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Composite-deck lounge and sculpted topiary in a Palos Verdes Estates backyard at sunset

Residential

Hardscape and Patio Construction in the South Bay

Patios, retaining walls, driveways, steps, and fire features for South Bay homes and commercial grounds — engineered for hillside and coastal conditions.

Why hardscape

Drainage and Grade Come Before Material

Hardscape on the Palos Verdes peninsula and the South Bay hillsides is a drainage and soils problem before it is a paving problem. Water that used to soak into a slope has to go somewhere once you put an impermeable surface on it, and the peninsula's known landslide-sensitive areas make that more than an aesthetic concern. We establish grade, subsurface drainage, and where the water actually discharges before selecting a single paver.

Retaining walls are where this becomes a permit question. Walls above a certain height, and any wall carrying a surcharge such as a driveway or structure above it, require engineering and a building permit. We tell you which side of that line your project falls on at the walk-through, because it changes both timeline and cost materially.

Coastal Material Selection

Salt air is unkind to the wrong specification. Ferrous fixings in a beachfront patio will bleed rust stains through the surface within a season or two. We specify stainless or hot-dip galvanized fixings near the water, seal porous stone against salt intrusion, and choose jointing that tolerates movement rather than cracking at the first settlement.

What We Build

  • Paver, flagstone, poured, and stamped concrete patios and walkways.
  • Retaining walls, including engineered and permitted walls where height or surcharge requires it.
  • Driveways, aprons, steps, and ADA-compliant ramps and paths.
  • Fire pits, seat walls, and built-in barbecue surrounds.
  • Subsurface drainage, area drains, and discharge routing designed before paving.
  • Grading and soil preparation on hillside and slide-sensitive sites.

From the field

Hardscape on recent jobs.

Recent photos from current DECOMA jobs — in progress and finished, not stock.

  • Custom stainless steel handrail on new concrete steps beside a wood privacy screen
    Redondo Beach: stainless handrail on new concrete steps.
  • Stamped concrete walkway edging a new lawn and planting beds
    Rancho Palos Verdes: hardscape and softscape drawn on one plan.
  • Stone retaining wall and paver path beside a new turf lawn
    Palos Verdes Estates: retaining wall and paver path.
  • Paver patio with grills and tiered succulent garden at sunset
    Palos Verdes Estates: paver patio and tiered planting.

Why DECOMA

One license, three disciplines, forty years.

Family-run South Bay general contractor since 1978. We design, build, and manage — under one license — so the team you start with is the team that hands you keys and the team that answers the phone when something needs fixing in year ten.

Years building
48+
Projects delivered
3,000+
Repeat clients
300+
CSLB Class
A/B

FAQ

Common questions.

Do retaining walls need a permit?
Walls over about four feet, measured from the bottom of the footing, and any wall holding up a driveway, structure, or slope above it need engineering and a building permit. We tell you which side of that line your wall falls on at the walk-through.
Pavers, concrete, or natural stone?
Pavers flex and can be lifted for repairs. Poured and stamped concrete costs less per square foot. Natural stone looks best and costs the most. On coastal lots, we seal porous stone against salt.
Why does drainage come first?
A new patio sends water somewhere it didn't go before. If that's toward the house or down a hillside, it becomes a foundation or slope problem. We design the drainage before choosing a single paver.

Service areas

Hardscape across the South Bay.

Born in Harbor City, working across LA County since 1978. Same crew, same license number, same shop at 25941 Frampton Ave, Harbor City.

Talk to a contractor

Tell us about your project.

One business day for a scope, timeline, and budget range. CSLB #375508 A/B.