Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers before you commit to a major project
Hiring someone to rebuild your backyard means handing over a significant investment on the strength of a conversation. The questions below cover how Luck Lagoons & Landscaping works, what our projects involve, what they cost, and who we are and are not the right fit for, so you can judge that before you spend anything.
Fit & Services
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Luck Lagoons designs and builds complete outdoor environments centered on water and gathering space. That includes pools, natural pools and lagoons, custom water features, koi ponds, grottos, patios and poolscapes, pool houses, outdoor kitchens, outdoor lighting, and full landscape design. Most projects involve several of those together on one plan rather than a single element in isolation.
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Homeowners looking for a small standalone repair, a single installation with the rest of the yard off limits, or the lowest bid on a shell and a deck are usually better served elsewhere. Our team is built around planning and building the whole property, and the value of that shows up on larger, more involved projects.
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Our team works with homeowners in Toledo, OH and the surrounding communities, including Ottawa Hills, Perrysburg, Sylvania, Maumee, Monclova, and Waterville. Larger lots in Sylvania, Monclova, and Waterville often suit full-property builds, and established properties in Ottawa Hills bring mature canopy and existing grade that shape the design.
Services Overview
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A full outdoor living design and build project covers the water, the hard surfaces, any structures, the lighting, and the planting on a single drawing, built by one crew. Water and grade are settled first, then patios and poolscapes, pool houses or outdoor kitchens, lighting runs, and planting are drawn around them. Construction follows the same sequence, which is what keeps a finished patio from being opened later to reach a line.
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Andrew Leonard produces a landscape design plan covering hardscape layout, structures, planting, grade and drainage, and lighting for the whole property, then builds it in 3D so you can move through the space. Scale, sightlines, and material combinations get settled at that stage. A plan can also be built in phases, and having it first is what lets a later phase connect properly to an earlier one.
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Water changes more about a property than anything else that gets added to it. A pool, lagoon, or large feature sets the grade, redirects the drainage, and fixes the sightlines from inside the house. Deciding it first means the patio, the structures, and the planting are drawn to suit it rather than worked around it.
Process
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Luck Lagoons handles design and construction in house, which is what allows one plan and one accountable point of contact across a project. Andrew produces the design, Josh manages the build and stays on site, and the crew that starts your project finishes it.
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The first step is scheduling a paid Property Evaluation and Project Consultation. Josh spends one to two hours walking the property with you and reading elevation, soil, drainage, tree cover, and how you use the space now. You leave with a written scope, scale, and budget report that is yours to keep, whether or not the project goes ahead.
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The core work is handled by the Luck Lagoons team, including the masonry and stonework. Specialist trades are brought in where a project requires a licensed discipline, and they work to the same drawing and the same schedule as everyone else on site.
Communication & Accountability
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Josh is your point of contact from the first property walk through the final walkthrough, and he is on site during construction. Andrew handles design questions as they arise. Homeowners are not passed between account managers partway through a build.
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Enquiries are answered within one business day, and during an active build you can expect daily presence on site rather than scheduled check-ins. Josh’s practice is to raise a problem when he finds it rather than at the next meeting.
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Changes are worked through against the drawing so their knock-on effects are visible before anything is committed. Some are straightforward. Others touch grade, plumbing, or a finished surface, and in those cases Josh will tell you plainly what the change costs and what it delays.
Construction & Performance
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Heavy clay soil holds water instead of moving it, and freeze and thaw works every joint through winter. Excavation depth, compaction, drainage routing, and plumbing depth are all specified with that in mind. On water features, drain points and winter shutdown are planned during design.
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Less than most homeowners expect once a system has been sized correctly, and Luck Lagoons services the pools, ponds, and water features we install. Equipment is placed for access during design so routine service does not mean lifting stone.
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Lighting, structures, and heat sources are what extend the season, and they are worth deciding at design stage. A lit patio is usable well into autumn in this part of Ohio, and some homeowners run a small water feature through winter for the ice that forms on it.
Pricing & Getting Started
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Pricing follows the plan rather than preceding it. The property evaluation produces a written scope, scale, and budget report, and the design is then shaped to the investment range you are comfortable with. Quoting a full outdoor environment before anyone has read the grade tends to produce a number that moves.
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Bring a sense of how you want to use the space, roughly how many people you host, any images that show the direction you like, and an honest investment range. Josh will handle the site reading. The more candid you are about the budget, the more useful the report you leave with.
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Get in touch to schedule the Property Evaluation and Project Consultation. The fee is $200, it takes one to two hours on your property, and it produces a written report you keep. That is the point at which a project becomes concrete.
“When first confronted with the charge for a consultation, I hesitated. But in the next breath, I thought what the heck... I've had several free conversations regarding my issue/project at home - this might be the best investment I've made in some time.
We spent over 90 minutes together and went through quite a few scenarios and options. I came away feeling that this was a good use of my money. I don't know if I'll end up doing the project with 'Luck', but this might've just been the best 'luck' I've had.”
– Tom Zellers via Google
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More than 30 years of experience
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Award-winning design leadership
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Advanced water feature expertise
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A consultative process
• More than 30 years of experience • Award-winning design leadership • Advanced water feature expertise • A consultative process
About Luck Lagoons & Landscaping
Luck Lagoons & Landscaping designs and builds pools, water features, and complete outdoor living environments for homeowners across Toledo, Ottawa Hills, Perrysburg, Sylvania, Maumee, Monclova, and Waterville.
Josh Luck holds 15 water feature certifications, Andrew Leonard brings 30 years of landscape design, and the team takes on a limited number of full-property builds each year.