Water features in Annapolis, MD

Annapolis water features inside the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area

A lot of Annapolis lots fall within 1,000 feet of tidal water, which puts them inside the Critical Area. That can limit how much new hard surface goes in and how much ground gets disturbed. It is the detail that trips up out-of-town contractors most.

That makes recirculating, small-footprint designs a good fit here. A fountain basin or pondless reservoir takes up little space, and we keep excavation tight. Before anything gets dug, we help you check with the city on what your lot allows.

Courtyard fountains for historic Annapolis homes

Downtown and Murray Hill yards are narrow, walled and often brick. A wall fountain or a single stone basin suits them better than a stream ever could. Changes visible from the street in the historic district can need review, so we design for the back garden first.

Outdoor fountain installation pairs well with new hardscape. When a courtyard is due for a brick or stone patio, we can set the basin and run power underneath it in the same visit.

Backyard waterfall installation on sandy, sloped waterfront lots

The ground near the creeks is sandy and drains fast, which is good news for digging and less good for a liner bed. We compact the base hard and pad the liner so it holds its shape for years. Salt air is rough on cheap fittings, so we keep pumps in a covered vault where they are easy to reach.

Plenty of Annapolis yards step down toward the water. A backyard waterfall installation can use that drop, and where the slope needs holding we build stone retaining walls that double as the frame for the falls.

Pondless waterfalls for Annapolis mosquito season

Low, humid and close to marsh, Annapolis summers bring mosquitoes. An open pond does not help. A pondless waterfall runs over stone into a gravel-filled reservoir with no standing surface, and as a pondless waterfall installer we recommend it to almost every waterfront client.

If your yard has a pool, a sheer spillway into the deep end looks great. We do not build pools ourselves, but we partner with pool builders and handle the hardscape around the pool, spillway included.

Pairing water with fire and cooking on an Annapolis patio

Evenings on the Bay run long. A fountain on one side of the patio and a stone fire pit on the other gives you a place to sit from May into November. Add an outdoor kitchen built around Bull or Blaze grills and the whole space works for company.