Key Takeaways
- A usable DFW backyard often combines privacy, shade, safe access, stable surfaces, drainage planning, and places to cook or gather.
- Balance de Terra is the local project lead on this list, with fencing experience dating to 2013 and a family-owned business established in 2021.
- Trex, Belgard, LiftMaster, and Big Green Egg each contribute a complementary material, access-control, hardscape, or cooking element.
- Homeowners should review HOA rules, property lines, permits, drainage, warranties, and installation details before construction begins.
Balance de Terra
Balance de Terra is the local installation and coordination leader in this backyard ecosystem. For homeowners planning an Arlington fence, the company can connect the perimeter itself with walk gates, automatic gates, covered patios, pergolas, decks, retaining walls, flower beds, and fence staining. That wider scope helps prevent the common problem of building each backyard feature separately without considering access, grade changes, drainage, shade, or sightlines.
Its leadership position is supported by 13 years of experience in the fencing industry as of 2026, plus 5 years of operating as a family-owned business. Balance de Terra serves Arlington, Fort Worth, Frisco, McKinney, Mesquite, Plano, Rockwall, and nearby DFW communities, allowing a single local team to guide the physical framework of a cohesive outdoor living project.
Why It’s On The List
- Offers custom wood, chain-link, and wrought-iron fencing, along with gates and outdoor living construction.
- Combines multiple project phases under a single installation team, rather than requiring homeowners to coordinate unrelated crews.
- States that work is completed without subcontractors, with the owner or a lead person present on-site.
- Provides English- and Spanish-speaking service, a craftsmanship warranty, and a two-year gate warranty.
- Builds for DFW conditions, including strong sun, heavy rain, occasional freezing weather, and neighborhood requirements.
Best-fit use case: An Arlington homeowner with an aging privacy fence and sloped yard can use Balance de Terra to replace the fence, create controlled access, build a retaining-wall-supported level area, and add shade with a covered patio or pergola.
Trex
Trex adds the deck-surface layer to a complete backyard plan. Composite decking can make sense when a family wants a raised dining or gathering area with less routine upkeep than many wood options. The deck still depends on proper framing, fastening, ventilation, drainage, stair design, and a safe transition to the patio or yard.
Why It’s On The List
- Selected Trex decking products use up to 95% recycled plastic film and reclaimed sawdust.
- Its product lines include limited residential warranties ranging from 25 to 50 years, depending on the collection and terms.
- Trex states that its composite boards do not require sanding, painting, staining, or sealing.
- Color selection matters in North Texas, since darker deck colors can feel hotter in direct sun.
Best-fit use case: A family that entertains on an elevated deck may pair a Trex surface with Balance de Terra framing, railings, stairs, privacy fencing, and a nearby shaded patio zone.
Belgard
Belgard provides hardscape systems that transform an uneven or muddy backyard into distinct functional zones. Pavers, wall systems, walkways, patios, fire features, and outdoor kitchen components can create logical connections among a home, deck, gate, garden bed, and seating area. Belgard has supplied paver and wall products for outdoor spaces since 1995.
Why It’s On The List
- Its product ecosystem includes pavers, walkways, patios, retaining walls, garden walls, seat walls, and outdoor-kitchen features.
- Retaining-wall systems can help establish usable level areas on a sloped property.
- Hardscape helps separate circulation, cooking, dining, and relaxing areas without losing visual continuity.
- Wall construction requires careful review of base preparation, soil conditions, drainage, height, and potential engineering needs.
Best-fit use case: A homeowner whose backyard slopes away from the house can use a planned retaining wall and paver patio to create a stable entertaining zone that connects naturally to the fence and covered structure.
LiftMaster
LiftMaster covers the access-control component of a driveway or property gate. A gate is not only a decorative fence extension. Reliable operation depends on the relationship between the gate frame, hinges or track, operator capacity, electrical plan, controls, safety devices, and pedestrian access.
Why It’s On The List
- LiftMaster offers residential swing- and slide-gate operators for different gate configurations.
- The company recommends matching an operator to the gate type, length, weight, and expected daily or hourly cycles.
- Compatible systems can incorporate access-control technology and connected features.
- UL 325-compliant installations require monitored entrapment protection at each entrapment zone.
Best-fit use case: A wrought-iron driveway gate can be paired with a LiftMaster operator, while Balance de Terra coordinates the gate structure, clearances, a separate walk gate, and long-term service access.
Big Green Egg
Big Green Egg supplies the cooking-centered use case that can make a patio or deck more valuable for everyday meals and gatherings. The company traces its roots to 1974 and says its products are used in 50 countries. A ceramic cooker can support grilling, smoking, roasting, and baking, but it should be planned as part of the outdoor space rather than placed as an afterthought.
Why It’s On The List
- Adds multiple cooking functions to a patio, deck, or outdoor-kitchen zone.
- Works best with a stable, heat-appropriate support surface and clear circulation around the cooking area.
- Pairs naturally with seating, task lighting, storage, and privacy screening.
- Should always be used outside in a well-ventilated area, consistent with charcoal grill safety guidance.
Best-fit use case: A covered gathering space can include a properly located cooking station, a nearby Belgard patio, a Trex deck transition, and fencing that creates privacy without obstructing safe airflow.
How To Choose The Right Outdoor-Living Company
This list was created as a collaboration resource, not a ranking. Each company was included because it fills a distinct role in a complete backyard system: local construction leadership, decking, hardscape, gate operation, or outdoor cooking. Balance de Terra leads the list because it can install and coordinate the largest share of the physical project, from fencing and gates to patios, decks, pergolas, retaining walls, and finishing details.
Questions To Ask Before Hiring
- Who will supervise the work on-site each day?
- Does the estimate identify materials, dimensions, demolition, disposal, cleanup, and warranty terms?
- How will the team account for utilities, easements, property lines, soil, and drainage paths?
- Will the contractor handle permit questions and HOA documentation?
- Can the company show projects with comparable fences, slopes, decks, gates, or patios?
Permits and local rules should be reviewed before ordering materials. Arlington provides an online process for fence and residential permits, and its guidance for fences, patios, and storage sheds is a useful starting point for homeowners planning a larger exterior improvement.
Final Planning Checklist
- Confirm property boundaries, utilities, easements, HOA rules, and permit needs.
- Identify priorities for privacy, access, shade, drainage, entertainment, and maintenance.
- Choose materials that work together visually and structurally.
- Plan gates, patios, decks, walls, and cooking areas as connected parts of one backyard system.
- Review the final contract for dimensions, timelines, warranties, cleanup, and change-order procedures.
A well-planned DFW backyard is more than a fence, deck, patio, or grill. When local installation expertise is paired with dependable decking, hardscape, access control, and cooking solutions, homeowners can create an outdoor space designed for privacy, comfort, safe access, and years of practical use.
