Old Mill · Blithedale Canyon · Kite Hill · Homestead Valley · Tamalpais Valley · Strawberry · Alto
Schedule a Discovery ConsultationMill Valley sits on the eastern slopes of Mount Tamalpais, and much of it is still shaded by coast redwoods. The canyons stay cool and damp, fog is a regular visitor, and a lot of homes step down hillsides toward a creek.
We design and build outdoor living spaces for Mill Valley homeowners who want a yard that fits that setting: patios that drain well under the trees, terraces that make a slope usable, and planting plans that respect the town's fire rules.
The Depot Cafe and Bookstore in downtown Mill Valley. Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
Downtown is small enough to walk end to end. The Depot sits on the plaza, the 142 Throckmorton Theatre hosts music and comedy a block away, and the Mill Valley Film Festival and Fall Arts Festival bring the whole town out each fall.
People here spend their weekends outside, on the Dipsea, on the trails up Mount Tam, in Old Mill Park among the redwoods. We find that homeowners want their backyard to carry that same feeling: shaded, green, quiet, and built from materials that look like they belong.
The name goes back to the mid-1830s, when John Reed built a sawmill on Cascade Creek, in what is now Old Mill Park. Mill Valley incorporated on September 1, 1900.
Rail shaped the downtown. The current Depot was built in 1929 in the Mission Revival style. The last passenger train left in 1940, and the building served buses into the 1970s. In 1982 the old track area was rebuilt as the Downtown Plaza that hosts summer concerts today.
The Throckmorton Theatre building dates to 1915, when it opened as the Hub Theater for silent films. It reopened as a performing arts center in 2003.
Shade and moisture change the material conversation here. We favor stone and textured surfaces that stay grippy when damp, and we design drainage before we design the patio.
Answer five quick questions and see the features and projects built for the way you live.
Fire rules come first. In 2019 the city adopted a vegetation ordinance aimed at fire-prone plants such as bamboo, acacia and juniper near structures. A proposed requirement for a non-plant buffer around every home was made voluntary after public pushback. Rules continue to evolve at the city and state level, including state Zone 0 standards for the five feet closest to homes, so we confirm current requirements during planning and design planting plans to match.
Design review. Mill Valley's zoning code includes a design review process, and hillside work, walls and structures can trigger it. We sort out what applies to your project early.
Shade, fog and creeks. The forested canyons are cooler and wetter than the rest of town. Expect us to ask about where water goes in a storm and how much sun the yard really gets before we pick materials.
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 ConsultationThey can, especially close to the house. We design planting plans with fire-prone species kept away from structures and use hardscape and gravel where the rules or good sense call for it.
We plan footings, grading and trenching around root zones and bring in an arborist when a project gets close to significant trees.
With a site visit and a plan for terraces, steps and drainage. Our process starts with design, so you see the full layout before any digging.
Yes. We design and build for homeowners across the Mill Valley area, including the unincorporated neighborhoods around town.
