. ''The last ten years outdoor rooms have gotten way more elaborate, and almost anything is doable,'' said Cohen.

Getting Started with Outdoor Rooms

Because the popularity of outdoor rooms has allowed people to see the great diversity of designs and features that are available for outdoor living spaces, contractors need to be prepared for all the different types of work that goes into the design and installation. ''It takes virtually the same stuff that is required to build a house,'' said Cohen. ''Consequently, you need plumbing, masonry work, carpentry work, roofing work, stucco work?EUR??,,????'?????<

Since an outdoor living space could potentially require all the elements of a regular indoor room, it is important to find the right workers for the job. The way Cohen stays on top of this variety of work is either by using members of his crew who can do the work or subcontractors. ''We do use subcontractors for some phases of the work,'' he said.

With so many different designs and features of outdoor rooms available, it is up to the contractor to make a beautiful, unique living room. ''The challenge is to come up with a really neat design that fulfills your customer's functions, and to build it as efficiently and high quality as possible,'' said Cohen.

The versatility of outdoor living space design means that contractors need to have workers with the skills to handle all different types of construction. If a contractor's crew doesn't have the capabilities to do certain jobs (such as electrical or plumbing), and subcontractors are needed, it is crucial to use qualified, licensed individuals.

Making the Right Bid

Taking all the aspects of outdoor room design and installation into account and then making a successful bid to a client is a crucial part of the outdoor room business. ''When we're pricing, the first step is to design and go over the design with the client,'' said Cohen. When the client sees the design and approves of the size and features that will be going into the outdoor room, Cohen talks with his subcontractors and then estimates the work that his company will be doing in-house. ''The way I would price is to send to the subcontractor what we're expecting and they would price it accordingly, then I would mark it up for overhead and profit for my supervision,'' he said. ''Start with the subcontractor, then the work we do ourselves, then put it all together and present it to the client.''

When doing outdoor room projects, it is essential to take into account city building permits and requirements. ''One of the main challenges is getting permits and engineering,'' said Cohen. ''Cities made requirements tougher and made it harder to get them.'' Cities may also have environmental legislation that contractors need to follow. For example, some cities require leach fields for drainage systems so that drainage water doesn't go in the sewers. Engineering, such as properly structuring columns to hold up a roof, is also more difficult, but Cohen says that it's something that has to be priced with the job. ''It is what it is,'' he said. ''You have to include it.''

An outdoor room is a place where people can entertain and relax, so they are not skimping on features and appliances. But with the extensive construction that comes with building and installing these features, it is crucial for contractors to first check their cities' building permit requirements. ''One of the main challenges [of outdoor rooms] is getting permits and engineering,'' said Cohen. ''Cities made requirements tougher and made it harder to get them.''

Outdoor Rooms: A Growing Business

For the past thirty years that he has been in business, Richard Cohen has seen firsthand how the design and installation of outdoor living space has advanced over time. ''Back when I started, no one did outdoor rooms,'' he said. He first started out doing some yard additions, but then people began to ask for more. ''We started going back and then doing open beam patio covers, no fireplaces, occasionally fire pits and outdoor barbecues,'' he said. ''But then fifteen years ago, fireplaces started showing up in the model complexes so people wanted them, and then outdoor solid cover roof pavilions became more common, and those morphed into outdoor kitchen and outdoor living room seating areas.''

High quality is the hallmark of Richard Cohen and his company, a fact that is reflected by the numerous awards and honors that his company has received. ''Pay particular attention to top details to the finished product,'' advises Cohen. ''Make sure all the finished work is nice and complete, and that the finished product is the highest standard possible.''