Thoughtfully Designed Outdoor Spaces, Built for Real Life
CJR designs and builds complete outdoor environments for Auburn homeowners through one coordinated construction team.
OUTDOOR LIVING DESIGNED FOR AUBURN PROPERTIES
Auburn properties give homeowners an incredible range of possibilities.
Established neighborhoods may already have mature landscaping and outdoor spaces that need to be reworked around the home. Newer properties may offer a more open starting point. Larger foothill and custom properties can introduce elevation, views, privacy, mature trees, rock, drainage, and opportunities to create multiple outdoor destinations across the property.
We start by understanding the property and how your family wants to use it before deciding what belongs in the plan.
Additional custom outdoor living features and options are available upon request.
COMPLETE OUTDOOR LIVING
A complete backyard is not about fitting as many features as possible into the available space. It is about understanding which features matter to your family and planning the relationship between them so the finished property feels natural and easy to use.
An outdoor kitchen should support the gathering happening around it—not become an obstacle in the middle of it. We consider cooking space, seating, circulation, proximity to the home, shade, utilities, dining areas, and how the kitchen relates to the rest of the backyard.
Shade can dramatically change how often an outdoor area gets used. Structures should be positioned around sun exposure, views, gathering areas, architecture, and the activities happening underneath them.
When a pool is part of the larger outdoor plan, we consider it in relation to patios, structures, landscape, gathering spaces, views, access, and the home rather than designing it in isolation.
Planting, irrigation, drainage, lighting, and landscape areas help soften the hardscape and connect the finished project to the surrounding property. For CJR, these elements are primarily incorporated into larger outdoor construction projects so they can be coordinated with the rest of the work.
Recreation areas should be placed where they can actually be used without disrupting the rest of the backyard. Turf, putting greens, sport areas, and open lawn can provide valuable usable space when incorporated intentionally.
Not every part of an outdoor project has to be built at once. But if future phases are likely, we want to understand them before the first phase begins. Utilities, drainage, access, elevations, sleeves, structures, and future connections can often be planned ahead. Good phasing begins with planning the later phases before the first one starts.
CONCEPT TO COMPLETION
Complete outdoor construction involves a lot of moving pieces.
Instead of asking homeowners to coordinate separate pool, concrete, landscape, drainage, lighting, and outdoor-living contractors themselves, CJR can plan and manage the major elements of the project through one team.
That creates clearer communication, better sequencing, and accountability for how the individual pieces come together.
Coordination isn't something homeowners should have to figure out between multiple contractors after the project starts.
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BUILT FOR REAL LIFE
Outdoor living looks different for every family, which is why we spend time understanding how you want to use your space before deciding what belongs in it.
For some homeowners, the priority is creating a backyard centered around family, swimming, and summer days at home. Others want more room for entertaining, an outdoor kitchen for hosting, a comfortable place to gather under a pavilion, or quieter areas to relax at the end of the day.
Those priorities help guide the layout and relationship between each part of the project.
A well-planned outdoor space should feel natural to your home, your property, and the way your family lives.
From complete backyard construction to outdoor kitchens, pavilions, concrete, pools, landscape installations, lighting, and recreation spaces, explore some of the outdoor environments CJR has built for local homeowners.
Outdoor projects become much easier to manage when the company planning them understands more than one trade. Here's what sets the CJR experience apart.
We design and build pools, concrete, hardscape, outdoor living, landscape, drainage, and more—so every element works together from the beginning.
CJR is a family-owned and owner-operated company. You work directly with owner Colton Ray from the initial consultation through construction—there isn't a salesperson between you and the person responsible for the work.
Our background in concrete, excavation, pools, and complete outdoor construction helps us anticipate challenges, plan properly, and consider how each part of the project affects the next.
We want our clients to understand what they are building, what is included, how the project will be approached, and who is accountable for bringing it together.
Auburn properties can introduce elevation changes, mature trees, drainage considerations, rock, access challenges, and other site-specific conditions. We consider the property itself from the beginning of planning.
Our focus is thoughtful planning, proper preparation, quality craftsmanship, and doing the work correctly—not taking shortcuts to move a project along.
Colton and his team were EXCEPTIONAL in their work at our home. We had a big backyard of flat dirt and he helped turn it into a beautiful resort like feel.
— Heather A. · CJR client, via Google
The Details That Matter
Outdoor living can include pools, concrete, patios, outdoor kitchens, pavilions, pergolas, fire features, landscape installations, turf, putting greens, lighting, drainage, retaining elements, and other improvements that create a more complete and usable outdoor environment.
Yes. For appropriate projects, our Design + Pre-Construction process allows us to consider the entire property rather than planning individual features independently.
Yes. Phased construction can be a smart approach when it is planned intentionally.
Future pools, structures, kitchens, landscape areas, utilities, drainage, and hardscape should be considered before the first phase is constructed whenever possible.
Elevation, drainage, rock, mature trees, views, access, privacy, and existing landscape can all influence design.
The goal is not necessarily to eliminate those characteristics but to determine how the outdoor plan can work with them.
Our landscape installations, planting, irrigation, drainage, and lighting work are primarily completed as part of larger outdoor construction projects where we can coordinate those elements with the overall plan.
We start with the people using it.
How you entertain, whether you have children or grandchildren, how much time you spend outside, whether you cook outdoors, whether you want recreation or quieter spaces, maintenance preferences, and future plans all help determine what deserves space in the design.
Often, yes.
A larger plan can help establish priorities and prevent early construction from interfering with later phases. It also allows utilities, drainage, elevations, access, and structural considerations to be planned more intelligently.
Look at more than the finished photographs.
Understand who is planning the project, who will manage construction, how multiple trades are coordinated, what is included and excluded, how changes are handled, and whether the contractor is asking enough questions to genuinely understand your property.
A company planning a significant outdoor project should be interested in understanding your property and priorities—not simply figuring out how quickly it can give you a price.
Planning an outdoor project comes with a lot of questions. We’re here to help you understand your options, what may make sense for your property, and the right next step.
More than just your average outdoor living contractor. We specialize in complete outdoor construction, including decorative concrete, structural concrete foundations, landscape installations, artificial turf, outdoor living, and more. One point of contact. One seamless experience thoughtfully designed and built by one experienced team.
Explore All ServicesBuilding your dream backyard may be more attainable than you think. Through our trusted financing partners, Lyon Financial and HFS Financial, we offer flexible financing options for custom pools and outdoor living projects. Get pre-approved today with a soft credit inquiry and explore financing that fits your budget and goals.
Explore FinancingTrusted Partners & Suppliers
Take a look at a few of the trusted suppliers and local businesses we rely on for quality products and professional services.
Local Suppliers & Partners →CJR's Local Picks
One of our family's favorite stops whenever we're in Auburn and recently voted #1 Best Pie Shop in the USA. Between the market, delicious food, and fresh-baked pies during the holidays, it's hard to leave empty-handed. Their Dutch Apple pie is Colton's favorite and has become a staple at our family holiday gatherings.
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A favorite for getting together with family and friends, celebrating birthdays, or grabbing dinner in Old Town Auburn. We especially love the rooftop when the weather is nice.
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A great Auburn spot to meet up with friends, grab coffee or a drink, and spend some time downtown. We love the relaxed atmosphere, and it's an easy stop when we're already in the area.
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Tell us what you want your outdoor space to make possible for your family.
We'll start with the property, your priorities, and your targeted comfort zone of investment and determine the right next step.
