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    Cortez Builders

    4.7 (26 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 7:00 pm

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    10 minutes

    Response rate

    100%

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    Services - Cortez Builders

    Detached garage construction

    Guest house or ADU construction

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    Pergola posts
    Nick G.

    Emanuel with Cortez Landscaping is honest, transparent and priced reasonably. I contacted Emanuel to deliver baserock and ended up having him complete a pergola project with a decomposed granite base. Our project included many hurdles that my wife and I did not see beforehand. Relocating multiple sprinklers and switching out some material because it was not suitable for the elements to name a couple. Overall, we will be calling Emanuel for our next landscaping projects and look forward to working with him and his well equipped team!

    We had quite a big project covering our back, side and front yards which we went ahead getting it done with Cortez landscaping. Emanuel and his uncle were quite knowledgeable in providing suggestions. We did swimming pool coping, retainer walls, artificial turfs, pavers, outdoor kitchen, stepping stones, steps, side gates, plumbing and electrical, etc. Right from giving suggestions on what to do wrt. Design questions or changing layouts, they gave me options and pros and cons for each of those options, which was very very helpful and useful to us. One aspect I like the most is right before doing a specific task, Emanuel would confirm with us if we are good to go ahead with the planned proposal on the start of the day or the previous evening or if we had any changes and if if we did have changes, he was patient and accommodating in addressing those , though we should expect change in cost to the initial proposal we are doing more obviously. My point is there is room to those discussion without any resistance. This happened quite a lot to us as we get to see a close perspective of how things are turning out while the work was in progress. So we had new ideas and updates popping up randomly. Another aspect I liked about them is they try use machines as much as possible to save time. For instance, we had to take out the old concrete and brick which was done in less than 2 days, in contrary other contractors gave me a 5-6 days of estimation as they weren't as fully equipped as these guys were. So we can expect the job to be done close to the proposed ETC. They also addressed various scenarios the project with little more care rather than doing some filler job and moving on. So the end results turned out to be close to our satisfaction. Though They planted few trees and plants which were ok mostly except for few, I would recommend getting that done with a more professional gardener who knows the intricacies as they might not be as knowledgeable as a good gardener would be. I had more than ~40 plants/trees newly planted and my gardener replanted few. Once the project was over, we had few minor pending tasks which they will address and any issues that popped up were fixed too. Overall I'm greatly satisfied with them. I had recommended them to few of my friends who also got their entire house done with them. I would surely recommend them.

    Joe Z.

    We found this company on Yelp and hired them entirely based on the ratings on yelp. It turned out a great experience. Emanuel was the one we dealt with. It was a pleasure to deal with him over the course of the work. They did a great job in building up a walkway around our house and something extra to go beyond my expectation. Highly recommend their service.

    They did great job in my backyard and front yard. The price is reasonable. Emanual is easy to work with. Just talk to him about your concern and he will take care of it. The fence they made for us is very modern and stylish. Emanual went to look for the right color for me multiple times. He is very responsible. In addition, When I tried to add extra decking in my backyard after we signed the contract. They did it for me with a very good price. I am very satisfied with the project.

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    3 years ago

    I completed 2 projects with Cortez and both were done with good quality. Very happy with the recent landscaping work.

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    12 years ago

    Great Service! Cleaned My Whole Backyard For A Pretty Decent Price. Thanks! Willing To Hire Again.

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    Review Highlights - Cortez Builders

    I contacted Emanuel to deliver baserock and ended up having him complete a pergola project with a decomposed granite base.

    Mentioned in 14 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Southbay Design & Landscaping

    Southbay Design & Landscaping

    4.6
    (111 reviews)

    Ten Stars! We just completed a major renovation of our…read morebackyard with SouthBay Landscape and Design, and we could not be more pleased. Our new backyard is gorgeous, and the details of our experience tell the story. We worked closely with Danny, the on-site supervisor, who is a top-notch professional. He knows his plants and hardscape, pays attention to every detail, and manages his crew with great efficiency. The crew worked as hard as any I've ever seen, and they did everything--digging out enormous tree roots, setting flagstone for our patio, installing irrigation and lighting, moving boulders--you name it. They showed up every day and even worked several Saturdays to get the job finished on time and before we had to travel. These guys were terrific, and I can't thank them enough for the tremendous effort they put into both the demolition and the complete recreation of our backyard. Marcus, the office manager, was also great to work with. He took us out to select our patio stone, river rock, and boulders, and was patient and generous with his time as we made decisions throughout the project. If you need a concern or question answered quickly, call the office: they respond right away! As we watched the project progress over the weeks, my husband and I often commented to each other on the quality of the work and the care being taken with every part of the job. We are grateful to every one of the men who worked in our yard and deeply appreciate their hard work, skill, and professionalism. I recommend SouthBay Landscape and Design enthusiastically and without reservation. They do top-quality work, and they were a pleasure to have at our home. One additional note: we also used the landscape designer they recommended, Dawn, and she was excellent. We are thrilled with the beautiful backyard they all helped create.

    I'd like to give a shout out to Sammy and his helper for their excellent work last week planting…read moreand mulching my front yard as well as checking and adjusting the sprinkler system. Not only did they work tirelessly with stellar results but they are friendly, easy to talk to and downright nice. This is not the first time I've enlisted the help of Southbay Design & Landscaping and once again they did not disappoint. I'd also like to acknowledge Marcus who works in the front office for working with me on the estimating and scheduling of the work. To everyone involved, well done!

    Construction With Style

    Construction With Style

    4.8
    (29 reviews)

    We had an outstanding experience with the Construction With Style team. They recently completed a…read morenew roof, skylights, insulation, and ducting at our home, and the entire process exceeded our expectations. The team was professional, punctual, personable, and incredibly respectful of our home, keeping everything clean throughout the project. They went above and beyond to clearly explain the work being done and kept us updated every step of the way, even while we were out of town, which gave us extra peace of mind. A special thank you to JC and Moe, they were fantastic to work with. Their communication, attention to detail, and genuine pride in the quality of their team's work really stood out. It's clear they truly care about their customers and the finished product. I would highly recommend Construction With Style for any home renovation project. They deliver exceptional craftsmanship and outstanding customer service from start to finish.

    Highly recommend Ben as a General Contractor. Communication was efficient, pricing was transparent,…read moreand he delivered exactly as agreed. The actual quality of his work is solid and detail-oriented--when dealing with rotted roof rafters, he completely replaced them with full-length beams rather than taking shortcuts. He kept a thorough photo record of the progress, proactively cleaned up all debris daily, and took great care to protect the yard. Great work ethic and highly reliable execution.

    Green & Rock Unlimited Landscape

    Green & Rock Unlimited Landscape

    4.7
    (13 reviews)

    We did a complete backyard demo and remodel. We tore up the entire yard, hardscape and soft scape…read moreand took down some trees. Green and rock came in with a very competitive bid, and I really appreciated the way they broke down every cost by line item so you could see where the money was being spent if changes needed to be made in the bid. Our final project included extensive soft and hardscape as well as the installation of second story decking, and a fire pit, and hot tub and fountain Kevin Monroy, the project manager, was awesome to work with. He was very professional very communicative, always responded quickly to text or emails. He was always very on top of things and moved the project along at a speed I never have experienced working with other contractors on projects. He clearly had the whole project thought through and always made sure that everything was ready to go for whatever the next step was. Anytime there were any questions or issues he was on top of it. He also has a very good eye for design and was creative and thought outside the box when it came to some decision-making during the process. In addition, he was always thinking ahead in order to prevent a potential issue if you could foresee it. He meshed very well with all of his workers and you could tell they had a lot of respect for him. I would highly recommend Green and Rock for any landscape project, no matter how little or big.

    Green and Rock completed the terraced landscaping project ( for vegetable and flower garden) on the…read moresteep hillside on my property. The design and initial quotes were provided by Manuel, and were pretty much accurate. Any difference from the initial quotes was due to Change Orders that I had initiated. Project involved terracing, securing hillside from mudslide, creating planting beds, irrigation and lighting. The project manager Kevin and the lead worker Jonathan, did a great job managing the project. I highly recommend Green and Rock.

    Jensen Landscape Services.

    Jensen Landscape Services.

    1.7
    (6 reviews)

    This company services the lavish landscaping at Santana Row (a business district that can just…read morethrow money away on landscaping without needing to check their invoices too carefully). My HOA manager included a bid from Jensen that caught my attention since their pricing seemed mid-range (an intentional trick that manipulative management companies are taught to nudge HOA boards to select certain vendors). However, they made the mistake of including one of my neighboring HOA property on their reference list. I contacted the reference and luckily he told me he was planning to quit Jensen since they padded their invoice with work they did not actually do and he caught them. The way Jensen handled the problem is what rubbed the reference the wrong way. They refused to admit that there was a mistake, but he took before and after pictures of the missing item, and after he reported his finding, they tried to sneakily add the item and pretend it was there all along. Large companies like Jensen are basically just marketing companies trying to suck the funds out of HOA boards that don't understand financial details and how to audit invoices. The leaders of these companies should be put in prison for fraudulently padding invoices with work they don't intend to see through. The only reason I gave Jensen more than 1 star is because they made my neighboring HOA property look better than New Image Landscaping did, which was the original builder choice of crooked landscaping company that just stole money for "mow and blow" services. But we found a couple of more honest companies who did better and at a more competitive rate. Basically you should stay away from marketing companies that hire former used-car-salespeople.

    Not a real company. Just a front for HomeService. Fill out their form, and you'll get inundated…read morewith contractor cslls For things I didn't need.

    santa cruz landscapes

    santa cruz landscapes

    1.0
    (2 reviews)

    I have never left a review on Yelp before, but hopefully this will save someone from the same scam…read morethat I encountered. This contractor bid on our FEMA-financed job, a retaining wall and driveway that was failing after our floods of last year. 'Bobby', the contractor, was very personable, had a good price, I hired him. He asked for the total amount upfront, and since I trusted him and wasn't up on what the 'rules' were, I paid him in full for the project. It came in just under $45,000, which was all the money FEMA had allocated for it. His bid specified that the wall was to be 4' high X 140' long, and was to include ADS drain pipe, catch basins / storm drains, drain rock and filter fabric material. It also specified 2 X 12 boards fastened with heavy duty screws, nuts/bolts & hardware. It included pickup, hauling, delivery & disposal fees. BUT...what was on the specs and what we actually got were very different things. There are NO drainage rocks or system. NO catch basins/storm drains, or filter fabric. Heavy-duty screws were NOT used. The wall is NOT 140' long; it is approx. 125' long, leaving a large GAP at the top of my driveway without any wall. The wall just comes to a stop and there's a dirt slope at the top. Bobby's worker running the backhoe took more dirt than necessary off the existing wall...and instead of hauling that dirt away, I was told that it could be put on another slope below my front yard - I was told that slope may be failing and needed more dirt anyway. Too much dirt - yards and yards and YARDS of dirt - was dumped there, and was right up against my neighbors' fences. I asked that it be taken away from the fences, and the workers did take a few shovelfuls of dirt away, but not enough. Now the heavy rains have come again. The water that should have been drained through the retaining wall rocks and pipe is running down our driveway and pooling at the bottom. Every time my son and I brought up concerns, Bobby insisted that 'he never left a job undone' and that the job 'wasn't finished yet'. My son and I gave him a punch list of concerns, all of which were unfinished items that were in the original bid. We have yet to see Bobby back again, although we have called, texted and emailed asking that he correct the unfinished items. I would not recommend this contractor to ANYONE, EVER. He's a smooth talker, but cuts corners and apparently hopes to get by with doing so!!

    your company website doesnt even have an option to leave a review (shadie) bidding on $50,000 jobs…read morewith a $25,000 bond? these are $1.4 million dollar houses. and you have no workmans comp bond? no liability for heavy equip? why did you list false address listed on home advisor? wont respond to finish work promised in contract agreement with 74year old widowed mother. took 50.000 of fema disaster relief money from her only to find out this guy has no idea about laws in ca. Bobby said he did not need a permit for this job cuz wall was only 4ft high and his inability to know the laws on permits has earned us a red tag for not getting one. CA LAW says: A building permit is required for all new, replacement and or repaired retaining walls as defined by the California Building Code CBC 105.2 building 4 and the California Residential Code R105. 2 Building:3. If the wall is supporting a surcharge no matter the height, it will require a building permit. A separate grading permit application is required for all projects which involve grading of: EXCAVATIONS: 1. Exceeding 50 cubic yards, or 2. Two feet or more in depth, or 3. Creating cut slopes greater than 5 feet in height and steeper than 3 horizontal to 1 vertical (3:1). FILLS: 1. Exceeding 50 cubic yards, or 2. More than 1 foot in depth, or 3. Placed on slopes steeper than 5 horizontal to 1 vertical (5:1), or 4. Obstructing a drainage course, or 5. Placed within 5 feet of any proposed structure, or 6. Structural support for a roadway, or 7. 11,001 square feet of graded area, or part of development that would create a total fill area greater than or equal to 11,001 square feet, or 8. In a riparian zone. CLEARING: 1. More than 11,000 square feet on slopes 5% or less, or 2. Any amount on slopes greater than 5%, or 3. Part of a common plan of development that would create a total clearing area greater than or equal to one acre. he says he knows the laws but anyone with a computer can look it up and he should not lie about knowing. the truth is he could not pull any permits because he does not have license or enough bond or workman comp. to insure any part of this job. and now we know why those are so important to have. his website says he is a master carpenter not true. satisfaction guarantee not true. tried giving him opportunity to make it right. no response to any requests from my mother she did not need this stress put on her. and I do not either. maybe he can fix a fence or plant a garden but i hope you are aware of the law now. stick to simple projects that you can legally complete. and at least give your real address on home advisor. every statement in my review is true i have all documents to prove it .this is not the first time he has breeched a contract that is public record as well. what if this was your mom? do not let it be! so as far as him getting upset and walking away from an unfinished job saying Ii threatened him or I giving any false info in my review.

    Tree Builders Group

    Tree Builders Group

    4.1
    (12 reviews)

    From the beginning, the communication between me and TBG was spot on. Our project lead, Isaac,…read morelistened carefully to what I wanted, answered my questions quickly, and kept me informed throughout the entire kitchen remodel. What impressed me most was their flexibility. When I requested a few changes during the project, they responded and adapted without hesitation. They were always approachable and really made what could have been a nightmare, stress-free. The project was completed quickly and finished under budget. Walls were torn down, floors replaced, all new cabinetry and lighting. I wonder why I waited so long to have it done. I couldn't be happier and would absolutely hire them again for future projects.

    Unfortunately I have to strongly recommend against working with this business. Although their…read moredesigns look nice in the photos, their workmanship and materials irl are disappointing and their accountability/adherence to good business practices is even worse, despite relatively polite communication. They remodeled bathroom and kitchen 2 years ago using what seems to be a VERY common set of fixtures for them based on photos of their work, and the shower plumbing and a sink faucet are already leaking. (I did not hire them - I moved in after they remodeled.) The leaking has evidently rotted the subfloor and the wall, including mold growth, but the company refuses to take responsibility or fix their work, even though no one else has touched any of this plumbing since the remodel. The shower wall and bathroom floor will need to be rebuilt (all tile), along with mold remediation and, obviously, plumbing work. 2 years is not very much longevity for new plumbing... with correct installation and even mediocre-quality fixtures, shouldn't it be sound for longer than that? An issue here or there with plumbing in an old house is one thing, but pipes/fixtures only lasting 2 years isn't right. (See photos of inside the walls and crawl space) Just wanted to warn others, since most of the reviews are about the building process rather than the results after they leave.

    California Nativescapes

    California Nativescapes

    3.9
    (21 reviews)

    I had a really good experience with California Nativescapes. I had my front lawn converted to…read morenative plants, had a fence moved and had a flagstone walkway and Arbors put in. Rebecca and her team are very competent and talented at what they do. They are flexible also. I really enjoyed working with Rebecca and would whole-heartedly recommend this company to people who appreciate excellent work. Regarding the recent negative post regarding the delay in getting a quote, I was actually the person that recommended California Nativescapes and I'm disappointed that reviewer did not give the company a chance yet proceeded to post something so negative when there were extenuating circumstances causing the delay (vacation and holidays). Also I think a part of what she stated in her review may have been incorrect. From what I recall, she told me that Marie, when she asked, stated it would probably be next week for the quote, but not promising next week for sure. Anyway it seems like it was a misunderstanding and I'm sorry I had a part in this negative exchange.

    My yard looks nice and I like the design. However, Rebeca gets very defensive if any question…read moreasked could be perceived as questioning her expertise and refuses to admit to or even entertain the idea that maybe there was a mistake made, therefore it is nearly impossible for me to get advice on managing my yard. I thought maybe it was just me at the beginning of this process (almost 3 years ago?) but a recent interaction cemented it for me. I spent a lot of money so would expect more. I wish I would have spent more time researching landscape companies. I have really tried to like them but the tone of every email has been off putting.

    Cortez Builders - masonry_concrete - Updated August 2026

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