John is a very knowledgeable garden and landscape contractor. Two other things that stood out for me were his honesty and punctuality, since in this business those qualities are rare. He completed a major assignment for us in difficult circumstances, staying on-quote with a reasonable estimate. The work included concrete removal, moving the fire-pit, preparing soil for a new drought-tolerant lawn, and installing sprinklers and drip lines with pressure regulation and timer control. He also helped me pick out new water-wise plants that are thriving. read more

Castello Landscape Construction - a backyard with a fire pit - Landscaping Near Me - San Jose, California

I had John and his crew redo my backyard last year and I hired them to redo my front yard this year. I like working with John. He is always looking out for ways to save me money. He is honest and is really good at managing the schedule. The only reasons the project would run long is the weather or if the client changes the scope of the project. If he saved money on any of the agreed items, he would credit it back to me. The only times I quibbled with John over accounting was when I thought he charged me too LITTLE for labor. I do not understand any review which implies that he is not upfront about the cost. For the front yard, I worked with a landscape designer who designed the hardscape and selected the plants. John ad his crew implemented the design. There were a few changes here and there and John has a pretty good eye for design. The result of our last project together speaks for itself. The yard has a dry creek bed. The smaller side yard has a dry creek bed too. There was extra rocks and stones and John added that smaller creek bed. It was not on the original design. Turned out pretty good. I have seen neighbors pause to admire the yard. read more

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John was the only landscape contractor who responded to our request for a bid on our small front yard landscaping project. For our estimate, he was on time, if not a touch early which was fine by us. Work began less than a week later and he was always on time and if he could not be, he would text me. What stands out in my mind is that John was so gracious to accommodate the multiple requests my engineer husband would ask. He removed our very dead front lawn, replaced our irrigation system with a drip irrigation system for our newly planted native, drought tolerant plants and flowers, built us an absolutely beautiful brick planter and added different sizes of river rock in a thoughtful arrangement. We get lots of compliments. I would recommend John and his crew in a heartbeat! Thanks, John! read more

This is the third occasion that we have utilized John's team. Previously he had installed pavers and new sod. This time John designed a front yard hardscape with focus on a cobblestone creek bed with adjacent drought tolerant plants. His pricing was more than reasonable and the project was completed on time as scheduled. Tony and Brandon were very diligent workers who wasted no time during the job. There were a few days when the temperatures approached 100 degrees in the afternoon. John took care of his employees and would only let his team work during the cooler hours of the morning. We are very pleased with the final outcome and would highly recommend Castello Landscaping Construction for any landscaping job. read more

John and his crew helped us do standard pavers in the front yard and ground covering using rocks of our choice in the back yard. In addition, they helped cover a sloped area with weed barrier and erosion control jute material. In all, I was pleasantly satisfied with the work. We had a little disagreement regarding the square footage for the pavers, but I cannot fault them since our plans kept changing so it's hard to keep up with what was decided. My general advice is to make sure to write decisions down and even add a drawing with measurements to make sure all parties understand what is to be done. I do believe John is fair so be patient if there are disagreements. read more

Was very courteous. Showed up promptly at my home to take down measurements of my backyard and said that he would e-mail a free estimate within a day. However, he never got back to me. UPDATE: Spoke on the phone with John and it turns out that there was some sort of misunderstanding. My wife and I both understood him to say that he would get back to us within a day or two with a general estimate on our backyard project, and we hadn't heard from John for about two weeks. However, according to John, he was waiting for me to get back to him with my final material selections, and therefore, he could not calculate an estimate. I cannot comment on his company's work, but he does seem very knowledgeable and very busy. read more

Used John and his crew to make my yard more dog friendly (used to be dirt and weeds and more weeds) by adding new sprinkler system in back yard, new sod and pea gravel. Not a huge project and I didn't think someone like John would bother with a small project. I was wrong. He showed he wanted the job with a competitive quote and showed care during the entire 5 day job. One thing that really stood out was the way he treated his employees. No work when temps get above 90 degrees and provides his workers with water. This was great to see and you can tell his employees enjoy their work because of the way they are treated. John is easy to talk to and is responsive with answers to questions. I will be calling him when we start the bigger paver projects. For sure recommend him for any landscaping job. read more

I had an appointment with John for 1pm today, I got home at 12:55, and had 2 voicemails on my phone. One saying that he was early, and would wait for us at the front. Second saying that he saw our front yard, and he doesn't think we need a landscaper, rather, we need a gardener. He left in the voicemail that we can re-schedule if we still want to talk to him. Yes, our front yard needs to be mowed, but seriously, shouldn't he wait until he has talked to me directly at our appointed time before skipping out on us. And BTW John, our project is for construction work on our backyard, not our front. I am not sure why you would make an assumption like that without talking to the owners. This is not a good sign about your ability to communicate, and hear what we need for the project. I certainly will NOT be calling him back to look at our plans. read more

My experience with John was fantastic for so many reasons. He was one of the few people that actually called back, consistently pursued my business, was extremely upfront about what the job would entail, how much it would cost, who would be doing it, and when it would be completed. I really appreciate these alone after dealing with so many contractors in our new home. To keep it brief, John came over on a Saturday morning and did a walk through and then thoroughly explained what he would do. He was upfront about cost, and he was thorough in explaining how and why he was doing what he was doing, and who was going to be working at my home. When he came to work, he did the job as promised. John removed our old back lawn and dug and installed sprinklers in back, and then removed areas of the front and put sprinklers in there as well. He then put new grass sod in the back yard, programmed our sprinklers, and CLEANED UP! A rarity in the contractor business. Every morning I would stop and chat with John. He is clearly a working man who made the decision to start a business that was labor intensive. You can tell he does a lot of the work himself, but more importantly, he enjoys it, and obviously continues to learn about what he is doing. He is not learning as he goes, or winging it - he clearly spends some extra time reading up on techniques, grass types, checking weather conditions, etc. That is also nice because I know that if something were to go wrong or if I had a question I could call him and he would be happy to help. So, bottom line, we love the job John did and would recommend him in a heart beat. He employs his nephew and another worker who is insured (legal) and then works himself. He has his own equipment and knows how to use it. He knows what he's doing. And, maybe most important, he's a likable guy who you can trust, and who you can stop and talk to about whatever. Thanks John! read more

John and crew did a great job putting in our backyard lawn after we had taken out the pool and concrete. He put in the lawn and installed the sprinkler system as well as a drip system. Everything turned out great and he was patient with our concerns and was overall a great experience to work with. He was responsive to phone calls and emails and I knew what was going on and what to expect every step of the way. I would go to John for future landscaping projects and would recommend him to others. read more

John and his crew put together a beautiful front yard for us that consisted of a large area for fruit and vegetable gardening and a separate zen garden. He succeeded in blending the two concepts very well and we are extremely happy with his work. The entire yard's sprinkler systems were also re-done by his team. In addition to being extremely responsible and very communicative over all aspects of the work, ranging from budget to scheduling, John was very thoughtful in his design work for our yard. I know that he definitely did his research in planning our zen garden for us. I also appreciated that he had really good suggestions and we could brainstorm different ideas. It was an absolute pleasure working with John. I know our job was not a very big one, but I never felt that his attention was diverted or that we were not worth his time. In fact, John tried to help us to manage the budget by considering different ways of working on specific parts of the job that would be most cost effective. For this job, I was snubbed by more than a few landscape contractors -- many never bothered returning my initial messages or came to look at the yard and never responded to follow ups. John was such a breath of fresh air! I wish all contractors were as easy to work with. While John might not be the cheapest landscape contractor out there, I am very happy to know that his employees are all legally entitled to work in the US. The quality of John and his team's handiwork is also top notch -- they built a number of planter boxes as well as a grapevine trellis, in addition to laying out a beautiful rock river for us. read more

John and his crew just finished a five week job on our backyard. They pulled out sod, plants, concrete, and irrigation. They put in a whole patio, a new irrigation system, sod, flagstone, garden beds, plants, and mulch. We are delighted with the results. John works year-round. We began talking with him in the summer and made plans to start the project just before cooler weather arrived. Here are reasons why we recommend Castello Landscape Construction. John is: Experienced: with so many options available, John provided guidance in selecting supplies. He gave information about pavers, for example, and he told us what he might do in our place. When we bought way too many plants, he was candid about how many would be ideal. He could have just planted them all and gotten paid, but he provided advice that helped us make good choices. We trusted that he had our best interests in mind. Fair: the overall price was reasonable. He even gave us credits. For example, when we ended up not planting as many plants as estimated, he adjusted the charge accordingly. We happened to have weed barrier fabric on hand, so he used that and credited us the cost. Skilled at project management: John started and finished the job within the estimated timeframe. He kept us informed about each phase of the project. He gave us enough notice when we needed to make a decision about supplies or implementation. Personable: John and his staff were friendly and courteous. They respected the work site and cleaned up after themselves. We felt that they cared about the project and contributed to making our yard a little bit of paradise. John himself has an abundant supply of patience and humor, and this made the entire experience a pleasure. When we feel like tackling the front yard, we will definitely contact Castello Landscape Construction for the work. read more

We recently hired John and his crew for our backyard project. He finished a week ago, and thus far, we have been nothing but pleased with the finished product, as well as the process of doing the job. For our yard, he tilled the yard, leveled, compacted, installed lawn irrigation as well as a drip irrigation system, five valves, a timer, lawn header board, prepping everything for sod to be layed. He also gave me advice and tips for continued care and answered some questions for some of the other things we are looking to do in the backyard in the future. If I had to describe my experience with John it would be: - Good communicator - answered questions and responded via phone or e-mail quickly every time. His level of communication was a big plus for us! - Upfront and honest - told me what needed to be done, what it would cost and did not throw any "curveballs" once we began. He even threw in a few small "extras" for us. - Quick & proficient. He told us that the job could take up to 4 or 5 days, depending on any "obstacles" they might encounter throughout the process. He brought an extra worker with him on the first day, and they were completely done with everything we needed in 2 full days. He had a bid on the job within 1 day of taking a look at my yard. He showed up on time every time. - Kind and genuine - we spoke in person on several occasions and he came across to me as a straight shooter, both in business and on a personal level. Never did I feel that he was trying to take advantage of us in any way. He handled his business professionally and fairly. He gives a 1-year guarantee on his work and I have no reason to believe that he will not honor that should any issue need handling. I have already recommended him to a friend and wouldn't hesitate to do so again in the future. read more

I believe my experience with this company is as good as it gets. We wanted a complete redo of our lawn in the back and install weed blocker all over the place which means a lot of cleaning, removing and putting things back in again. we extended the lawn area a little bit and John also took care of the existing sprinkler to match the new area. a couple of things needed to be added and modify during the project and John listen and accommodate our need. He's done a clean job but my biggest praise would be that his bid on this job is very reasonable. I think he struck the right balance of fee and profit. other bidders came up way higher than expected. Perhaps they were expecting a lot of customer to change their mind or a lot of adjusting to what they want down the road. But John bid the job the right way that is stick to the contract and stick to the plan. the result, we got exactly what we wanted with the price we paid. Thanks John. Highly recommended. read more

John did our backyard for us in October '13. We had installed a paver patio and everything beyond that was 100% dirt, other than the trees along the fence. I had drawn up a plan for a round fire-pit area, with the other half of the yard grass with a sprinkler system and a field stone border along the trees that border the fence. John advised us on what materials would work best and what the difference in cost would be depending on how we chose. He and his crew did a great job leveling the yard, installing sprinklers, placing borders between the various areas, laying the grass and transforming our backyard from an ugly dirt pile into a useful oasis for us. We love it! We had four different companies quote on the job, and although John wasn't the cheapest, he made us feel the most comfortable about bringing our plans to life. It was a great decision on our part. John was wonderful to work with and he will be the first person we call when it come time to re-do our front yard. Thanks, John! read more

I was looking for a landscaper to add drip lines for four trees on the right side of my backyard and possibly to enhance the looks by adding a few more perennials in between the trees. Prior to start, I received three estimates, from a number of landscapers that I contacted, which was surprising given that summer was already over. John Castello was the one that gave me the best price. He and his partner showed up just on time to provide the estimate and he then emailed back a written estimate as promised. He explained to me the nuts and bolts needed to do the job very clearly to me and I knew he was highly experienced. On the promised day, he showed up with a crew of two and finished the job smoothly, the way he had explained to me. After he left, I noticed that I forgot to ask about a timer issue. He drove back half hour later and at no charge cleared the timer issue as well. read more

John and crew did a great job on our backyard landscaping and design project (flagstones, lawn, DG, planters, etc). He offered a competitive price and was very fair in all the additional work we needed to do as the project moved forward. He kept to the time line drawn up at the beginning and kept me constantly in the loop as things proceeded. I would highly recommend him. read more

Would highly recommend John and his crew! I was looking for a landscape company to excavate and fill an area with gravel for a shed foundation. They were very timely with a quote, showed up wearing masks, and completed the project quickly. John's foreman, Morgan, was very professional and a pleasure to work with! read more

I had contacted Castello Landscape Construction to bid on removing my hard, dead lawn and installing a flagstone patio in part of the yard. I had just received the go-ahead from the SCVWD to participate in their landscape rebate program. John returned my call promptly, kept his appointment to come and measure and discuss the project, then gave me a detailed bid over email. I had contacted other landscape contractors and none of them were as professional, timely, or cost effective. I had a very tight budget and John was willing to work with me to keep costs down. When I asked him to move some of the stone a bit, he was happy to oblige. I really liked how he placed the stone such that the colors tied together well. In the end, John actually came in under budget as he didn't need as much stone as originally thought. I'm very happy with the result. read more

Castello Landscape Construction - Connecticut Blue flagstone, soft set by Castello Landscape Construction. - Landscaping Near Me - San Jose, California

John and crew did a great job on our Front Yard Landscaping (demolition, leveling, pavers). He provided a competitive and detailed contract, and followed it well. He and his crew showed up promptly when he said they would, and even finished the project ahead of schedule. read more

John was great from the get go. He is very honest, trustworthy, and knowledgeable. He is very friendly and gave great suggestions when we had no idea what to do with our front yard. John gave us a great quote and was in communication with us until he started our project. Once he began working, he would tell us what he was going to do each day and when an extra cost would come up, he would ask before he actually did it. Because my mom had done some clean-up for a party we were having before John started our project, he ended up deducting money. He kept saying, "I don't charge you for work I don't do." He totally won us over there, because he could have kept that money and we wouldn't have know. We would definitely recommend John to anyone who needs landscaping done! read more

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I found John by stroke of luck on the Internet. My front and back yard were a mess. It was just a bunch of dead weeds. I wanted a simple irrigation and sod job done. I decided to go with John after having a few other licensed landscapers give me estimates. I couldn't believe what some of them wanted to charge me! Anyway, John's quote was very reasonable and his license checked out. He was fantastic to deal with from start to finish. He answered all my questions promptly either via phone or email. He gave me a written estimate and stuck to the price as promised. He communicated every step of the way from letting me know what time he would start each day to how to take care of my new lawn. He also gave me 3 references to call without me asking. Anyway, I now have a lovely grass front and back yard with a 1 year guarantee! He also really seems to enjoy what he does. I am very pleased with the job he did and will no doubt be calling him again for more work. read more

John Castello recently did a sod and sprinkler job for me, and I'd recommend him to anyone looking for a landscaper. The job was about 1000' of lawn plus irrigation. This included all prep work: rototilling in compost, trenching, leveling, grading, and installation. I'd spoken with 4 other landscapers. Two were 50% higher than John for reasons that I simply don't understand. One was lower than John's bid and I think that contractor had miscalculated the square footage of the lawn. And one other bid was about the same price as John's. In the end I chose John because he's been in the business for 30 years, uses the best materials and sod, and uses legal workers covered by worker's compensation insurance. And what appealed to me most was his thoroughness and responsiveness. He's very easy to contact via email, explains everything very clearly, and has this business down. Then, once on the job, he showed up when he said he would. He worked each day until the job was completed. He left the sidewalks and walkways clean at the end of each day. He used professional grade valves and sprinklers. And he even showed up on a weekend to give me a hand with something that he didn't need to. So, if you're looking to have some landscaping or irrigation work done, make sure to get a bid from John. I expect you'll be glad you did. I know I'll be giving John a call again as soon as I'm ready to overhaul more of the landscaping. read more

John and his team just installed a new sprinkler system and grass in my backyard and I am very pleased with the work. John's quote was straightforward and he was very reasonable while still providing quality work. The entire job took a few days and now we have a beautiful lawn. He was also very helpful in helping us program the sprinklers for the critical first few weeks and also gave us printed out on-going care instructions. His team was very professional and they did a great job of cleaning up the work site. I would definitely hire them again for landscaping work. read more

John and his crew did a wonderful job renovating our backyard in December 2015. He completed the job in one week which included clean & clear and demo, sprinkler and drip installation, sod, 25 plants, and playground fiber bark for our swing set. He was quick, efficient, friendly, and very easy to work with. We had a limited budget and he worked with us to provide everything that we envisioned for our new backyard. I highly recommend working with John and if we ever have a landscape project in the future, I will be contacting him. read more

Castello Landscape Construction - Landscaping Near Me - San Jose, California

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Working with John and his crew was a pleasure. We had quite a large backyard project to do, and we just finished (11/14/15). We're very pleased with the outcome. One of the things I really liked (and continue to like) is the responsiveness I get whenever I have a question. John is quick to respond. He'll get back to you via email well within 24 hours, which is great for someone like me who has a lot of questions. John obsesses over the detail, much like I do. In cases where he does not know something, he'll let you know. For instance we have some new pavers put in right before the rain, and their coloration is evolving as they continue to cure--a natural process. John did a bunch of research on it, and wrote up a great email to put our minds at ease. Actually they don't look bad at all, but John is still going to wait until spring before doing the final seal coat. I'm looking forward to having him and crew back at that time. I'll miss seeing them show up promptly each day by 8am to get going on the job. read more

It is a pleasure to write this review. This is a review about John Castello, Castello Landscaping Construction, Lic. #871150. In order to save water, we responded to Santa Clara Water District's rebate promotion to convert the turf in both our front and back yards into "drought tolerant plant garden". We talked to several landscaping contractors. We gave each of them the same proposal. John came back with one of the two best deals. But with John, he not only gave us a good deal, he also gave a very detailed estimate and procedures in writing on how he was going to do the work - very professional -- we were impressed. His estimate shows a clear mutual understanding on how we wanted the work to be done. Also, John is a very pleasant person to work with. His talk is direct to the point. He is sincere and honest. So we decided to go with him. Our turf area covers 1668.5 sq. ft. Not a small lot. Everyday, he and his crew started work on time. He paid full attention to every little detail that we specified in our design. He completed the whole project on time as he promised. He and his crew not only detail oriented, but also hard working people. We are very pleased and satisfied with the final results. We would recommend him very highly to anyone who needs landscaping work. John can do design, pavements, irrigation, etc. , ... any work that has to do with landscaping. read more

We didn't get to work with them, but I think they deserve a top notch review! They are very quick to respond about availability, pricing, etc. And if things aren't aligned where you can work together, they'll still help you out such as with recommendations, etc. Considering I wasn't even a signed client, they still went above and beyond to help me. Give them a ring :) read more

John did my lawn and sprinklers. The lawn was done fairly well, and there were some nice touches like an additional valve for me to add a drip system. However, the number of sprinklers was inadequate, and he also connected some copper piping directly to galvanized steel, which has some nasty reactions. read more

Emailed this company expressing an interest in consulting with someone as I desired landscaping my yard. Auto response stated that response time is within 2 days. It had been well over 2 days and NO RESPONSE. I probably would have received at least a courtesy response if I stated a significant budget to work with. Thought I would still consider this company although their ratings are not all favorable but they showed no interest. Perhaps they should revise their auto response to state "courtesy response pending your budget amount and our discretion. " read more

So far I had only bad experience with contractors. You can't trust them, you have to monitor them closely and you end up angry and unhappy mostly because the process was painful (the end result isn't always bad). John showed me contractors are not all the same, he is definitely different kind. From start he was responsive, his quote wasn't the cheapest but he helped me to meet my budget. I decided to do some things on my own (like stepping stones) and he actually instructed me where to get the best price for the material and how to do this job. He started the job on time and and finished earlier than promised. He and his team were very nice, kept the area clean and for 10 days job this is big achievement. He gave me a lot of advises and those helped me to make decisions without paying extra. I don't know how to attached a picture to the review but the end result is amazing !! I will give John Castello 5 stars for cost 5 stars for schedule and timely process 5 stars for the end product. 5 stars for overall service. And yes I will recommend John to my friends and family (and I'm always careful about that....). He just finished the job and I will return to provide further information in a month or two from now after the lawn has stabled. read more

John and his crew worked very well to get my landscape project off the ground. I had a budget and working with John, I was able to get a lot done within it. Helped me out with questions before, during, and after the job. You get what you pay for with John. Recommended. read more

John Castello removed my 750 sf front lawn, and replaced it with decorative rock. Plants of our selection were placed and a drip irrigation system was added. The job was done in two days. Nice work! read more