I used David Ricard Masonry to repair a toothpaste-joint stone wall in front of my house. I highly…read morerecommend David. He came to my house and personally inspected the wall, then gave me a very reasonable estimate. His crew showed up on time, did excellent work, and cleaned up afterward. All in all, a professional, hassle-fee experience. I'm attaching before and after photos.

I contacted David, to get an estimate of brick repair work on and around my home and property…read more After getting a reasonable quote and a handshake we sealed the deal. Within a week, David called me and scheduled to come and star the process, the crew arrived at 7:00 AM Monday morning replacing numerous bricks which had their face falling off on our home and stoop area. Tore down a rebuilt retaining walls on both sides of our walkout basement. The did an amazing job and cleaned up afterwards pretty quickly to our satisfaction. For all of brick, concrete of any kind, I highly recommend this company!!!

We had Capitol Hill Masonry perform several jobs for us: leveling of a severely sloping basement…read morefloor, tuck pointing, tidying up of missing bricks and replacing a concrete pad. They took their time and did an incredibly thorough and excellent job. We are really happy with the result and felt that it was a high priority to deliver a high quality product. Michael was great to work with, very communicative and willing to pivot as we added more work. He used high quality materials too, honoring the needs of the old CH row houses. Definitely recommend.

We are grateful to Patrick, Myles, and their team for their great work. We were experiencing water…read moredamage from poor workmanship on the exterior of our building. Capitol Hill Masonry redid the exterior wall, made sure the brick and mortar were in good shape, and did an excellent job painting and cleaning up the job site. They also added weepholes to allow better drainage from our yard. Capitol Hill Masonry offered us the fairest price at a higher experience level than other contractors we found. Our wall still looks great after a recent downpour.

Miguel and his team at Sunshine Brickpointing did an excellent job repointing the entire back and…read moreside of our historic Capitol Hill rowhouse. From start to finish, Miguel was incredibly communicative and easy to reach, which was so refreshing. Their estimate was detailed, the crew was as tidy as you can possibly be on a job like this, and they finished right on schedule. I was also struck by what a great team Miguel has. The guys genuinely seemed to enjoy working together, and Miguel himself was on site frequently throughout the project. Everyone was professional, pleasant, and clearly took pride in their work. We're extremely pleased with the finished product and would absolutely hire Miguel and Sunshine Brickpointing again for any future masonry work.

A few weeks after Miguel and his crew finished, I noticed a small area (3.5cm X 1cm) of brick…read moremortar that had not been filled. I called Miguel, and he immediately and cordially arranged to come back to fix it. No hassle at all. He skillfully matched the color and texture of the new mortar to the 77-year old original so it's nearly impossible to distinguish new from old mortar. Miguel and his truly is truly a craftsmanship treasure of skill, efficiency and affability. I think his wife also works behind the scenes keeping the whole business running smoothly.

I hired PointingPlus to repoint the back wall of my 1920 Petworth rowhouse because the mortar had…read morebeen deteriorating and bricks becoming insecure, which had become apparent when the paint that the prior owners had applied on the wall prior to their sale began peeling. PointingPlus did an exceptional job, n0ot only repointing the wall, but addressing other critical issues which became apparent during the process. I had requested a quote from PointingPlus, as well as from several other companies, for the repointing work after reviewing on-line information, talking to other home owners with older homes, and asking neighbors about their contractors when I saw that someone was having repointing done on their houses. One of the factors that was critical to me was experience and the approach to repointing "soft" brick (generally that used in houses up to the mid-1920s) because it requires different mortar than what was and still is typically used for new brick, which is made differently and is harder. It was also important to me that the contractor I hired had broader construction experience because I knew there were other issues with my wall that would need to be addressed, and that they evidenced a flexibility to be able to discuss with me and address such issues. Price was also a large consideration. Daniel Palousek, the owner of PointingPlus, has a passion for historical brick work, and he and his business, a Mission of repairing and restoring the brickwork on old homes and buildings in the DC area. He learned construction when he was growing up. The PointingPlus website explains how he got into old brick work and his experience/training. When I met him prior to his submitting an estimate for the work, his love for the work and end result was apparent, as was his flexibility and interest in addressing more than brick and mortar issues. (I needed some work on the roof flashing covering the top layers of brick as well as on a window sill on the top story that was rotting, among some other issues he identified during his work and addressed after discussing approach with me.) The price of his estimate was not the lowest, but was also not close to being the highest against a $30,000 difference between the lowest and highest estimates I received. He more than met criteria that were important to me and prior to finalizing my decision I asked to look at some buildings that PointingPlus had done work on; the work on them was excellent. I am very pleased with what PointingPlus did (and with Daniel. who did the work). And the process of the work went well, the communication between him and me excellent (and I learned a heck of a lot more than I knew about brick and mortar, which I also find very interesting, among other things). I strongly recommend PointingPlus to others, and expect that I will be in touch with Daniel again as I become aware of and seek to address issues on my 100+ year old home.

Pointing Plus is excellent at what they do. They are reasonably priced, responsible during every…read morestep of a project, and exceptional at communication. Their approach is comprehensive and once engaged they are clear about the process, timing and expected results. Pointing Plus easily navigated the many challenges and permitting that comes with working on a historic building (circa 1895) in an historic neighborhood. They approached the 125+ year old façade with care and an extensive knowledge about mortar, color, scaffolding, and structure. And, given that the building had never been repointed, as part of the process large sections of the facade had to be rebuilt including large brownstone headers and sculptural elements. The goal was to maintain the historic presence and shore up the structure and Pointing Plus succeeded on every level. When done properly, pointing should be a once in a lifetime project. Working with Pointing Plus has given me the confidence knowing the façade of this building will be here for generations to come.

Abel and his team did a great job of updating our hardscaping and fencing and redoing our…read morelandscaping. We love our new backyard! They did a great job at a fair price!

Outstanding service, great communication and fabulous work. Exactly what I wanted and it looks…read moreperfect! I'm already planning my next project! I'd give them 10 stars!

We hired Ramirez Brick Repair for two masonry projects, and the quality of the work was outstanding…read moreboth times. The first project involved repointing our heavily deteriorated front porch brick steps. Javier and his team carefully restored the brickwork, matched the mortar beautifully, and made the steps look solid and refreshed again. The second project was a complete restoration of our flagstone patio, including removing and replacing all of the old mortar and resetting the stones. The patio now looks fantastic and is level, clean, and professionally finished. Throughout both projects, the team was reliable, hardworking, detail oriented, and respectful of our property. It's clear they take pride in their craftsmanship. We're extremely happy with the results and would absolutely recommend Ramirez Brick Repair to anyone needing masonry or stonework repairs.

Non responsive until contacted multiple times and when he did respond; he made an appt that he…read morecanceled last minute. So yep, I took off work for nothing...nada. He didn't even try to reschedule diligently. He must have made enough money that he didn't need more business? At either rate; I can't take a business seriously that does this. I'm sure this was a blessing in disguise!

Unprofessional, Sloppy Work, and Broken Promises - Cost Me $19K Total…read more I hired this contractor for a $15,000 project to parge the rear of my rowhouse. I chose his middle quote and specifically showed him my neighbors' well-done walls for reference. He assured me he could provide a nice, even gray sponge finish to match the front of my house. Instead, he cut corners and delivered completely unacceptable work: Bait-and-Switch on Materials: His quote explicitly included adding metal lathe to the exterior using stainless steel fasteners. On day one of the job, he abruptly changed his mind, claiming he had a "better way to do it." It wasn't better--it was just cheaper for him. Sloppy Application: The mortar was applied unevenly, leaving splotchy colors and completely exposed brick in several areas. Visible Brick Lines: Because he skipped the proper preparation, the brick lines were completely visible right away. He claimed it just needed to "dry," but 6 months later, it still looks terrible. Refused to Complete Repairs: When confronted, he admitted the walls were uneven and claimed painting would fix it. He painted only the back wall, then flat-out refused to paint the two larger dog-leg walls, stating he was "out a ton of money" and "didn't have the funds." Financial Pressure: Halfway through the project, he pressured me into releasing the second payment early, citing his own "cash flow issues." Validation & Extra Costs: I had to pay an additional $4,000 to an independent painting company to finish the dog-leg walls. Even the professional painters pointed out how poorly the mortar was applied, specifically highlighting that it was applied "very thin" at the top of the house. Paying $15,000 for a botched job, cutting corners on the contract, and then shelling out another $4,000 to clean up his mess is a nightmare. Avoid this mason at all costs.

Tom was one of the best contractors I have hired. He installed a short retaining wall in the front…read moreand back of my row home. His prices were more than reasonable for the quality of the work. He showed up on time, did not bother us at all, and left no mess. Most importantly two years later, the wall looks great.

Rather unprofessional lack of communication after an estimate…read more I met the estimator and we spent about an hour looking at the work needed at my property in June. They said it would take 1 week for them to send over the estimate. They've completely ghosted me for the last 2 months. I've sent three emails requesting updates on their estimate and no response. I'm disappointed that I took a day off from work to meet with their estimator, and now will need to get more quotes. IDS initially responded quickly to scheduling time to come out for the estimate on multistory porch rebuild, roof deck replacement and tuckpointing on my property in DC. They had asked about the scope of the work prior to coming out, so would have known if it was too small for their company. A simple "sorry we are too busy to take on the project" would be the minimum expected professional response from a real company.

I started working with Jeremy and IDS in December 2020. They took over an ongoing issue I was…read moretackling with a contractor/friend who moved to Australia. Jeremy picked up the project and was able to solve for the moisture trapped in the plaster walls. Having a 100+-year home is challenging and solutions aren't always direct. Jeremy and team stayed the course. The quality and craftsmanship of their work is exceptional. They have become a trusted resource when it comes to fixes and home improvements. Last year, they converted my claustrophobic 4X7 bathroom into something livable. I consulted with other contractors and even an architect on possible solutions for making the space feel more open and liked Jeremy's approach best. He listened to what I wanted and found a way to successfully make it work. IDS even referred to an outstanding electrician this summer to upgrade my home from 60 to 200 amps. Jeremy, Junior and Adan are a great team, making the experience of owning an older home manageable. I can't thank them enough for all their hard work and dedication.

Blue Collar Scholars just completed a very big landscaping clean up of our front and back yards…read more The process started with Doug coming to give us an estimate. He was super friendly and helpful, walked the property, took photos, and got back to us with an estimate within a few hours. We did have to wait quite a bit of time between when we scheduled the work and when it actually started. Work was scheduled on 8/13 for 9/23. I appreciate that summer is likely a very busy season for them but our yard was a mess and we were anxious to get started as soon as possible. Their project manager, Fernanda, was extremely communicative and helpful throughout the entire process to get us started as soon as possible. If not for Fernanda, we likely would've been quite frustrated, but she was excellent. The work took two days and the results are absolutely stellar. This team was absolutely meticulous. The front and back yards both look incredible -- they were taken care of with such precision and attention to detail. Both the front and back yards are almost unrecognizable from their previous state. It could not have been more worth the money and we are so happy with the results. We'd recommend BCS to anyone with landscaping needs. We're blown away by how our home looks. We have a few ideas for future projects that we will certainly bring to BCS -- they can clearly be counted on to deliver.

Very disappointing experience, especially given their high rating…read more We signed an agreement with Blue Collar Scholars at the end of June for a new front and back fence and paid several thousand dollars toward the project. We understood that permitting could take time, particularly because our home is in a historic district, and our contract did not guarantee a completion date. My issue is not that the permit has taken time, it is how little they seem to have done during the time they could control. Before hiring them, my wife had already attempted to submit the permit application herself. It took her about two hours to put everything together, and the application was returned because an architectural drawing was required. We gave Blue Collar Scholars all of the paperwork from that attempt when we signed, so they knew exactly what was needed. Yet throughout July, we were repeatedly told they were "gathering documents" and "finalizing" the application. The architect they work with didn't come out to take measurements until August. Since coordinating their architect is within the contractor's control, we cannot understand why this wasn't done in July while they were supposedly "preparing" the permit application. It is now September 29, more than three months after signing and paying the deposit, and we have no fence and no approved permit. We've now been told there were comments on the application and that installation will take another 3-4 weeks AFTER the permit is approved. I don't blame them for DC permitting delays or historic-district requirements. I do blame them for failing to use the time efficiently and for providing vague, noncommittal updates instead of clearly communicating what was actually happening. After more than three months and several thousand dollars paid toward the project, having no fence and no approved permit is an extremely frustrating experience. Based on my experience, I would not recommend Blue Collar Scholars.