Tag: Careers in Hardscaping

Ultimate Backyard Lancaster: A ‘Once-in-a-Career’ Hardscaping Project

Jeremy Martin, owner of Willow Gates Home & Landscape, first received a call from his client about the “Ultimate Backyard Lancaster” project in summer of 2023. Martin was on vacation at the time, but he was so intrigued by his client’s description of their dream project that he felt compelled to respond immediately.

“It was the kind of project that comes along maybe every 10 years, maybe once in a career,” Martin said.

Ultimate Backyard Lancaster would eventually go on to win the Segmental Concrete Pavement – Permeable category and earn an Honorable Mention in Outdoor Living Features category at the 2025 Hardscape North America Awards.

But the Ultimate Backyard Lancaster isn’t just an award-winning project. It’s proof that even the most ambitious visions can become reality when every detail is treated with care.

Building a Dream

Martin’s client had been planning this project since 2015, when he first built his home. By the time he reached out to Martin, the architectural drawings for the entertainment barn the project included were mostly complete, but the real work was just beginning.

Martin thinks and designs in 2-D. For this project, he started with the two largest features: the barn footprint and the pool dimensions. From there, he built outward, carefully considering how each element would flow together.

In addition to the barn and pool, the client also initially requested a full half-court basketball court. Once Martin showed him what that would require, they scaled back to free throw lines and other basketball court elements so the final look would still be impressive, but not overwhelming.

Finding the Right Materials

“One of the guiding principles was this had to look like it’s built at the same time as the home, despite being 10 years later,” Martin said.

That guiding principle would shape every design decision for Martin.

The property also already featured outdoor living space built in 2017, complete with a bocce court and outdoor kitchen. Rather than forcing a perfect match with the older materials, Martin took a thoughtful approach.

All retaining walls and the barn used a natural stone veneer that matched the outdoor kitchen and closely coordinated with the house. This created cohesion instead of contrast.

“I really hated the idea of adding in yet another color, another texture,” Martin said. “I didn’t want it to be a complete fruit salad of everything thrown in there.”

For the pool patio, the client fell in love with the texture of Techo-Bloc’s Everest paver and wanted it in a diamond pattern using three colors: very dark gray, light gray, and medium tan.

When the client initially requested mixing all three colors in three different sizes throughout the large patio in addition to the pool, Martin pushed back.

“I said, ‘That’s just way too busy. We need to dial it back,’” Martin said.

Instead, Martin used the same color palette in much more muted tones—very light gray, very light cream, and very light tan—for the main patio. The result was visual interest without overwhelming the massive space.

“I love it. I think that really brought it all together. Those colors came together perfectly,” Martin said.

Sweating the Details

The curves in this project stand out as the most challenging and rewarding elements for Martin.

Martin wanted the semicircle at the shallow end of the pool, a curved walkway, and a circular fire pit seating area to flow together perfectly. He spent hours during the design phase ensuring these curves aligned, then duplicated that precision in the field.

“Those are the little details that I really sweated,” he said. “They were really important to me, and you’re like, ‘is it really worth it?’ You look at a picture at the end, and, yes, it was worth it. Those curves all are pretty much perfect.”

The same attention to detail extended to the diamond pattern around the pool. Martin designed the borders and everything to work with full and half diamonds—no slivers anywhere. All four sides were laid out meticulously to avoid any partial cuts.

The Permeable Challenge

Adding nearly a quarter acre of impervious surface in Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay watershed meant serious stormwater management requirements. The project needed a 100-year stormwater plan capable of storing 7.5 inches of rainfall.

The solution required making the entire patio and all artificial turf areas permeable with a 20-inch base.

“It’s kind of crazy. We didn’t need that much base, it’s simply a patio, but we had to store 7.5 inches, and that’s what it came out to be,” Martin said.

The team also constructed a massive infiltration bed measuring 30 feet wide by 90 feet long and 30 inches deep for the barn, driveway, and other improvements.

“Permeable truly does make sense. It’s good stewardship. It’s good management, and given you’re building a patio anyway, we’re already putting a base in. To make it deeper and put stormwater management underneath it just makes sense in a lot of cases,” Martin said.

A Year in the Making

From initial contact with the client to getting permits in hand took a full year. Stormwater planning alone consumed over half that time.

Installation continued right up until winter arrived, with the team working as snow was flying and temperatures dropped into the teens.

But the most rewarding moment came during installation. Martin arrived one Saturday to find his client playing basketball with his granddaughter on the not-quite-finished court.

“This really kind of encapsulated why he wanted to build this. It’s for his family and his friends. It’s not a public space, he’s not renting it out, this is just a place for him to hang out with his friends and family,” Martin said.

“It’s easy to lose sight of that when you’re building something this over the top, but at the end of the day, that’s what it’s for. He’s hosting people there constantly, family, friends, board meetings. He built this place to be used. It’s not just something to show off with. This is a place he wanted to use, and he is. He’s using it all the time.”

Details Over Scale

The scale of this project is staggering. More than 4,500 square feet of pavers isn’t something you see often.

“Everyone who’s seen this project is kind of mind-boggled by the sheer scope,” Martin said. “I do view it as very much a privilege and an honor to be able to build this for the client.”

Winning in two categories at the 2025 HNA awards validated all the hard work Martin and his team put into the project. For aspiring hardscapers who want to one day work on their own award-winning projects, Martin encourages them to focus on the details, not just the scale.

“Details matter,” Martin said. “Just the sheer scope of a project or sheer scale isn’t really the most important thing. So yes, this is an amazing project, a once-in-a-lifetime project that I never even would have dreamed of. But it’s really the little details that matter, whether it’s a big project or a small project.”

He points to the clean diamond pattern around the pool, the perfectly flowing curves, the muted and coordinating color palettes. These are the elements that elevate good work to exceptional work.

“If you lay a 5,000-square-foot patio and there’s no character to it, the joint lines aren’t straight—you missed the point, you know?” Martin said. “I don’t want to do that kind of work. To me, it’s not the sheer size. I care about the details.”

His client’s decade-long dream is now a showcase of what’s possible when scale meets meticulous hardscaping craftsmanship.

AI in Hardscaping: Blending Innovation with Education

As AI tools become increasingly accessible, hardscapers look to harness these powerful new tools without sacrificing the foundational knowledge that separates professionals from hobbyists.

AI as a Workflow Enhancer

For many in the industry, AI has already moved from experimental to essential.

Weston Zimmerman, founder of SynkedUp, calls AI “an accelerant to the things that you need to do already anyway.”

For instance, contractors writing proposals at 10 PM, exhausted from a long day, can now “give AI your rough and polish proposal description, let it clean it up for you, tweak a little bit and use that,” Zimmerman said.

“They’re using AI to help them come across as more polished, more well presented in their written communications with their customers.”

Eric Hammer, Partner at WestBlock Systems, echoes this workflow enhancement approach.

“I use AI on the daily,” Hammer said, “because it actually really helps me be more efficient in my workflow or in providing clarity in documents that I’m writing.”

As the founder of SynkedUP, a business management software company focused on the hardscaping and landscaping industry, Zimmerman believes the impacts of AI will go beyond convenience.

“Documentation of processes is the very thing that keeps owner-operators prisoner in their own businesses. Until that happens, you are forever the only person that can do whatever task,” Zimmerman said. “With AI that is so much easier because you can literally shoot a video of you doing XYZ task, whether it’s out in the field or in the office or whatever, and feed that video to AI and it’ll shoot out a nice document with a list of steps that you need to take to do the task and do it well.”

Zimmerman also notes that most hardscaping businesses are sitting on “data goldmines.”

“A lot of operators are failing to document their own data,” he said. “They estimate a job—it’s going to take 250 hours and X dollars’ worth of materials to go out and do it—but they never document how many hours it actually took them. Every job that gets finished without tracking the resources and the hours and materials that went into it is a lost opportunity to build your own archive of data.”

Even without AI, this data helps you avoid repeating mistakes. But as AI becomes more integrated into industry tools, that data will help you get more accurate results for business processes and estimating.

“Take the time and track your hours and resources per work area in a job. Even if you’re not feeding that to AI yet, that data will become super valuable as AI becomes more prevalent, since you will have way more history to feed into your AI tool,” Zimmerman said.

“…My hope is that some of these problems that exist in the industry, with AI, the bar will be lowered on how easy it is to solve them.”

AI for Visualization and Manufacturing

There are additional applications of AI that show particular promise.

Hammer describes a workflow that’s already transforming his client presentations.

“I will draw out a full layout in SketchUp, then I’ll take a screenshot of that, and I’ll upload it into ChatGPT and say, ‘Make this look photoreal,’” Hammer said. “Conveying the final vision or the possibilities that can be done is huge.”

Looking ahead, Hammer believes that manufacturing could be revolutionized by the combination of AI with Internet of Things (IoT), a network of physical devices, vehicles, appliances, and other physical objects that are embedded with sensors, software, and network connectivity, allowing them to collect and share data.

“I think that that’s going to be a huge thing where maybe you don’t actually need a full-time machine operator,” Hammer said.

But Hammer is quick to point out AI’s current limitations. When he tried using AI to solve a specific engineering problem, “it just was not able to comprehend, so there’s still that human aspect to it.”

This distinction matters. AI excels at augmenting human expertise, not replacing it. The professionals who will thrive aren’t those who hand everything over to AI, but those who understand where AI adds value and where human judgment remains irreplaceable.

Why Education Matters More Than Ever

AI’s power and potential can create significant risks, especially in an industry where engineering precision can be the difference between a structure that lasts decades and one that fails.

“While it’s very cool, it’s also very dangerous in some ways,” Hammer said. “You have to put in very strong restrictions on what it’s able to provide, and what its source of truth is.”

Richard Ansley, Professor and Landscape Design & Management Program Coordinator at Columbus State Community College, frames the challenge even more directly. As AI becomes integrated with Building Information Modeling (BIM) and design software, “AI is going to walk you through it so much faster. And if it doesn’t know on their website, it will reach out to another server that’ll bring it to you.”

But speed without discernment creates problems.

“Students or new professionals can watch a video on Facebook and think that’s the way we do it,” Ansley said. “We don’t want students thinking that everything they see on the Internet is gospel.”

The same applies to AI-generated information.

“AI will give us everything we want. But do we want all of it?” Ansley said. “What do you want from it that you can be a professional about?”

What Aspiring Hardscapers Should Know

For aspiring hardscapers, the willingness to explore AI and new technologies can be a competitive advantage, but only when paired with solid fundamentals.

If you’re looking to enter the hardscaping industry in the age of AI, here’s what you should consider:

Develop prompt engineering skills. Being able to write effective AI prompts requires deep understanding of what you’re trying to achieve. You need to know enough to ask the right questions.
Pursue formal education. Whether it’s a college degree, trade school, or CMHA certification, structured learning gives you the foundational knowledge to use AI critically rather than blindly.
Learn to verify, not just trust. Can you tell when AI gives you information that’s technically unsound?
Develop data discipline. Start tracking time and resources by work area from your first job and look for other areas where you can collect information and data that might one day inform useful AI outputs.
Embrace the innovation mindset. Those willing to thoughtfully integrate new tools while respecting proven principles will stand out.
Understand the limits. AI should be a tool, not a substitute for expertise.

AI in hardscaping isn’t about replacing human expertise; it’s about amplifying it.

The professionals who will thrive are those who build strong foundations first, then leverage AI to work smarter, visualize better, and stay ahead of competition still stuck in old patterns.

The 5 Cs: Hardscaping Skills You Can Hone Before You Get Started

If you’re thinking about breaking into the hardscaping industry, you might be wondering if you have what it takes to succeed.

The good news is that many of the most critical skills aren’t about knowing how to lay pavers, they’re transferable skills you may already possess or can develop right now.

Let’s call them “the 5 Cs.”

1. Curiosity

Andrew Letersky, Founder of Ultimate Landscape Academy, was the kid with endless questions, taking apart household items, tagging along on handiwork, and always building contraptions. His insatiable curiosity became one of his greatest business assets.

“If you have that curiosity, that burning desire to figure things out,” Letersky said. “That really leads you into an investigation mode.”

When you’re curious, you naturally ask the important questions when things don’t work the way you planned. How can I make this better? How can I tweak this? How can I make the customer experience better? How can I get more leads? How can I do this faster? How can I be more efficient?

“If you tell your potential employer, ‘Listen, I’m teachable, and I will learn fast. I just need someone to show it to me and answer my questions,’ every employer wants to hear that,” said Frank Bourque, Landscape and Hardscape Business Consultant.

This mindset of constant questioning and refinement is what drives career and business growth.

2. Character

“If I had one piece of advice to any human on the planet who wanted to become a stronger, a more dedicated, a more present, a more successful version of themselves, it would be simply: do what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it,” Letersky said.

It sounds basic, but think about how rarely people actually follow through, especially on promises they make to themselves.

“It’s easy to keep promises to other people, but it’s super hard to do it for yourself because typically the repercussions are not as present,” Letersky said.

When we break promises to ourselves, something deeper happens.

“You lose self-trust, and the self-trust translates into self-love, and self-love is what you need for true confidence,” Letersky said. “Because if we aren’t confident, then sales are difficult. Communication is difficult. Showing up is difficult.”

3. Consistency

Consistency is closely tied to character. It’s an active choice to keep showing up and to showcase what is a priority to you.

“When we try something new, we’re going to go through that uncomfortable phase. It’s the people that try something and push through that difficult phase and get to the other side of it that are the ones that really succeed,” said Vanessa McQuade, VP of Sales & Marketing and Co-Owner of Intrigue Media. “Look at yourself as a person that’s adding value. Lead with confidence.”

Letersky frames it as “discipline,” the ability to do the work day after day, even when motivation fades.

“If it was easy, every single person would be doing it. Starting’s the easy part, but the hard part is what separates people,” Letersky said. “The hard part is what leads to the freedom. It’s what leads to the financial rewards, the success on the other side.”

An employee who shows up consistently, communicates absences well in advance, and can be counted on becomes invaluable, whether you are working directly on a hardscaping crew or in the office.

“If you want your value to go up, focus on reliability,” Bourque said.

4. Communication

Strong communication skills impact every aspect of your career and business.

“If you’re not able to communicate the services you offer, or the way that you can help them, or the emotional benefits to them—the certainty that they get or the removal of fear or things like that—if you can’t communicate those things with a customer, then your sales process takes a big hit,” Letersky said.

“Communication is as much about being able to speak as it is to be able to listen…It’s not about the answers you give, but it’s about the quality of the questions that you ask that you’re judged on. Instead of giving them what’s important to you, being able to ask a simple question of, ‘Before I tell you about our company, what is it that you’re looking for from a landscaper?’ That shift changes the whole conversation because then they’ll tell you what’s important for them and you can relay now why you’re the best choice based on the things that they said were important.”

The same advice goes for a job interview in hardscaping.

“I think you should be asking more questions than talking about yourself—about the company, about the process, about the company culture, about the management,” said David Huber, National Hardscape Sales Manager for Alpha Professional Tools.

5. Commitment (to Self-Reflection)

The final C might be the most transformative: the commitment to honestly evaluate yourself.

“The ability to self-reflect—if you’re the kind of person who can look themselves in the mirror and say, ‘Hey, listen, let’s think about the last day, week, month. What did we say we were going to do and then we didn’t do it? Where do we need to focus some more time and energy over the next month?’” Letersky said.

“Being able to self-reflect on your own performance to see where the gaps are in your own skill sets or your own mindset or your own habits, that sets you in the top 1 percent or even .1 percent of the people in the industry.”

Getting Started

You don’t have to wait until you have mastered “the 5 Cs” to get started. Work toward developing these foundational traits and trust that the technical skills will grow alongside them.

“I was probably the most inadequate individual when it came to starting my business,” Letersky said. “I had no business experience. I had no idea how to get customers. I had no idea how to win. I did one patio in my entire life prior to starting my landscape business. Through my inquisitive nature and curiosity and the desire to not quit and go work somewhere else, I pushed ahead.”

If you’re unsure whether you belong in hardscaping, start by honestly assessing these qualities in yourself. Which ones do you already have? Which ones need work? The beauty of these skills and traits is that they’re all improvable and you can start today.

“You don’t have to be the smartest. You don’t have to be the quickest. You don’t have to be the best at getting the stuff that you need,” Letersky said. “You just have to have that vision and that belief that you’re going to get what you want and you’re going to go after it no matter what happens.”

Beyond the Classroom: Why One Professor Takes His Students to Compete at Hardscape North America

Brigham Young University’s landscaping program works to shape the next generation of outdoor design professionals. These students have the opportunity to not just learn in the classroom, but to also gain experience on a national stage.

Greg V. Jolley, PLA, ASLA, Professor of Plant and Landscape Systems, often brings a team of students to the annual National Competition at Hardscape North America, where they test their skills against some of the best in the country.

But for Jolley, the competition isn’t just about trophies. It’s about giving students real-world confidence, hands-on experience, and the chance to see themselves as future leaders in the industry.

From Theory to Practice

Jolley’s own path to teaching started after five years of professional practice at a landscape architecture firm in Jackson, Wyoming. When an opening came up at his alma mater in 2003, he jumped at the chance to return. For him, this was a return not just to BYU, but to the same campus where his father had been a professor.

“To be able to go back and have the opportunity to teach in the same place he did, and to be able to teach the topic I loved, it was a no-brainer,” Jolley said.

That real-world experience has proven invaluable in the classroom. Four-year universities excel at teaching theory, Jolley noted, but hands-on skills can be harder to incorporate into the curriculum.

That’s where competitions like Hardscape North America come in.

Hands-On Learning, Real-World Results

BYU has been involved in landscape competitions since the late 1990s, and Jolley has been part of that effort since he arrived back on campus. To bridge the gap between classroom learning and practical skills, he formalized a partnership with BYU’s grounds department in 2003, requiring all students to work there for at least one semester.

“Most students would end up working for more than just one semester,” Jolley said. “They may end up working for two years, three years. If they get into that program early enough, sometimes even gain four years of experience.”

Competitions build on that hands-on foundation by offering a deep dive into specific skills.

“In the case of hardscape installation, just in the preparation leading up to a competition, they can gain hours upon hours of experience,” Jolley said. “It gives them a little bit more depth in the subject than we could otherwise provide as professors or in an academic setting.”

When Jolley asks students about their competition experience, one word comes up repeatedly: invaluable.

“Just to be able to observe professionals doing the work and being able to talk with them and get feedback from them. You have such skilled laborers installing these hardscapes, and just being able to watch them for a couple of rounds of the competition is invaluable,” he said. “I think it generates more ideas in their mind of ways that they can go about their work.”

More Than Just Hard Skills

Jolley also emphasizes that competitions teach soft skills, critical skills that every professional needs.

“We oftentimes think of the install as being just hard skills and that’s it,” he said. “But the soft skills of communication—how do you communicate with one another? How do you problem solve? You might be in the middle of the competition and you have to pivot or adjust what your original strategy was.”

Jolley also encourages his students to stay connected with professional associations, to educate others, and to support their fellow practitioners.

“We want our students to have as they go out into the world a desire to continue to learn and continue to serve in whatever communities that they’re in,” he said.

It’s a philosophy reflected in BYU’s motto: “Enter to learn, go forth to serve.”

“We try and emphasize that to our students that go out into the industry,” Jolley said. And it’s a principle he embodied in his own career trajectory from student to practitioner to educator.

Whether students end up installing patios, designing outdoor spaces, or another industry entirely, the skills and connections they gain at competitions like Hardscape North America become part of a foundation that lasts a lifetime.

Entrepreneur vs. Employee: Which Path is Right for Aspiring Hardscapers?

Every hardscaper faces a big decision at the start of their career: should you begin by building your own business or gain experience by first working for someone else?

Both routes have their pros and cons. Running your own company means independence, but also risk; working as an employee offers stability and mentorship, but less freedom.

If you’re an aspiring hardscaper wondering where to begin, advice from a few industry professionals can help you find the path that fits your personality, goals, and lifestyle.

Learning Then Leading

Dan Hughes, President of Segmental Systems Inc., spent nine years working for a landscape company before eventually purchasing an established hardscape business. That time as an employee was an education.

“I constantly observed how things were done, good and bad, and compared it all to other companies in the area,” Hughes said. “I learned all the basics of landscaping, sprinklers, different construction methods, and even some landscape maintenance.”

More importantly, he gained crucial management experience.

“The longer I was there, the more experience I got running/managing crews, dealing with customers, knowing what we needed for supplies for the day, planning for the next several days, equipment repair and usage,” he said.

However, Hughes is candid about what he didn’t learn as an employee.

“What I never learned was sales, estimating, overhead, payroll, taxes, and the business end of it all,” he said.

When Hughes started working for Segmental Systems with the intent to purchase it, the owner made it his mission to teach him as much as he could during the transition.

Looking back, Hughes appreciates the foundation his employment years provided, but he also acknowledges the value of buying into an established operation.

“You avoid the struggles of having to do all the work yourself while still trying to find work and build a business. That’s a tall hurdle and I applaud those who have done it successfully. It’s a grind to get there for sure. But buying something existing, partnering up with an established business allows you to focus on building and making things better rather on fighting to survive,” Hughes said.

“…If I were to do it all over again, I would definitely work in the trade for a quality contractor and look to buy in or out that company. Starting from scratch is quite risky, and extremely volatile in the dips in the economy.”

Finding the Right Employer

Weston Zimmerman, founder of SynkedUP, experienced a transformative shift in how he viewed employment, one that ultimately prepared him for entrepreneurship.

Starting as a teenager at Tussey Landscaping installing water features and koi ponds, Zimmerman admits he was initially “your average employee” who “worked hard when I was there, but I wanted the Fridays off and I wanted to go do this, I want to go do that.”

Everything changed after he got married and his priorities shifted. At an Aquascape convention in Chicago, hungry to make more money, he approached CEO Greg Wittstock about job opportunities.

“He looked at me like I had three heads,” Zimmerman said. “And I said, ‘Well, I just want to make more money,’ and you can see that he had heard this 100 times. He said, ‘Go back and talk to your boss and ask him what can you do to make the company more money, so that you can make more money.’”

Zimmerman never looked at employment the same way again.

“My mindset, my perspective as an employee shifted forever from that moment on,” he said.

That shift led Zimmerman to become not just a crew lead, but also Director of Marketing at Tussey, launching their social media presence, YouTube content, filming and editing, and managing their website.

Both Zimmerman emphasizes that not all employment experiences are created equal.

“There’s a key ingredient that has to exist and that is the owner of that company has to be willing to give you the autonomy. I could’ve had the exact same story at Tussey Landscaping, but with a different owner that wasn’t willing to give me the rope to climb and it would’ve failed for both of us,” Zimmerman said.

Instead, Zimmerman was able to really have a seat at the table at Tussey and started to offer ideas for business processes and process optimization. That experience eventually led him to founding SynkedUP, a software company that’s transforming how hardscaping businesses operate.

“I actually would probably encourage going and working for someone for a while, but I would also say in the same way that the employer is interviewing you, in your own mind be interviewing the employer,” Zimmerman said. “If you’re going to work for someone, be considerate and thoughtful about who you’re choosing to work for because that’s a key part of the equation in making that successful.”

Built for Independence

Outside of three years in the military, Gary Stowe, President of Stowe Contracting, Inc., has worked for himself since he was 13. For him, entrepreneurship isn’t just a preference, it’s a necessity.

“I’m not a good employee,” Stowe said. “That’s kind of what people need to understand if they want to go in business. It can’t be, ‘I’d like to go in business.’ It’s, ‘I have to go in business.’”

Stowe’s career path in hardscaping has been unconventional. With a nursing degree and three years in the Army, he spent a decade running an auto repair shop before transitioning to construction in the late 1980s. But while these fields seem widely varied, Stowe said they all really come down to his passion for fixing things.

Each career shift also taught him something valuable about business operations, pricing, and customer relationships, lessons that helped him build a successful hardscaping company.

One pivotal lesson came during his struggling years in the auto repair business. Working 70-hour weeks, he accompanied his wife to their accountant for tax preparation. The accountant looked at their returns and said, “You know, you can apply for food stamps if you want.”

“That was kind of an epiphany for me,” Stowe said. The turning point came when he realized he needed to bid jobs properly and account for real overhead costs. “You can’t look at the job—the parts, the pieces of the job, the labor it takes to do the job—that’s only one small part of it. You’ve got overhead of just being in business, and you have to recognize that.”

For Stowe, the appeal of entrepreneurship is clear.

“The ability to make your own decisions, the flexibility to do that. The ability to turn down customers if it becomes necessary, to pick and choose who your customers are, the type of work you want to do,” he said.

He acknowledges the demands are real and that it is not a traditional 9-5 job. He keeps a notepad by his bed because he wakes up thinking about work and he stresses the constant planning and organization required to run a company. But despite the challenges, he’s found deep satisfaction in his path.

“It’s a very fulfilling lifestyle. It’s a great way to employ yourself and others,” he said. “It gives you a great deal of satisfaction, and it’s well worth all the heartache that you go through.”

The Employee’s Path

Elias Null, Optimas Specialist at Pave Tool, pushes back against the cultural assumption that entrepreneurship is the only path to success or fulfillment.

“Society pushes to have your own business and be your own boss. And that’s great! That really is awesome, but different personalities are different, and you don’t actually need to be your own boss to have a good life,” Null said.

For him, the focus isn’t on titles or ownership, it’s on personal growth.

“The goal for myself would be to be the best version of myself that I can be,” he said. “Life is like a creek, and if you’re just sitting on a creek in a kayak or canoe, you’re going to end up downstream. You have to stay rowing upstream if you’re going to have a better life.”

Null’s perspective is a reminder that career success isn’t one-size-fits-all. For those who thrive in structured environments and prefer to focus on craft over business operations, the employee route can be just as rewarding.

Finding Your Path Forward

Determining the right path for you really depends on honest self-assessment. Consider these questions:

Are you willing to learn the business side? As Hughes and Stowe discovered, field skills alone won’t sustain a company. You need to understand estimating, overhead, taxes, and cash flow or be willing to learn.
Are you energized or drained by business management tasks? If paperwork, bidding, payroll, and planning excite you—or at least don’t exhaust you—entrepreneurship might fit. If you’d rather focus purely on the craft, employment could be your path.
How do you handle uncertainty and financial pressure? Hughes notes that even with an established company, “there were a few times where work was sparse. Very stressful when you have a fairly large monthly payment on a business.” Can you weather those storms?
Do you need autonomy to be happy? Stowe’s realization that he couldn’t work for others came from recognizing his personality. Some people thrive with structure and clear expectations; others suffocate under them.
Can you find the right mentor? Both Zimmerman and Hughes benefited enormously from employers willing to invest in their growth. If you choose employment, choose carefully.

There’s no single right answer. The hardscaping industry has room for all approaches.

Whether you choose to work for a quality contractor, buy into an existing business, or strike out on your own from day one, success comes down to dedication, continuous learning, and being honest about who you are and what you need to thrive.

Want Hands-On Experience with Hardscaping Equipment? Tell Your Instructor About Tools for Schools

When landscape constructions students at SUNY Cobleskill stepped onto the historic grounds of the Lasell House in Schoharie, New York, they weren’t just on a class field trip. They were there to build something that would last.

Working with the Daughters of the American Revolution, the students got to lay out plans, prepare the base, and install a brand-new walkway as part of their landscape construction course.

For many of them, it was their first time using the professional-grade tools they’d seen on job sites and in trade magazines. And it was made possible by a grant from the Tools for Schools program.

Funded by the ICPI Foundation and managed by the Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA), Tools for Schools is revolutionizing how hardscaping is taught in colleges and vocational programs.

For Bryan Horr, P.E., Division Engineer of Segmental Pavements at CMHA, it’s all about giving students the kind of hands-on education that sticks.

“One of the things I always stress — and one of the things I know from experience — is that I learned best through hands-on learning,” Horr said. “This program gives students a chance to get that experience with real equipment, in real settings. That kind of learning stays with you.”

Tools for Schools is a grant program. Colleges and vocational schools that have a CMHA-trained instructor and a signed licensing agreement to offer CMHA’s Concrete Paver Installer course as part of their curriculum can apply for up to $20,000 to purchase hardscaping tools — compactors, screeders, saws, and other equipment essentials that are typically outside a school’s budget.

For the grant application, schools are asked to share what kind of program they are planning to teach or what kind of project they hope to accomplish, as well as the initial list of needed tools. Grant agreements must include a promotion plan recognizing the Tools for Schools grant as well as an ongoing maintenance plan for the tools to ensure it will benefit students for years to come.

Once the grant is awarded, the schools purchase the tools, then submit receipts for reimbursement. Many CMHA members also offer discounts to schools who have been awarded this grant, which helps stretch the dollars even further.

Horr said that many of the schools use the tools not only for instruction, but also for campus projects and community collaborations. The Tools for Schools program merges the classroom with the real world.

For many students, this is the initial step in gaining the experience required to get certified as a CMHA Concrete Paver Installer, build a portfolio of real-world work, and enter the workforce with a solid foundation —literally and figuratively.

“This is one of those opportunities that really helps shape the industry’s future,” Bryan says. “We’re helping schools build better programs, and we’re helping students walk into jobs with confidence and experience.”

So, if you’re studying horticulture, landscape construction, or anything that touches the world of hardscaping, here’s a chance to get better tools and the opportunity to lay pavers instead of reading about them.

Talk to your instructor. Ask if your school has considered applying for the Tools for Schools grant. It could change the way you learn and set you up for a career that’s built on something solid.

An Oasis of Opportunity at SkillsUSA 2025

Every year, the Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) looks forward to one of the most exciting events in the trades: the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference.

SkillsUSA brings together an estimated 15,000 students, teachers, education leaders, and representatives from 650 national corporations and trade associations. With over 6,500 students competing in 114 hands-on skill and leadership competitions, the energy was absolutely electric.

For many students, SkillsUSA marks their first real exposure to such a wide range of career possibilities. Bryan Horr, P.E., Division Engineer of Segmental Pavements at CMHA, wants them to understand the benefits of a career in hardscaping.

“We always talk about working outside, being your own boss, lots of room to grow,” he said. “You don’t need to go to college—that’s one way you can go, but there are different paths. You can go through the trades or you can start your own business. The career opportunities are endless in the hardscaping field.”

CMHA uses their booth at SkillsUSA to creates an environment where young people can truly envision themselves building a future in hardscaping.

Horr described the CMHA booth as “kind of an oasis in the conference center.” Unlike the typical booths, the CMHA space featured beautiful hardscaping elements like pavers arranged into an inviting patio area, complemented by trees, bushes, plants, and flowers that created a refreshing green contrast.

“We had a lot of people come to the booth to talk to me about what was going on,” Horr said. “We’re a big attraction because we’re a green area with plants and trees and hardscaping items. It really stands out from all the other trades at the event.”

Embodying the real-world problem-solving and precision skills used in hardscaping, one of the highlights at the booth was CMHA’s “Tetris Tumble” game. Using large Tetris-shaped blocks, competitors had to carefully balance pieces on a rocking board, with the goal of making their opponent’s tower tumble first.

Winners earned a special edition CMHA SkillsUSA pin—a highly coveted item in the conference’s famous pin-trading tradition. These pins became an instant hit and helped draw a steady stream of curious students to the booth.

Horr said he enjoyed chatting with students who stopped by to explore their options.

“The thing that I was hoping students take away is that there are so many opportunities out there for their careers, their growth, and their development,” Horr said. “Just keep their minds open and do what they enjoy. If they like to be outside, hardscaping is a great opportunity. They’re just at the beginning of their lives, so there are many opportunities out there.”

CMHA’s participation in SkillsUSA is an ongoing commitment to nurturing the next generation of hardscaping professionals. Each year, CMHA returns with renewed energy and fresh ideas for connecting with students who might find their calling in the hardscaping industry.

Learn more about career opportunities in hardscaping and how you can get involved in shaping the future of our industry.

Questions That Get You Hired: Interview Advice for Aspiring Hardscapers

You’ve polished your resume and made it to the interview round. As the interview winds down, the hiring manager asks, “Do you have any questions for me?”

Why Questions Matter More Than You Think

When a candidate comes to an interview with prepared questions, it sends several powerful signals to potential employers.

“It shows that they’ve done a little bit of research,” said Caleb Bahler, sales manager at Pave Tool. “It shows that they’re actually interested. It’s showing that they actually really care about fulfilling a position.”

Beyond demonstrating interest, thoughtful questions reveal character traits that hardscaping employers value highly.

“It shows their dedication to prepping for it and being prepared for the interview. It also shows effort,” Bahler said. “…By them coming with questions, it shows that they’re willing to put in the work before they even know that they’re getting something in return.”

On the flip side, candidates who arrive without questions leave a distinctly negative impression.

“It gives the impression that they’re not detail oriented,” Bahler warns. “…They’re going to probably forget things in their job role. They’re not going to be very organized in their job role. Or that they just don’t really care about the job.”

Your Interview Preparation Strategy

The interview process should be a two-way street. While the employer is evaluating whether you’re right for their team, you should be evaluating whether they’re right for your career goals and values. Thoughtful questions help facilitate this mutual evaluation process.

“It goes both ways,” Bahler said. “As someone that’s trying to hire an employee, I think it’s important that they ask questions so you can see if they’re actually interested in finding out if it’s a good fit for them.”

Before your interview, Bahler recommends a thoughtful preparation exercise.

“I would challenge the individual to come up with the values that they think are most important for a job,” he suggests. “…For example, at the top of my list would be working for someone that is forward thinking and that looks out for the betterment of their employees. Go through and itemize your values and come up with questions that tell you if those values are going to be met on this job.”

This approach helps you stay focused on what matters most to you professionally and to see if it is the right company for you.

“If you’re not hitting your top values that you really see and need in a job, then don’t bother working there. There are many other opportunities out there,” Bahler said.

The Strategic Questions That Impress

Bahler recommends focusing on questions that reveal both your ambition and your desire to understand the company culture. Here are some of his top suggestions:

“What kind of performance are you looking for from an individual to succeed? How are employees held accountable for their performance?”

This question accomplishes multiple goals. It shows you’re thinking beyond just getting hired—you want to excel. You can even take it a step further by asking, “What are some examples of what you see in an individual that’s successful in my role?”

This approach gives you valuable insight into the company’s values and expectations. As Bahler explains, the answer will tell you a lot about your potential employer. If they say they value someone who “just works really hard and does not ask questions,” that might indicate a more rigid, hierarchical environment. But if they mention someone who’s “always thinking, always looking for better solutions,” that suggests a more collaborative, growth-oriented culture.

“What is the potential for growth if I fulfill the job roles that you give me?”

This question demonstrates forward-thinking and ambition.

In hardscaping, “when you’re starting out, you typically start as a labor,” Bahler said. “You’re hauling the pavers. You’re hauling the wall block. You’re doing the things that are more the grunt side of things.” But understanding the growth trajectory is crucial for long-term satisfaction.

If an employer gives a response that indicates you’ll likely be in the same role for five years with no advancement opportunities, that tells you something important about whether this position aligns with your career goals.

One of the great things about the hardscaping industry is its diversity of roles and opportunities.

“There’s sales, there’s marketing. There’s video and photo opportunities. There is bookkeeping. There’s accounting. There’s management. There’s HR, labor, equipment operator, design, lead foreman,” Bahler said.

This diversity means that even if this first role isn’t the best fit, you might find you can excel in design, sales, project management, or any number of other roles within a hardscaping company. Bahler noted that if you put in effort and position yourself as a good employee, you can set yourself up to be able to explore and try out other opportunities later on.

“What is the top value that you feel makes a great employee?”

This question helps you understand the company’s core values and determine if you’d be a good cultural fit.

“You want to know more about the company as a whole and the individual that you’re going to be working for, so you can see if it’s really a good fit for you,” Bahler said.

“What kind of training, education, or mentorship do you offer?”

This question shows you’re thinking about professional development and long-term growth. Companies that invest in employee education and training demonstrate their commitment to your success.

“What does a typical day-to-day look like?”

While this is a common question, it’s still valuable for understanding the practical realities of the role and what you’ll actually be doing on a regular basis.

Questions to Avoid (At Least Initially)

While it’s natural to wonder about compensation and benefits, Bahler advises against leading with these topics.

“I would avoid talking about pay,” he said. “As an individual looking for a job, you will be paid based off of your performance, and if you’re confident that you can perform, the pay structure really is not one of your top concerns.”

Similarly, asking immediately about time off, breaks, or other benefits can send the wrong message.

“Don’t ask how much time you have off, what you get for breaks. That just shows that you’re already looking for a way out of work,” Bahler said.

Pay and benefits are important considerations for any job. But timing matters. Focus first on demonstrating your value and understanding the role, then address practical concerns later in the process.

Making the Most of Your Questions

“Asking questions is what’s going to set you apart from other individuals,” Bahler said. “The more questions you ask, the harder questions you ask, the better of a chance that they’re going to be more interested in you than other individuals.”

Your questions should reflect your desire to understand not just the job, but the company culture, growth opportunities, and how you can contribute to the organization’s success. They should show that you’re thinking beyond just getting hired; you’re considering how you can grow and add value over time.

By preparing strategic questions, you’ll also significantly increase your chances of landing the job. The questions you ask might just be the factor that gets you hired.

Mindset Matters: Hardscaping is a Career, Not Just a Job

Understanding the Difference: Job vs. Career

A job is simply something you do for money. You show up, complete tasks, and collect a paycheck.

A career is a long-term endeavor that you build toward and work on every day. It’s the combination of roles, experiences, education, and pathways you take to achieve your professional goals.

While it’s perfectly acceptable to take a job to pay the bills, having a career goal provides direction and purpose. A career often gives you long-term financial security by encouraging you to build skills and continue learning to move up the career ladder. This usually translates to higher pay, better benefits, and increased job satisfaction over time.

Moving from viewing your path as just a job to a full career requires a mindset shift. A growth mindset not only sets you on a career path, but can help support your overall success in that career.

What is Growth Mindset?

Growth mindset was first defined by renowned psychologist and researcher Carol Dweck in her groundbreaking work on motivation and learning.

According to Dweck, people with a growth mindset believe that their abilities, intelligence, and talents can be developed through dedication, hard work, and learning from failure. They see challenges as opportunities to improve rather than threats to their self-image. In contrast, those with a “fixed mindset” believe their basic abilities are static traits that cannot be significantly developed.

In a growth mindset, people understand that effort and persistence lead to mastery. They embrace challenges, persist through obstacles, learn from criticism, and find inspiration in others’ success.

How to Demonstrate a Growth Mindset in Hardscaping

The framework of a growth mindset has profound implications for career development in any field, but it’s particularly powerful in skilled industries like hardscaping, where continuous learning and adaptation are essential for success.

“People that are pursuing professional development and growth and education, even on their own time, tells me that this is a person that genuinely wants to grow. Mindset is a key thing,” said Weston Zimmerman, founder of SynkedUP.

Zimmerman said he starts evaluating people in their interviews for this mindset. He focuses less on specific hardscaping skills and more for character traits. He wants to know whether the people he interviews see challenges as opportunities to grow or obstacles to complain about.

“Are they out there watching educational courses to learn a new skill? Do they read? Do they listen to podcasts? Or do they just want a 40-hour-a-week job to punch a clock?” he said. “I don’t hire clock punchers. I’m looking for is people that are hungry, that have a growth mindset. People that view the world as a smorgasbord of problems to solve, not a not a smorgasbord of things to claim victim to.”

Frank Bourque, a landscape and hardscape business consultant and founder of the Landscape & Hardscape Business Success Summit, also highlights the importance of professional development when showcasing a growth mindset. He recommends pursuing CMHA certifications, as well as attending events like the annual Hardscape North America trade show.

“One of the best investments you can make is attending training,” Bourque said. “If you go where the expert goes, this will not only position yourself in the industry, but it will show how much you care.”

Questions That Impress Employers

It’s not just your responses to questions in an interview that can show off your growth mindset and the actions you are taking to continue your skills development.

When interviewing for hardscaping positions, you can also show off your mindset by asking thoughtful questions.

Bourque suggests asking potential employers questions like, “Can you tell me more about what a successful job is to you? Is it one that’s profitable? Is it a job where we’ve met the timeframe? Is it a quality install? What does success mean for you on a job?”

These types of questions demonstrates that you understand the bigger picture and that you’re thinking beyond just collecting a paycheck to how you could play a role in that overall success.

Making the Shift from Job to Career

Every role can help you get closer to your career goals and contribute to your professional development.

The key is maintaining that growth mindset throughout your journey. Stay curious, remain solution-focused, and never stop learning.

“Once you’re hungry, the food’s out there,” Zimmerman noted.

The industry needs problem-solvers, leaders, and professionals who care about quality and continuous improvement.

By developing a growth mindset and committing to professional development, you position yourself as a valuable asset who can build a lasting, successful career in hardscaping.

How to Break into the Hardscape Industry

According to the recently released 2025 Contractor Industry Report from the Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA), the top three ways hardscape contractors recruit employees are:

Word of mouth/staff recommendations (84%)
Internet job listing services (50%)
Company websites (42%)

If you’re looking at this list and thinking, “Word of mouth sounds great, but I don’t know anyone in the industry,” you’re not alone.

The good news? You don’t necessarily need connections to break in. You just need the right approach.

The Research-First Approach

Frank Bourque, a landscape and hardscape business consultant and founder of the Landscape & Hardscape Business Success Summit, explains that word-of-mouth hiring isn’t just about having hardscaping insider connections.

He said you don’t need to know someone to get hired in the hardscape industry, as long as you do your homework first. Bourque’s approach centers on genuine research and personalized outreach.

Before reaching out to any company, you need to become genuinely familiar with their work, he said. This means diving deep into their website to understand their services, values, and recent projects.

Social media can be your window into their company culture. Scroll through their Instagram and Facebook to see not just their finished work, but how they present their team and approach their craft. Pay attention to their equipment and capabilities, noting what types of projects they specialize in.

The goal isn’t just to gather information for the sake of it. You’re looking for specific things you genuinely admire about each company so you can speak authentically about why you want to work there.

Make a Personal Connection

Once you’ve done your research, Bourque suggests making a personal connection through thoughtful outreach.

Try sending a personalized email. The following template is based on Bourque’s approach, but it is always better to use your own words to show that you’ve done your research! For example:

Dear [Owner/Manager Name],

I hope this message finds you well. My name is [Your Name], and I am writing to express my interest in potentially joining your team at [Company Name].

After researching your company extensively, I am impressed by the quality of work showcased on your website and social media platforms. Your recent [specific project/post] particularly caught my attention, and it’s clear that your team maintains high standards and takes pride in their craftsmanship. I was also impressed by [specific equipment/capability/value you noticed] and the professional way your team presents themselves online.

I am actively seeking to begin my career in the hardscape industry and am drawn to [Company Name] because of [specific reasons based on your research – their approach, values, types of projects, etc.].

While I may be new to hardscaping, I bring [relevant skills/experience/qualities] and am eager to learn from experienced professionals.

Would it be possible to schedule a brief meeting to discuss potential opportunities with your team? I would welcome the chance to learn more about your company and share how my background and enthusiasm could contribute to your continued success.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

This approach demonstrates that you’ve taken time to understand their business. You’re not just looking for any job. You’re interested in their company in particular.

The Power of the Follow-Up Question

Perhaps the most important part of Bourque’s strategy comes when a company can’t hire you immediately. Instead of walking away disappointed, he suggests asking one crucial question: “What advice would you give to someone with my background and experience?”

This question transforms a rejection into a learning opportunity and often opens doors you didn’t expect.

The company leader might tell you exactly what skills to develop to become hireable later or they might offer you a different position that could lead to what you ultimately want. Sometimes they’ll even reconsider their initial response and find a way to bring you on board.

Why This Personalized Research-First Approach Works

This approach makes hardscaping businesses feel recognized and appreciated for their work.

“I almost guarantee that your name is going to pop up somewhere high on the list when they need to interview,” Bourque said.

With this approach, you don’t wait to be recommended. Instead, you actively shape the word of mouth about you as an aspiring hardscaper.

“For anyone trying to get in, just sell that first job. Knock on doors, pitch a small walkway or patio, even offer to do cleanup or base prep for another established hardscape contractor. Don’t wait for a golden referral – create your own momentum,” said Sam Gembel, the Owner and Founder of Atlas Outdoor. “The best hires I’ve made didn’t have a ton of experience or connections. They had grit, showed up, and proved they belonged. We can train the knowledge and build the experience.”

When you demonstrate that you’ve noticed what they do and that they seem to be doing it well, people pay attention. It shows genuine interest, initiative, and respect for their expertise.

Making Online Applications Work

While personal outreach is powerful, don’t ignore internet job listings – the second most common way hardscaping contractors hire.

When you do apply through job boards, treat each application like a mini version of the personal approach. Reference specific projects you’ve seen on their website, highlight transferable skills from other industries, and express genuine enthusiasm for learning the trade rather than just needing employment.

“A personalized message or a short video beats a cookie-cutter résumé every time,” Gembel advised.

Company websites, the third most common recruitment tool, should be your research goldmine. Use their career pages, project galleries, and company information to understand their specialties and values. Then incorporate these insights into your outreach, whether it’s through their website contact form or a direct approach.

Beyond Your First Job

As you gain experience in the hardscape industry, your reputation becomes even more important. Numerous opportunities open up. You might continue working for contracting companies, move into positions with suppliers, transition into teaching and training roles, or eventually start your own business.

Bourque emphasizes that you can “move up really quick if you are around the right people,” making that first job crucial for building the right network and learning from experienced professionals.

The key is viewing your first position as the foundation for a long-term career rather than just a paycheck. When you approach it with this mindset, you’ll naturally gravitate toward companies and people who can help you grow.

“Reputation is currency. Once someone’s in the door, that word travels fast. The best way to build a solid name in this trade is to show up early, over-communicate with clients, own your mistakes, and make the jobsite better than you found it,” Gembel said. “…Clients remember, crews talk, and opportunities follow. Good or bad, your name becomes your brand, so build and protect the heck out of it. At the end of the day, the industry still rewards those who hustle, stay humble, and get the results.”

The Industry Need is Real

The CMHA report identifies workforce shortages as one of the most significant challenges facing hardscape contractors – a consistent concern from 2017 through 2025. This means companies are actively looking for motivated individuals willing to learn the trade.

Your job is to show them you’re worth taking a chance on, even without industry experience.

The hardscape industry offers excellent opportunities for those willing to work hard and learn.

While word-of-mouth hiring might seem like a barrier, it’s actually an opportunity to stand out through genuine interest, thorough research, and professional approach. Your career in hardscaping starts with that first conversation. Make it count.

GET STARTED WITH A CAREER IN HARDSCAPING TODAY!

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