Serving Lake County, IL · Licensed & Insured
The only hardscaper in the Midwest with a lifetime warranty. 18-inch bases. Full drainage. Built to outlast Illinois winters.
What's Underneath Matters
A brand new patio always looks great on day one. The difference shows up after two or three Midwest winters, when freeze-thaw cycles expose every shortcut taken during installation.
The base underneath your pavers determines whether your patio still looks perfect in ten years or starts settling, cracking, and shifting after two. Most contractors pour six to eight inches of base and move on. We build every patio on a minimum 18-inch foundation with full drainage, engineered to outlast every freeze-thaw cycle Illinois can throw at it.
We Understand
"We've been meaning to do something with the backyard for years."
Every spring your wife brings it up again. Every fall, nothing's changed. Not because you can't afford it, but because you haven't found someone you trust to do it right.
"He seemed to be a professional."
That's what homeowners say right before everything goes wrong. A polished presentation doesn't mean a proper foundation. You shouldn't have to be a construction expert to avoid getting burned.
"How was I supposed to know any better?"
You're a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer. You're brilliant in your field. But nobody taught you what a proper paver base looks like or what compaction rate matters. That knowledge gap is exactly what bad contractors exploit.
"I don't want this fixed. I want it ripped out and done right."
Fixes are band-aids. The contractor who did it wrong the first time can't fix it right the second time. You deserve someone who builds it to last from the beginning.
After dealing with contractors who hand you a catalog and say "pick a paver," you deserve a team that actually educates you on what goes underneath and why it matters for the next 20 years.
The Greenlight Difference
Randy spends two to three hours with you, explaining what goes under your pavers and why it matters. Most contractors spend fifteen minutes and hand you a catalog. You'll leave understanding exactly what you're paying for.
Developed over three years with attorneys. Covers structural and aesthetic integrity. We can offer it because we build on 18-inch bases with full drainage. No other hardscaper in the Midwest will match it.
Randy and Mike personally oversee every project from design through completion. No "B team" showing up. No mystery subcontractors. The people who design your project are the people who build it.
Ask any contractor you're considering to show you a project they completed ten years ago. We'll take you to ours. They look just as good as the day they were installed. Most competitors won't even give you the opportunity.
Our Work
How It Works
No disappearing. No surprises. No "B team."
Randy visits your property and spends two to three hours walking you through base preparation, drainage planning, material options, and design possibilities. You'll leave understanding exactly what a proper installation looks like and what you're paying for. No pressure, no pitch.
Every project gets a custom design tailored to your property, your preferences, and how you actually want to use the space. You'll receive a detailed, transparent proposal with clear pricing. Not a ballpark. Not a napkin estimate.
Randy and his crew handle everything from excavation through final installation. Most projects are completed in one to two weeks. You'll know who's on your property, what they're doing, and when it'll be done. One company, one crew, one point of contact.
We walk you through every detail of the finished project. You'll receive your lifetime warranty documentation and know exactly what's covered. Seventy percent of the time, our clients hand us the final check before we even ask. That's how confident they are in the result.
Our Services
Custom-designed patios built on 18-inch bases with full drainage. Engineered to look the same in twenty years as the day they're installed. From intimate gathering spaces to expansive outdoor living areas.
Estate-quality paver driveways built on 20-24 inch bases. The first thing your guests see when they arrive. Designed to complement your home's architecture and withstand heavy daily use.
Fully custom outdoor kitchens with water-jet cut stainless steel grates, adjustable cooking heights, and stone countertops. Built-in gas, electric, and plumbing by licensed professionals.
In-house carpentry for custom pergolas, pavilions, and shade structures. We pre-install concrete piers for future additions so your outdoor space can grow with your vision.
Comprehensive landscape installation that integrates with your hardscaping. Plantings, grading, lighting conduit, and irrigation designed as one cohesive system, not an afterthought.
If your property is taking on water or your yard floods after every storm, we solve it. Permeable surfaces, French drains, grading corrections, and full water management engineered for Lake County soil conditions.
Testimonials
"Randy was so very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and helpful with our project!"
"We began a project for exterior landscape lighting, but as we got to know Randy, Mike, and Green Light Design Group, we were so impressed with their capabilities, we substantially expanded our project. This project was beyond successful. Added true value to our home. Top-notch customer-oriented people!"
"Randy did a great job with the landscape lights, came over to give a quote the next day and completed the job in a couple of days."
Common Questions
Most of our patio projects range from $30,000 to $60,000 depending on size, materials, and complexity. That includes a proper 18-inch base, full drainage, bespoke design, and our lifetime warranty. We know that's more than the lowest bid you'll get. The difference is that our patios still look the same in ten or twenty years. During your education session, Randy will walk you through exactly what drives the cost so you understand every dollar.
Three things that no competitor in the Midwest matches: we build on 18-inch bases (industry standard is six to eight), we offer a lifetime warranty developed with attorneys over three years, and Randy personally spends two to three hours educating you during the estimate instead of fifteen minutes with a catalog. But don't take our word for it. Ask any contractor you're comparing us to if you can visit a project they completed ten years ago. We'll take you to ours.
Most projects are completed in one to two weeks of active construction. The design and material selection process before that typically takes two to four weeks. Randy will give you a specific timeline in your proposal and keep you updated throughout. We can run multiple crews simultaneously, so we don't stack projects and make you wait months to get started.
That depends entirely on what's underneath them. A six-inch base will shift with every freeze-thaw cycle and you'll see settling and cracking within a few years. Our 18-inch bases with full drainage are specifically engineered for the Midwest climate. Every Greenlight project we've done still looks the same as the day it was installed. That's not a marketing claim. We'll take you to see for yourself.
Our own crew. Randy and Mike are personally involved in every project from design through completion. We have a crew foreman and an operations manager on-site. The only specialists we bring in are licensed electricians and plumbers for outdoor kitchen connections, and they work under our direct supervision. You'll never wonder who's on your property or who's in charge.
Our lifetime warranty covers structural and aesthetic integrity of all hardscape work for the original homeowner. That means if pavers settle, shift, crack, or deteriorate due to construction or material issues, we fix it at no cost. It was developed over three years with attorneys and confirmed by our material partners including Unilock, Belgard, and Techo-Bloc. Acts of God are excluded, but everything related to how the work was built is covered for life.
Get Started
Picture pulling into a driveway that matches the home you've built. Hosting on a patio that was designed for your property. Sitting outside on a summer evening because the space is finally worth being in. It starts with a conversation with Randy.
Answer a few quick questions and Randy will follow up within 24 hours.