I called about 9 companies back in April 2014 for a fairly large hardscape project. Two never returned my call, two came and never provided a quote, one came and gave a good quote but communication afterwards was a nightmare and their lead time for work was 2 months. Three other quotes were poorly presented or too high.
Able Landscaping was the first company we saw. Rick spent plenty of time with us understanding our project. Quote came within a week. Communication was clear and quick. We then had a setback with an easement issue and scraped the entire project. Plan B was developed and Rick came out again and gave us a new quote within a few days.
I was a little concerned about using Able Landscaping because of the lack of reviews. They have been in business for 25 years and I had hoped to find more online testimonials.. however, the lack of them can also be a good thing, people are more likely to post when upset or angry with a bad project.
Anyway, we proceeded and lead time for work was approx 3-4 weeks. They arrived on time and we spent an hour getting to the detail of the project with the guys doing the work. Exact measurements and grading was done and a plan developed. During the week they hit a few snags (hitting irrigation pipes we did not know about) and each time they worked through the problem. They worked late each evening so I was always able to chat with them after work and discuss issues.
The standard of work was excellent. In a project this size, there are so many corners that can be cut and hidden from the owner and I saw nothing that gave me concern. When they were looking for solid ground for one area of the foundation and found soft bouncy dirt (dead roots), they kept digging. They did not nickle and dime me for everything. For example, I had intended to move the raised beds into position myself, but the time frame did not work out so they moved them for me to my specification.
The final invoice was as expected. No surprises. Overall, an excellent experience and a great company. read more