Mira Vista · El Cerrito hills · Arlington Park area · Del Norte area · El Cerrito Plaza area
Schedule a Discovery ConsultationEl Cerrito rises from about 20 feet above sea level on the flats to more than 900 feet in the hills, and the higher you go, the better the view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate gets. The yards get steeper along the way.
We design and build outdoor living spaces for El Cerrito homeowners who want to actually use that view: level patios, outdoor kitchens and fire areas set into the slope, planned as one complete project.
The Cerrito Theater on San Pablo Avenue. Photo: LPS.1, CC0
El Cerrito started out as a settlement of 1906 earthquake refugees and went by the name Rust, after its first postmaster, until residents renamed it in 1916 after nearby Albany Hill. It incorporated in 1917. Creedence Clearwater Revival formed here in 1959.
The city still has that neighborhood scale. The Cerrito Theater on San Pablo Avenue opened in 1937, sat as a furniture warehouse for decades, and was restored and reopened. The Ohlone Greenway follows the BART line for 2.6 miles through town. Up the hill, the 80-acre Hillside Natural Area and the edge of Wildcat Canyon put open space right behind many backyards.
In Mira Vista, on the north end, many homes date to the 1920s and 1930s, in English cottage, Prairie and Spanish revival styles. Those homes deserve outdoor spaces that respect the architecture instead of fighting it.
Answer five quick questions and see the features and projects built for the way you live.
El Cerrito is one of the Contra Costa cities with very high fire hazard severity areas on the state's 2025 maps, mostly in the hills near open space. Projects in those zones often have added requirements for materials, vegetation and structures. We confirm what applies with the city during planning.
The Hayward Fault runs through El Cerrito, and hillside lots often involve clay soils and steep grades. Taller retaining walls typically need engineering and a permit from the City of El Cerrito. We plan for that from the start so the schedule holds.
On an El Cerrito hillside, the first question is not what material to use. It is where the flat ground will come from. Terracing a slope takes engineering, drainage and access planning, and it has to be done right because the Hayward Fault runs through the city.
Our approach is to design the levels first, then everything that sits on them. A lower terrace might hold a fire pit facing the bay. An upper one connects to the kitchen door for easy dining. Steps and walkways tie it together so the whole yard feels like one space.
Every project begins with a discovery consultation. We learn about your home, your goals and how you want to live outside, then recommend the right next step.
Schedule a Discovery ConsultationYes, in most cases. It usually means terracing with retaining walls, which we design along with drainage and access so the whole slope works together.
It affects how walls and structures are engineered, which is one reason we bring in engineering for taller walls and follow the city's permit process.
It can. Homes near the Hillside Natural Area and Wildcat Canyon may fall in a fire hazard zone, which can shape plant choices, materials and clearances. We check during planning.
That is how we prefer to work. Material and layout choices should feel like they belong with the architecture, whether that is a 1920s cottage or a Spanish revival.
Book a Discovery Consultation. If you are still sorting out your style, our quiz is a good first step.
