Meet Josh Bucio | Urban Oasis – Design to Build

We had the good fortune of connecting with Josh Bucio and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Josh, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve always been that person who’s building something — I’ve started different businesses since I was young. In 2020, when COVID hit, my software company took a hit and I knew I had to pivot. I’d run a mowing business before, and with how fast Austin was growing, I saw this huge opportunity to create something bigger in outdoor design and construction. That’s when Urban Oasis came to life. For me, it’s about more than just projects, it’s about growing a team, making spaces people love, and having the kind of freedom you only get when you’re steering the ship yourself.

What should our readers know about your business?
Urban Oasis Contracting is a full-service outdoor design-build company based in Austin and serving San Antonio and Dallas. We turn backyards into everyday living spaces—hardscape and masonry, decks, fencing and gates, pergolas, turf, irrigation and drainage, lighting, planting, and pools. What sets us apart is the way we run the work: design-first thinking, construction discipline, and obsessive communication from the first sketch to the final sweep.
I’m most proud of two things. First, the team. We’ve grown into a 48+ person operation with specialists across design, estimating, project management, install, and warranty. They’re talented, humble, and tough enough to work through a Texas summer without cutting corners. Second, our systems. We built a clear, end-to-end process: a pre-job checklist in sales, transparent scopes and change orders, a shared client portal for schedules and documents, and a dedicated warranty coordinator after we finish. We even offer interior clean-up at the end of select projects so clients can enjoy the space right away. The goal is simple: make a complex construction experience feel organized, honest, and calm.

Getting here wasn’t easy. We launched during COVID, scaled through supply-chain chaos, and learned Austin’s permitting maze the hard way. Big projects tested us—trees, utilities, drainage, you name it. We’ve also managed seasonality (January is brutal in our trade) and tightened cash flow with realistic break-even targets and “slim month” plans. When vendors under-performed, we owned it with the client, documented everything, and upgraded our partner network. Internally, we moved from heroics to process: weekly production walks, quality checkpoints, and training on the tools we use every day (Buildertrend for jobs, Notion for SOPs, Slack for comms).

A few lessons we live by:

Communication beats surprises. If it changes scope, cost, schedule, or quality, it’s written, priced, and approved—no gray zones.
Price for reality. Great work takes time, skilled labor, and the right materials. We’d rather quote honestly than apologize later.
Process wins. Checklists, photos, and daily logs protect the client and the crew.
Pick your partners carefully. The right subcontractors and suppliers make or break the client experience.
Take care of people. The team that feels supported delivers better work and it shows up on site.
What excites me now is scale with soul—growing without losing the responsiveness that got us here. We’re investing in training, faster design turnarounds with 3D visuals, and tighter coordination with pool builders and GCs. On the marketing side, we share education and project stories because informed clients make better decisions and better projects.
What I want people to know about our brand is this: we treat your home like a long-term relationship, not a one-off job. We’ll tell you the truth, we’ll show our work, and we’ll stand behind it. If something isn’t right, we fix it. If the city throws us a curveball, we solve it and keep you in the loop. Beautiful is a baseline; durable, safe, and well-planned is the standard.

That’s Urban Oasis—design you can feel, craftsmanship you can trust, and a team that shows up.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting Austin for a week, I’d want them to experience the city the way locals do—mixing the iconic spots everyone’s heard about with the little gems that make Austin feel like home.
We’d kick things off with a Texas BBQ rite of passage: Franklin Barbecue. Yes, the line is long, but it’s worth every smoky, melt-in-your-mouth bite. From there, we’d wander down South Congress—popping into the funky boutiques, grabbing coffee at Jo’s (and a picture with the “I love you so much” wall), and maybe ending the evening at Perla’s with oysters and a cocktail on the patio.

One day would be all about the water. We’d rent a boat on Lake Austin or Lake Travis, pack a cooler, and spend the afternoon cruising, swimming, and soaking in that hill country scenery. Afterwards, dinner at The Oasis for sunset views—touristy, yes, but that skyline over the water is unbeatable.

Midweek, I’d show them the live music side of Austin—starting with tacos at Veracruz All Natural, then catching a show at The Continental Club or ACL Live. On another day, we’d explore the outdoors with a morning hike at Barton Creek Greenbelt followed by a swim at Barton Springs.

Food-wise, we’d mix it up—maybe Uchiko for sushi, Fonda San Miguel for upscale Mexican, and an easy night with food truck hopping at The Picnic. Drinks could be craft cocktails at Roosevelt Room or a low-key night at a neighborhood spot like Whisler’s.

The week would wrap with one last big Austin day: brunch at Launderette, some local shopping, and one more slow cruise down South Congress—because no matter how many times you’ve been, it just feels like the heart of the city.

It’s the perfect mix of Austin’s best: legendary BBQ, the charm of South Congress, lazy lake days, live music, and a food scene that makes you wish you had more time.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to give my shoutout to my business partners, Carter Romero and David Penalize. Carter and David have been my best friends since I moved to the U.S., and we’ve been business partners for 13 years now. They are the other owners of Urban Oasis. We’ve been through the good times and the hard times — from working in the Texas heat, to growing our team, to now managing over 48 incredible people. We’ve truly done it all together, and I’m so grateful for the resilience, trust, and vision we’ve shared every step of the way.

Website: https://urbanoasiscontracting.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urban.oasis.contracting/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/urban-oasis-contracting/about/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Urban-Oasis-Contracting/100070986604321/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UrbanOasisTX