In outdoor living, many homeowners are not only worried about the final patio, pool, kitchen, driveway, or backyard. They are also worried about the full journey. They want to know if the team will listen, respect the budget, show up, communicate clearly, and finish the job the right way. For many families, a backyard project is a big dream and a big investment. When the process feels unclear, that dream can turn into stress.
That is why Terry Morrill, Owner and General Manager, Pacific Outdoor Living built his company around a simple but powerful promise. The job is not only about finishing the work. It is about how the customer feels when the work is done. In his PowerChat interview with Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, Terry explained that this promise became part of the company’s identity.
“One of our principles from the very beginning was deliver an exceptional job. We want the customer at the end of the job to say, hey Terry or Trent, man you delivered more than I expected.” Terry Morrill, Owner and General Manager, Pacific Outdoor Living.
Power100 continues to spotlight leaders who are helping raise the bar for the home improvement, exterior remodeling, and outdoor living industries. Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Through PowerChat interviews, Greg Cummings brings forward the real stories behind strong companies, trusted leaders, and business ideas that can help other contractors grow with more purpose.
This PowerChat with Terry Morrill gives homeowners and contractors a clear look at what makes a trusted Southern California design and build outdoor living company stand out. Terry shared how customer care became a business system, not just a nice idea. He spoke about quality work, strong reviews, clear communication, smart budget control, and the need to manage the company while still giving the customer more than expected. His story shows why the best outdoor living companies are not built by chasing every job. They are built by keeping a promise that customers can feel long after the work is done.
In this PowerChat, Greg Cummings sat down with Terry Morrill, Owner and General Manager at Pacific Outdoor Living, to talk about what it really takes to build trust after the sale is made. The conversation centered on one clear idea. A great outdoor living company is not judged only by the finished space. It is judged by how the homeowner feels through the whole process and how they feel when the job is done.
Terry Morrill (Far Right), Owner and General Manager at Pacific Outdoor Living
For Terry, that idea came from years of learning in the field. Pacific Outdoor Living started with paving stones, grew through hard lessons, and became stronger when the team learned to control the full path from design to build. That shift helped the company protect the homeowner’s budget, guide the plan with more care, and avoid the common gap between a beautiful design and a real project that can be built.
As Terry shared, “We can design something that you can build for 150.” Terry Morrill, Owner and General Manager, Pacific Outdoor Living.
The purpose of the conversation was to give contractors and homeowners a closer look at how customer experience becomes a company identity. Terry did not frame overdelivery as giving away free work. He framed it as being smart, fast, clear, and honest. His view matters because many homeowners searching for a complete backyard renovation contractor in Southern California want more than a nice design. They want a team that can listen, plan, build, communicate, and stay close to the promise that was made at the start.
The industry value of this PowerChat is clear. Outdoor living projects often include large choices, long timelines, big budgets, and many moving parts. Homeowners need a company that can bring order to that process. Contractors need a model that shows how strong reviews, better communication, budget care, and quality work can become the base of long term growth. Terry’s story shows that a trusted Los Angeles backyard remodel and outdoor living contractor can grow by keeping the customer at the center while still running the business with discipline.
The scale of the message reaches beyond one company or one backyard. Greg and Terry used the conversation to show how outdoor living leaders can build better teams, better systems, and better results when they stay focused on the customer’s final feeling.
For homeowners looking at Pacific Outdoor Living pools, patios, outdoor kitchens and hardscape, the conversation gives a simple reason to care. The work is not only about what gets built outside the home. It is about the trust that stays after the crew leaves.
For Terry, overdelivery did not begin as a slogan. It began as a daily goal. He wanted every customer to feel that the team had done more than expected. That goal helped shape the company’s identity and gave the team a clear standard to follow on every job.
“One of our principles from the very beginning was deliver an exceptional job. We want the customer at the end of the job to say, hey Terry or Trent, man you delivered more than I expected.” Terry Morrill, Owner and General Manager, Pacific Outdoor Living.
That line gives the heart of this PowerChat. Terry did not define success only by a finished patio, pool, driveway, or backyard. He defined success by the feeling the customer had at the end. For homeowners searching for the best backyard remodel company in Los Angeles, that feeling matters because the project is not just a build. It is a big choice, a big cost, and a space the family will use for years.
Terry also made it clear that overdelivery is not the same as giving away free work. A company still has to protect the business. It has to be smart, fast, and clear in how it works. That is why his view is so useful for contractors. The best customer experience comes from care, skill, planning, and control. It does not come from giving up profit just to make a customer happy for one moment.
The lesson is simple. When a company knows what it wants the customer to feel, every part of the business has a better target. Quality work matters. Reviews matter. Clear updates matter. The final result matters. But the real win is when the customer feels safe, heard, and glad they chose the team.
Learn more about Pacific Outdoor Living and its outdoor living work
Terry’s story also showed why control matters in customer care. In the early years, the company worked with outside designs and outside plans. But those plans often did not match what the customer could afford. A design might look beautiful, yet still fail the customer if it could not be built within the real budget.
Terry explained how the team learned to close that gap. “We can design something that you can build for 150.” Terry Morrill, Owner and General Manager, Pacific Outdoor Living.
That one idea changed the path of the company. Terry and his team learned that if they wanted to protect the customer experience, they had to take more responsibility from start to finish. They could not only build what someone else drew. They had to understand the customer, guide the design, respect the budget, and make sure the plan could become a real finished space.
This is why the design and build model matters. A homeowner looking for an outdoor living design build company is often searching for peace of mind. They want one team that can listen, plan, build, and own the result. Terry’s point is that when too many parts are split apart, the customer can get stuck in the middle.
By bringing more of the process inside the company, the team created a clearer path. The customer did not have to wonder if the design matched the budget. They did not have to guess if the builder could bring the plan to life. The company could guide the full journey, which made trust easier to build and easier to keep.
In the conversation, Terry kept coming back to the budget because he sees it as part of trust. A customer may have a dream backyard in mind, but they also have a real number they can spend. A good company should not ignore that number. It should use it to guide the plan.
Terry shared that Pacific Outdoor Living built its design process around that idea. “We dictate it mainly around the budget.” Terry Morrill, Owner and General Manager, Pacific Outdoor Living.
That statement gives the company a strong place in the market. It shows that design is not only about being creative. It is about being honest. A great design should look good, fit the home, serve the family, and still make sense for the amount the customer wants to spend.
This matters in outdoor living because projects can grow fast. Pools, patios, outdoor kitchens, fire features, pavers, lighting, plants, walls, and water features can all change the cost. A homeowner searching for a Southern California landscape design build company needs a team that can help them make clear choices before the job begins.
Terry’s view makes budget care feel simple. Respect the number. Shape the design around what is real. Build something the customer can enjoy without feeling misled. That is a strong way to turn a sales promise into a better customer experience.
Terry also made a strong point about communication. He said that when complaints came in, they were often tied to a missed update or a failure to communicate. That matters because a customer can love the final work and still remember the moments when they felt lost.
“We could do that in design. We could do that in coordination. We could do that in communication.” Terry Morrill, Owner and General Manager, Pacific Outdoor Living.
This is where Terry’s customer experience message gets deeper. The project is not only what crews build in the yard. It is also the way the customer is guided through the process. When the homeowner knows what is happening, the job feels calmer. When they do not know what is happening, even small issues can feel bigger.
Fora company that designs and builds complete outdoor spaces, communication can be the difference between trust and stress. The customer wants to know who is coming, what is next, what changed, and what to expect. Those updates help the homeowner feel that the company is still in control.
Terry’s point is one many contractors can learn from. Communication is not extra. It is part of the work. A company can have great crews and strong design, but if the customer feels ignored, the experience breaks. Clear communication helps protect reviews, referrals, and the long term name of the company.
Greg and Terry also talked about family, culture, and the people inside the company. Terry was honest that working with family is not always smooth every day, but he also made it clear that the shared goal matters. The team wants to give customers a better experience and give employees room to grow.
“I gotta grow because I gotta make a position for him in the company so that he can earn more money.” Terry Morrill, Owner and General Manager, Pacific Outdoor Living.
That quote shows how Terry thinks about growth. It is not only about revenue. It is about duty. If a person joins the company and wants to build a better life, Terry believes the company has to grow in a way that creates more room for that person.
This connects back to the customer. When employees see a future, they care more. They can take more pride in the work. They can see that the company is not only asking them to finish tasks. It is building a place where they can grow, earn more, learn more, and be part of something that lasts.
For an outdoor living leader in Southern California, this is one of the reasons his story stands out. He links customer care with employee care. He shows that the team experience and the homeowner experience are not separate. One feeds the other.
The final leadership theme was systems. Terry made it clear that good intent is not enough when a company grows. If a company wants to keep delivering more than expected, it needs better ways to track jobs, manage time, protect profit, and support the people doing the work.
One example was the AIM system. Terry said, “We developed the software that’s called the AIM system, which stands for Am I Making Any Money?” Terry Morrill, Owner and General Manager, Pacific Outdoor Living.
That idea came from a common contractor problem. Many companies are busy, but they do not always know if they are making money. Terry said the system helps the team know at the end of each day how much money was made across many work orders. That kind of clarity helps the company make smarter choices and avoid running the business by hope.
For Pacific Outdoor Living systems may not be the first thing they think about. But systems shape the experience they feel. Better systems help the team plan better, schedule better, organize better, and finish with fewer surprises.
Terry’s message is that overdelivery must be repeatable. It cannot depend on one great person or one lucky project. It has to be built into the company. That is what turns a customer promise into a real way of doing business.
Terry Morrill’s story adds weight to the lesson he shared in this PowerChat. He is not speaking about customer experience from theory. He built it through years of work, risk, change, and hard lessons. What began in 1999 as a garage run paving stone business grew into Pacific Outdoor Living, a leading California outdoor living company known for design, construction, and full outdoor renovation work.
Outdoor Living design
That growth did not happen in a straight line. Terry held an architecture degree from the University of California, San Luis Obispo, but his path moved through several kinds of work before landscaping became the place where his skills, purpose, and customer focus came together. He sold copper pipes, ran a bicycle company, started an internet business, explored real estate, and kept learning through each step. The turning point came when he bought a paving stone company and began building a future around the outdoor spaces homeowners wanted most.
That early start still matters today. Pacific Outdoor Living grew from pavers into ponds, pools, patios, outdoor kitchens, fire features, landscaping, and full backyard spaces because homeowners kept asking for more. Terry and his team did not grow by guessing what the market wanted. They grew by listening to what customers needed, then building the skills, teams, and systems to serve those needs better.
The result is a company story that shows what Terry means when he talks about delivering more than expected. The company has completed more than 10,000 outdoor renovation projects, mapped more than one million square feet of landscaping, and earned a place on the Inc. 500 list twice. Those milestones matter because they show that customer trust, strong systems, and steady growth can work together.
This also shows why Terry’s leadership matters to the wider outdoor living industry. Many contractors grow by adding services before they are ready. Terry’s path shows a different way. Add the service when the customer needs it. Build the team to do it well. Train people to become true pros. Then keep improving until the work can be repeated with care.
That same thinking reaches into the community. In the PowerChat, Terry shared how the company works with youth groups, local civic groups, and public spaces. He spoke about helping Boy Scout and Girl Scout projects, building ponds with young people, and improving local spaces like police department landscaping with low care designs that make the area look better without adding a heavy upkeep burden.
This is where the company’s impact becomes bigger than one finished yard. Terry and his team are not only building outdoor spaces for homeowners. They are showing young people that the trades can be a real path. They are helping communities look better. They are giving contractors a model for growth that starts with service and stays tied to what people truly need.
For Terry, the pattern is clear. Listen first. Build what is needed. Keep learning. Give customers more than they expected. That is how a small paving stone company became a trusted outdoor living name across Southern California, and it is why his message carries value for homeowners, contractors, and the next generation of trade leaders.
Greg Cummings’ conversation with Terry Morrill brings the message back to one simple truth. A job is not only complete when the tools are packed up and the space looks good. It is complete when the customer feels heard, respected, and glad they trusted the right team.
For Terry, that feeling has shaped the way Pacific Outdoor Living has grown. It is seen in the way the company designs around real budgets, builds with care, communicates through the process, and keeps working to make each project better than the last. The goal is not just to finish a backyard. The goal is to leave the homeowner with a lasting sense of trust.
That is the larger lesson for contractors in outdoor living and home improvement. Great companies are not built on one sale, one project, or one strong year. They are built on a clear identity that the team can live every day. For Terry and Pacific Outdoor Living, that identity is simple. Design it right. Build it right. Communicate clearly. Stay within budget. Create an experience the customer remembers.
Terry’s story shows that overdelivery is not a slogan. It is a way to lead. It shapes how a company sells, trains, builds, grows, and serves. It gives employees a clear standard and gives customers a reason to believe.
As more homeowners look for outdoor spaces that bring comfort, beauty, and value to their homes, Terry’s perspective offers a strong reminder for the industry. The best work does more than change a yard. It builds trust that lasts after the job is done.
Power100 was built to give the home improvement industry a more trusted way to see real leaders, real companies, and real impact. Its ranking system is built around growth, community, and culture, with no pay to play framing. That matters because homeowners and contractors need more than ads. They need stories and signals that show how a leader thinks, serves, and builds over time.
A normal company page can show services, reviews, and locations. A PowerChat goes deeper. In this conversation, Greg Cummings and Terry Morrill talk about identity, customer care, budget control, systems, employee growth, and what it means to deliver more than expected. That gives contractors a real lesson they can use inside their own company.
Terry Morrill of Pacific Outdoor Living started with paving stone driveways and patios, but the company later grew into a full landscape design build company. Today, the company lists services such as landscapes, pools, patios, pergolas, outdoor kitchens, fire features, outdoor lighting, water features, driveways, and masonry. That means homeowners can look at the company as more than a paver team. They can see it as a full outdoor living partner.
Yes. In the PowerChat, Terry explained that budget care is one of the most important parts of the design process. He shared that his team learned to design projects that match what the homeowner can truly spend. His point was clear. A good design should not only look beautiful. It should also be possible to build without breaking trust.
The finished yard matters, but Terry’s message is that the full experience matters too. A Los Angeles backyard remodel and outdoor living contractor must guide the homeowner through the design, budget, schedule, communication, and final build. If the homeowner feels lost during the process, even a strong final result can lose some of its value.
Terry said that when problems came up, they often came from missed communication. That is why communication became part of the company’s identity. The team’s goal is not only to design and build well. It is also to keep the homeowner informed, calm, and clear on what is happening. For a complete backyard renovation contractor in Southern California, that kind of communication helps protect trust.
Yes. Pacific Outdoor Living lists service areas across Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and other Southern California communities. The company also lists showrooms in Sun Valley, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Maria. This gives homeowners in many local areas a way to explore a Southern California design and build outdoor living company that handles outdoor projects across a wide service region.
Terry’s lesson is important because being busy is not the same as building a strong company. In the PowerChat, he talked about systems, numbers, and the AIM system, which stands for Am I Making Any Money. His point is that contractors need to know if the work is profitable, repeatable, and good for the customer. Overdelivery works best when it is supported by clear systems, not luck.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Led by Greg Cummings, Power100 gives trusted CEOs, contractors, partners, and home improvement leaders a stronger voice through rankings, interviews, PowerChat conversations, and industry stories that help the best companies be seen, known, and supported. The platform exists to help raise the standard for the industry by spotlighting leaders who serve homeowners well, build strong teams, support their communities, and create companies that other contractors can learn from.
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Power100 is the nation's premier CEO ranking and media platform for the home improvement industry. Using a proprietary 5-layer evaluation system, Power100 identifies and celebrates the top CEOs, companies, and strategic partners driving innovation, customer satisfaction, and leadership excellence across the country.
