Bring the Best Parts of Living in Lincoln Into Your Own Backyard.
From newer homes in Twelve Bridges and Bickford Ranch to custom properties in Catta Verdera and the surrounding Lincoln countryside, CJR designs and builds complete outdoor spaces that bring families together.
DESIGNED FOR LINCOLN PROPERTIES
One of the things we appreciate about Lincoln is the variety of homes and properties throughout the community.
Some families are settling into newly built homes, excited to finally turn an unfinished backyard into a place they can enjoy.
Others have beautiful, established properties with outdoor spaces that no longer reflect how their family lives.
And throughout Lincoln's custom-home communities and countryside, larger properties can provide opportunities for everything from peaceful outdoor retreats to expansive entertaining spaces.
We believe your outdoor space should be designed around your home, your property, and the way your family actually wants to use it.
That might mean an outdoor kitchen and covered dining area where everyone naturally gathers. A pool and spa surrounded by thoughtfully designed concrete and landscape. A fire feature for cooler evenings, or outdoor lighting and audio that allow the fun to continue after sunset.
But creating a beautiful outdoor space involves more than choosing features.
Grading, drainage, elevations, utilities, foundations, concrete, landscape, and construction access all need to be considered before work begins.
With CJR's experience across multiple areas of outdoor construction, we can help bring those details together from the beginning.
The goal is an outdoor space that feels like it has always belonged with your home—not a collection of separate projects added over time.
Additional custom outdoor living features and options are available upon request.
DESIGNED AROUND HOW YOU LIVE
Think about the places your family enjoys spending time together. Maybe it's a restaurant with a beautiful outdoor patio, where everyone can relax over dinner while the kids enjoy being outside. Maybe it's a weekend gathering at a friend's house, where the outdoor kitchen, pool, and comfortable seating make it easy to spend the entire afternoon together. Or maybe it's simply a quiet evening at home, enjoying the fresh air after a busy day. Those are the kinds of experiences we want to help homeowners create on their own properties. For a family with young children, that might mean a backyard with plenty of room to play, a pool, shaded seating, and comfortable gathering areas. For homeowners who love entertaining, it could be an outdoor kitchen, pavilion, dining area, fire feature, and thoughtfully planned lighting and audio. On a larger Lincoln property, it might involve multiple outdoor spaces that serve different purposes while still feeling connected. You don't need every possible feature to create something special. You need an outdoor space that reflects what matters most to your family. We help you think through those priorities, understand your targeted comfort zone of investment, and develop a plan that brings the design and construction together.
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
A beautifully designed outdoor space should never feel too formal to actually use.
We want the spaces we build to become part of everyday life.
The patio where your family eats dinner on a summer evening. The covered gathering area where everyone ends up during a birthday party. The outdoor kitchen that makes entertaining easier. The landscape and lighting that make the backyard just as enjoyable after sunset.
Those everyday moments are what make an outdoor investment worthwhile.
And behind those finished spaces is construction that needs to be carefully planned.
A pavilion may require engineered foundations and utilities. An outdoor kitchen needs gas, electrical, and plumbing coordinated before the surrounding concrete is installed. Drainage must work with the finished elevations, and landscape and irrigation need to be considered alongside permanent hardscape.
For Lincoln homeowners starting with an unfinished backyard, these decisions can often be coordinated from the beginning.
For established homes, the challenge may be incorporating new improvements while preserving existing landscape, concrete, structures, and the overall character of the property.
Our experience across concrete, landscape, pools, grading, drainage, and outdoor structures allows us to consider how all of those elements work together.
Because the finished outdoor space should look beautiful, function comfortably, and be thoughtfully built for the way your family will use it.
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.
Lincoln homeowners may be starting with an unfinished backyard, updating an established property, or planning a larger outdoor transformation around a custom home. These projects can involve much more than one patio, structure, or landscape area. Concrete, grading, drainage, landscape, irrigation, pools, outdoor kitchens, pavilions, lighting, audio, and other improvements all need to work together. Our experience across these different areas of construction allows us to look at the complete property, coordinate the details, and plan how each part of the project affects the next. We believe that level of planning makes a difference in both the construction process and the finished outdoor space.
Our focus is thoughtful planning, proper preparation, quality craftsmanship, and doing the work correctly—not taking shortcuts to move a project along.
CJR Concrete and Landscaping were excellent to work with from the start to finish of our project. Solution oriented at every turn, they made our project cost effective yet maintained the highest quality standards.
— Dave P. · Catta Verdera Lincoln, CA Client
The Details That Matter
CJR designs and builds complete outdoor environments, including patios, walkways, pools and spas, outdoor kitchens, pavilions, pergolas, fire features, water features, landscape, irrigation, drainage, lighting, outdoor audio, turf, putting greens, and other improvements.
Projects can range from developing an unfinished backyard to coordinating extensive outdoor construction across a custom property.
Our goal is to make the individual elements work together as one complete outdoor space.
Ideally, before the home is complete.
For homeowners moving into newer Lincoln communities, early planning can help identify important decisions involving finished elevations, drainage, utilities, concrete, pool placement, landscape, and future structures.
Certain improvements may be easier to coordinate before fencing, landscaping, or other permanent features are installed.
You don't need a finalized design to begin discussing your options.
Planning ahead can help you avoid unnecessary changes and make better decisions about the complete backyard.
Absolutely.
One of CJR's advantages is our experience across multiple areas of outdoor construction.
We can help plan and coordinate concrete, landscape, irrigation, drainage, pools, outdoor structures, kitchens, fire features, lighting, audio, and other improvements as part of one complete project.
That means important construction details can be considered together instead of being addressed separately by several disconnected contractors.
We want homeowners to have a clear understanding of how the complete project will come together before construction begins.
Yes.
Larger projects may involve multiple gathering areas, extensive concrete, landscape, drainage, grading, a pool and spa, outdoor structures, kitchens, lighting, and other improvements throughout the property.
On properties with more space, planning how those areas connect becomes especially important.
We consider the relationship between the home and outdoor living areas, access, elevations, utilities, drainage, and construction sequencing.
More property creates more possibilities, but it also makes thoughtful planning important.
Yes.
You don't necessarily need to start over to create a more enjoyable outdoor space.
An established backyard may already have concrete, landscape, irrigation, drainage, a pool, or other improvements worth preserving.
We evaluate the existing conditions and discuss which elements can remain, what may need modification, and how new features can be incorporated.
That might mean adding an outdoor kitchen, pavilion, fire feature, lighting, or new gathering area while thoughtfully connecting it to the existing property.
The goal is to improve how you use the space without unnecessarily replacing everything around it.
Absolutely.
On custom-home properties, the outdoor space should reflect the quality and character of the home.
We consider the architecture, existing materials, landscape, views, elevations, and how the different outdoor areas relate to one another.
Some homeowners may want a large entertaining space with a pavilion, outdoor kitchen, pool, and expansive hardscape.
Others may prefer a more understated design that feels like a natural extension of the existing property.
We believe the outdoor construction should complement the home—not compete with it.
Start with how your family wants to spend time outside.
If you love entertaining, an outdoor kitchen and comfortable gathering area may be a priority.
If you have young children, you may want shaded seating, open space to play, and a pool designed around family use.
If you enjoy quiet evenings at home, a fire feature, spa, landscape lighting, or peaceful seating area may make the greatest difference.
We help you consider how often each feature will be used, how it fits into the property, and how it affects the overall investment.
The best outdoor features are the ones that genuinely improve the way you enjoy your home.
Yes.
Outdoor kitchens and pavilions are often planned together because they can create a comfortable, functional gathering space.
However, there are important construction details behind the finished design.
Foundations, footings, structural requirements, electrical, gas, plumbing, drainage, concrete, and surrounding landscape may all need to be coordinated.
We prefer to consider those requirements before permanent hardscape is installed.
Planning the structure and kitchen together helps the finished space function as one complete outdoor living area.
Lighting and audio can make a significant difference in how an outdoor space feels and functions.
Low-voltage lighting can illuminate walkways and steps, highlight landscape features, create a comfortable atmosphere around gathering areas, and extend the use of the backyard into the evening.
Outdoor audio can add another layer to entertaining, whether you're enjoying music by the pool, cooking outside, or relaxing with family.
We recommend discussing these features early so power, conduit, wiring, and equipment locations can be coordinated with the construction.
The right lighting and audio should enhance the outdoor experience without overwhelming the space.
Yes.
Many homeowners prefer to complete larger outdoor projects in stages.
Even when construction will happen over time, we recommend thinking through the complete property first.
A future pavilion may require foundations. An outdoor kitchen may need utilities. Lighting and audio require conduit. Landscape needs irrigation, and drainage must work across the property.
Planning ahead helps each phase support the next rather than creating unnecessary demolition or construction changes later.
Very important.
Concrete, structures, retaining elements, landscape, and other permanent improvements can change how water moves across a property.
Finished elevations need to be considered in relation to the home, neighboring properties, and surrounding improvements.
On larger or sloped Lincoln properties, those considerations may require additional planning or engineering.
We evaluate drainage as part of the overall construction process.
A beautiful outdoor space should be built with an understanding of how the property needs to function—not simply how it will look.
The investment depends on the property's conditions and the scope of work.
A project focused on patios, landscape, and lighting is very different from a complete transformation involving a pool, pavilion, outdoor kitchen, extensive hardscape, drainage, irrigation, and multiple gathering areas.
Materials, construction access, grading, utilities, structures, and other details can also affect the cost.
We prefer to understand your priorities and targeted comfort zone of investment before helping you determine what makes sense to design and build.
Because the finished appearance doesn't tell you everything about the construction.
Site preparation, grading, drainage, excavation, foundations, utilities, concrete specifications, irrigation, materials, access, and construction coordination can all affect the scope.
Two proposals may show similar outdoor features while including very different work beneath and around them.
Ask detailed questions about what's included, what's excluded, which materials and specifications are proposed, and how the contractor evaluated your property.
Compare the construction scope—not simply the final price.
You'll meet directly with CJR owner Colton Ray—not a salesperson.
Colton will discuss your vision, evaluate the property, and consider the construction details that may influence the design and scope of work.
Whether you're starting with an unfinished backyard in a newer Lincoln community, improving an established home, or planning a complete transformation on acreage, that hands-on construction experience matters.
We want you to understand what you're planning, what the project may involve, and what to expect before making a major investment in your home.
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 the things we love about 1876 Restaurant at Trilogy Bickford is the setting. The beautiful views, indoor-outdoor atmosphere, and surrounding countryside make it such an enjoyable place to spend time. It's also a wonderful example of how thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces can bring people together. You may even leave with a little inspiration for how you'd like to entertain family and friends in your own backyard. Whether it's an inviting outdoor dining area, comfortable gathering spaces, or simply making the most of a beautiful view, 1876 is a great place to enjoy a meal and appreciate the Lincoln countryside.
Visit
Fowler Ranch is one of our favorite family stops along Highway 193 in Lincoln. We especially love visiting during the holidays, when the seasonal events and activities give us another reason to bring the kids out and enjoy time together. It's become one of those places we look forward to visiting as a family, making memories and enjoying the traditions that come with each season. Between the beautiful countryside setting, family-friendly atmosphere, and fun holiday events, Fowler Ranch is one of those local places that makes the holidays feel a little more special for our family.
Visit
Goathouse Brewing Co. is another one of our favorite family-friendly spots in the Lincoln countryside. We love the relaxed farm atmosphere, rotating food trucks, and especially the petting zoo, which is always a hit with the CJR kiddos! It's one of those places where the kids have just as much fun as the adults, and everyone gets to enjoy a little time outside together. Between the animals, good food, and beautiful countryside setting, Goathouse is an easy family favorite and a place we love making memories with our kids.
Visit
Whether you're starting with a new Lincoln home, updating an established backyard, or planning a complete outdoor transformation on acreage, we'd love to hear what you're hoping to create.
We'll start with your property, your priorities, and your targeted comfort zone of investment, then help determine the right next step.
