A terrace that had to sit level with a 1928 sunroom.
Paver Patios & Walkways · Fire Features · Outdoor Lighting $86,000 — $104,000
Bergen County
Exterior design–build
in Saddle River.
Two-acre zoning, long private drives, and houses set far enough back that the approach is part of the architecture. Saddle River projects are usually about the sequence — how the driveway meets the motor court, how the motor court meets the entry, how the entry relates to whatever happens behind the house — and they are almost always phased over two or three seasons.
NJ HIC # 13VHXXXXXXXXXLicensed & fully insured · $2M general liabilityGoogle 4.9 / 5 — 127 ReviewsTecho-Bloc / Unilock / Belgard AuthorizedHouzz Pro
01
Building in Saddle River
01
Freeze–thaw
The Saddle River valley floor is a cold sink: still, clear nights settle three to five degrees colder here than on the surrounding ridges, and frost stays in the ground along the river flat well into March. We treat 900 mm as the minimum footing depth and add a capillary break under any terrace within 30 m of the river, because the water table there sits high enough to wick up into a base course.
02
Soil
Alluvial silt and sand along the river, glacial till on the higher ground east toward East Allendale Road. The alluvium is easy to dig and very poor to build on — it is fine-grained, it holds water, and it will pump under compaction if you work it wet. On the river flat we over-excavate, install separation fabric, and build the base back up in thinner lifts than we would use anywhere else.
03
Drainage
The Saddle River itself and its flood fringe govern everything on the west side of the borough. Portions of several properties sit in the FEMA flood hazard area, and building a raised terrace there is a fill question, not a paving question. On the eastern uplands the problem inverts: shallow till over rock produces perched water that appears in a spring excavation and vanishes in August, which is why we survey in the wet season when we can.
04
Approvals
Saddle River is strict on tree removal — a permit is required for anything over 150 mm caliper, with replacement ratios — and on impervious coverage across the whole two-acre lot. Several roads are private, which means access agreements with a road association before a truck comes down them. None of this is difficult; all of it takes time, and a Saddle River project that has not started its approvals by February is not starting work in the spring.
02
Our work in Saddle River
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A Saddle River client
“He sent us grade shots from the survey before we had signed anything. That told me more than any brochure could.”
Saddle River, NJ
Bluestone terrace + fire bowl
04
What we build in Saddle River
Paver Patios & Walkways 60 mm units · 25 mm bedding course · 150 mm compacted base · polymeric joints Driveways 300 mm base under vehicular load · herringbone at 45° · double soldier course Retaining Walls & Drainage Geogrid every second course · 300 mm drainage chimney · 4″ perforated outlet to daylight Decks Kiln-dried ipe or thermally modified ash · hidden fasteners · joists 16″ o.c. Pergolas & Structures Engineered cedar or powder-coat aluminium · frost footings to 900 mm · concealed hardware Outdoor Kitchens 316 stainless cabinetry · 3 cm granite or porcelain · gas plus dedicated 20 A circuit Fire Features Masonry firebox with 25 mm air gap · NFPA 58 clearances · CSA-listed burner and key valve Pools & Water Features Gunite shell · 3 cm granite coping · surround set on 250 mm base with 2% pitch away Landscape Design Planting plan at 1/8″ = 1′-0″ · specimen sizes called out · three-season succession Outdoor Lighting 12 V · 2700 K · 300 W transformer at 60% load · direct-burial 12/2 · aimed after dark
06
Start here
Building in
Saddle River?
Four short steps, about ninety seconds. You will get a written range before anyone comes out — and we will tell you what Saddle River specifically is going to add to the excavation before you are surprised by it.
201.555.0148 Mon–Sat · 7a–7p
NJ HIC # 13VHXXXXXXXXX · Licensed & fully insured · $2M general liability · Google 4.9 / 5 — 127 Reviews · Techo-Bloc / Unilock / Belgard Authorized · Houzz Pro