Beyond the Build: Why You Can Trust Our Guidance Before Starting Your Outdoor Living Project

The Story Behind Rocky Mountain Outdoor Living and the Mission to Elevate an Entire Industry

Welcome to Beyond the Build—your blueprint to outdoor living. This series is designed to equip homeowners and contractors with the knowledge, context, and decision-making frameworks needed to take on outdoor living projects with confidence. Whether you are exploring your first project or recovering from a bad prior experience, our goal is simple: help you enter the process educated, prepared, and empowered.

Why We Created Beyond the Build

There is no shortage of advice online—YouTube channels, Instagram accounts, forums, and influencers sharing opinions on outdoor living. But advice is only as valuable as the experience behind it. The driving question for many homeowners is: How do I know the person giving me guidance actually knows what they’re talking about?

This podcast exists to answer that.

Nick Liput, owner of Rocky Mountain Outdoor Living, puts it plainly, "The purpose of Beyond the Build is to educate homeowners and contractors across North America—not to pitch Rocky Mountain Outdoor Living. The processes, questions, and best practices we discuss apply universally, whether you’re building a patio, a swimming pool, a kitchen remodel, or a full outdoor living space. The goal is to eliminate confusion, raise standards, and help people navigate construction with confidence."

The Story Behind Rocky Mountain Outdoor Living

Like many entrepreneurial journeys, the founding of Rocky Mountain Outdoor Living wasn’t meticulously planned. It began in 2007, when Nick—who had recently exited another business—helped his parents design and build a water feature for their backyard. Neighbors took notice, and within weeks, requests began rolling in.

What started as a small project quickly turned into a thriving outdoor living company.

Over the next several years, the business expanded through every major outdoor living discipline:

• Water features

• Landscaping and planting

• Concrete patios

• Pavers, hardscapes, and outdoor kitchens

• Fire features and fireplaces

• Decks, pergolas, and roof structures

• Shotcrete and fiberglass pools

• Electrical, gas, and all supporting trades

  
  

Today, almost 20 years later, Rocky Mountain Outdoor Living is a fully turnkey outdoor living contractor—able to design, build, and manage every component of a project.

And Nick has done every job along the way.

Nick Liput can build every product the company offers because he has built every one. That experience is foundational to the guidance he shares—he understands not only how to design spaces, but how to execute them efficiently, safely, and correctly.

The Importance of Transparency and Honesty in Construction

Nick considers transparency to be a core value. In his words: “In this podcast and blog series, I will tell you the mistakes we’ve made, why we made them, and what we corrected—because that’s what helps homeowners avoid the same issues.”

Construction, by nature, comes with complexity and challenges. What matters is how contractors communicate and respond when issues arise. Nick encourages clients to be direct and honest with feedback because, without it, a contractor can’t improve.

This philosophy sets the tone for the entire blog series.

Helping Homeowners Ask the Right Questions

A significant challenge for homeowners is that they often don’t know what they don’t know. Permits, HOAs, engineering, trades scheduling, product selection, and the realities of construction can be overwhelming.

In our Beyond the Build Series, Darby Wilcox, Senior Sales Executive at Rocky Mountain Outdoor Living, and Nick Liput will break down:

• What questions to ask a contractor

• How to assess experience and credibility

• What details matter most

• What pitfalls to avoid

• How to compare bids the right way

• When certain materials or products are a better fit

• What makes a trustworthy contractor

• What happens after the project is complete

  
  

Whether you’re evaluating three contractors for a pool or exploring a large outdoor living expansion, the articles ahead will equip you to make informed decisions—not emotional, rushed, or uninformed ones.

Why Nick Also Coaches Contractors—Including Competitors

In an industry with a reputation for inconsistency and mistrust, Nick believes raising the bar benefits everyone: homeowners, vendors, trades, and contractors themselves.

He coaches outdoor living contractors across North America—including some in the Colorado market. The mission isn’t to create an advantage for Rocky Mountain Outdoor Living. It’s designed to help more companies operate professionally, so homeowners everywhere have better experiences.

Most contractors start their business because they are talented builders—not because they’re skilled at accounting, operations, finance, or communication. Through coaching and through this podcast and blog series, Nick aims to close that gap.

When the entire industry improves, everyone wins.

Why Trust Matters More Than Products

You’ll hear this repeatedly in the Beyond the Build series: trust is the foundation of every successful project.

Whether comparing railing types, evaluating pool construction methods, or choosing between decking materials, product differences matter—but trust matters more. A capable, transparent contractor will help you understand the pros and cons and guide you toward what’s right for your home, your family, and your investment.

What Comes Next

If this is your first time joining us for the Beyond the Build, you’ve started in the right place. From here, you’ll be able to choose articles based on the specific project you’re considering—whether that’s a deck, pool, pergola, outdoor kitchen, or full backyard transformation.

The team will also bring in leading vendors across the industry—companies like Thursday Pools, River Pools, Deckorators, Belgard, and more—so homeowners can hear directly from product experts instead of relying solely on contractors.

And if you have questions, topic requests, or need clarity before moving forward with a project, the team welcomes them. Even if you live across the country, they’re happy to offer insight before you commit to a major investment.

Final Thoughts

This first article from Beyond the Build sets the tone for a series rooted in transparency, education, and the advancement of standards across the outdoor living industry.

Whether you choose to work with Rocky Mountain Outdoor Living or another contractor, these episodes will help you make informed, confident decisions for your home.

Beyond the Build: Your Blueprint to Outdoor Living. Brought to you by the team at Rocky Mountain Outdoor Living.