Desert Designer installed a very cost effective and stunningly beautiful patio in my back yard. The work was top notch, they took care of my existing landscaping (citrus trees), relocated some irrigation and left nothing but craftsmanship behind. Extremely professional, they are worth your call. read more

Desert Designer did a fantastic job with our front yard landscaping. Charlie, our landscape architect, came up with an amazing plan that really improved the curb appeal of the home. The job consisted of multiple areas of pavers, new plants and trees. There were some glitches along the way, as can be expected with any project, but Charlie and the crew were always willing to resolve them. Charlie even came out on a hot afternoon to re-plant a tree that was placed in the wrong area!! We are really pleased with how the front yard landscaping turned out and would use them again for other projects. read more

Desert Designer landscaped our backyard in February of this year (2014). We worked with Rob Plowright and have nothing but good things to say about him and his work! We met with several landscaping companies prior to selecting Desert Designer. Rob made a great first impression and won us over instantly. He was early to our meeting and had already sketched the property and taken the necessary measurements by the time we showed up which made our time together extremely productive. Rob listened to all of our ideas - and in return provided us with two quotes and drawings: the "Mercedes Benz " Quote (as Rob liked to call it) which included EVERYTHING and more of what we wanted and the "Honda Accord" Quote which included everything we needed for a functional and beautiful backyard, that was more realistic for our budget. I appreciated that Rob listened to everything we wanted, but he also respected the budget we had set by providing us two quotes. In the end, we were able to combine the two and the result was a beautiful yard that didn't stretch our budget. Rob and his crew were able to start work on our yard earlier than expected AND they finished within the estimated time frame. Overall, the crew was friendly, quick and clean. Once the project was completed, Rob came back to meet with my husband and myself to ensure we were satisfied with the work. He also took the time to thoroughly explain the new irrigation system to us. It's now 6 months later and our yard still looks great. All of the plants and trees look amazing - we had no issues with any of the plants, trees or grass wilting or dying. Same goes for all of the brick and stone they laid - all looks fantastic, no issues with cracks or breakage. In sum, I would highly recommend Desert Designer. They are friendly, honest, hard-working and affordable. read more

They underestimated the size of the plants where they planted them. Did a mediocre job on the Travertine and didn't compact the ground. We have major settling on one side of our patio that they repaired once and won't come back to fix it because it settled again. read more

Cory and his team did an amazing job for our home! He designed a beautiful backyard that maximized the area so it flowed nicely. Cory is very communicative and available for a quick question or request. His team was so accommodating to our requests. Cory's team not only did exceptional, high-quality work, but the customer service they showed was beyond compare. The foreman, Juan, is so skilled, I don't think there's anything he can't do. His attention to detail is so appreciated. You can tell he cares about his projects and wants the best for the clients. If you have a project, you absolutely need to call Cory at Desert Designer. You'll be so happy you did. I can't recommend Desert Designer enough. They're the best in the Valley for sure. read more

This company designed us a beautiful courtyard. The designer listened to our desires and, in turn, made it happen. We couldn't be happier with the way it turned out ! He designed the pavers, fire pit, trees and plants fit to fit perfectly in the space. Not to mention the drip system installed as well. The workers that actually did the work were just as thorough as the designer. We will be calling Desert Designer real soon to work on the backyard next!! read more

This is a review to read fully before dropping a lot of money. First, DD's crew is amazing. They really know what they are doing and do it well. We are thrilled with our new patio. However, there were some definitive issues from an operations standpoint with DD. The company doesn't have any checklist once the job is finished. They just leave the site. This can be a disaster. I do realize there is a warranty, however when you pay for something, you want it done correctly the first time. Our backyard wasn't chump change. There was an obvious issue with one of the travertine pavers. When I asked it be fixed, I got the runaround. DD couldn't tell when and what time it would fixed. This is irrational Also, they wanted to just come onto my property and fix it when I wasn't there. This can be a liability for the company and myself. I have dogs so did need a day and window of time. The company struggled to commit. I did end up stopping payment on the final payment until it was properly fix. I'm sure this was the catalyst for the job immediately being fix. Still, I shouldn't have had to go through all that to get something fixed that I paid for in a timely manner. I even spent $200 to feed the crew of 6 for 3 days in a row. Our project manager needs some improvement. While she made us a beautiful design, she was non-existent after that. Upon signing with DD, I specifically asked if she would be monitoring our job. She said yes. She actually showed up for 5 mins on the first day and that was it. There were a couple of issues that required us to put out more money than agreed. I didn't like this, because the scale of her design wasn't very accommodating for what we agreed. In the end, I asked her to absorb her mistake which he did. She was a poor communicator and I found myself having to track her down. She should have been there on the final day of the job to run through everything with us and, again, conduct a checklist. We were going to give DD the business for our front yard half-way through, but have decided against it due to some business practices we weren't in agreement. While the company does well from a design and labor standpoint, the rest just fell apart. This is a lot of money and DD really didn't show they wanted the additional business. If they were to fix the operational side of things, they would be a good fit for anyone. I suppose if one where to seek their services, you'd have to ask many, many questions to make sure you are comfortable. Although, I'm not willing to find out. read more

I would recommend any other landscaping design company other than Desert Designers. I had them design and landscape my backyard after having a pool installed, with work completed May 2015. They have very poor communication with customers, which only gets worse after final payment is made. Among the many issues that I have had are being charged for a full roll (15'x40') of artificial turf & only receiving scraps that then had seam issues, sprinkler system leaks and failures, and flowering shrubs that cannot survive Arizona heat/sun despite sufficient watering. With the turf, Desert Designer sent out workers 3x to "repair" seams due to turf splitting or not nailed down initially making seams in turf very visible, the workers also tried to add an extra 1-2" strip of turf over a seam to reduce seam visibility. It didn't work. With the sprinkler system, the sprinkler lines that Desert Designers put in were covered over with Caliche(super hard sharp rock) that caused the sprinkler lines to be cut open as the ground settled. Unable to get any information or assistance from Tom, one of the owners, once we were able to get in touch with him, after many phone calls, messages, and even a trip to their unmarked office. Had to have lines repaired by a separate landscaper, who told us to expect more leaks, and I already have another, as well as exposed sprinkler lines in a retaining wall planter. The one time I was able to get Tom on the phone, the only response he had was that our 2 year warranty was expired. Which he repeated, over and over. Very disappointed in this company and the fact that they refuse to stand behind their work, especially for the premium they charge. read more

After getting several estimates, I utilized Desert Design contractors to design/layout approximate 700 square feet of pavers, for both a sitting area and a hot tub. I also was adding about 70 feet of flagstone capping to an existing pony wall. First - Cory at desert designs was very helpful in the planning and design process and was always available and VERY responsive for the life of the project and process. His measurements of the area were accurate, and coincided with what I had painstakingly measured. This may seem like a small point, but there were several contractors that "walked the measurements off" - and surprisingly came up with numbers as much as 20% higher than mine. This issue goes to the integrity of this company The process was painless and easy - thanks to Cory and the owners of Desert Design. Their crew showed up on time, cleaned up after themselves each day, were very professional, and .. most importantly - have done a wonderful job. The area looks GREAT! I had one small issue with the slope of some of the completed pavers, Cory and Desert Design came out within a week, removed that area, and corrected the issue without any hassles or questions. Excellent example of their commitment to their work and their warranty process. I plan on using this company again, and would HIGHLY recommend them. read more

In mid 2011 we had our whole property re-landscaped by Rob Plowright (our designer who is also part owner of this company) which cost over $22,000 in hard and soft scape. I wish I could show photos of our property today, $4000 of DD's bill were for plants/grass, 60% of which have since died or I tried moving due to an inappropriate location (additionally, many of the plants we agreed upon were unavailable upon delivery and were changed to less desirable ones). This does not include the 35 out of 90 plants/trees DD initially replaced during our (bargained extension) 3-month warranty. During the process I learned DD is not very educated on horticulture/plants i.e. location, species, spacing, design (style, color, size, pattern) among other things. Overall I think DD lacks understanding and execution of long-term business practices/relationships, in addition to offering or taking on more than the owners or crews are qualified to perform. They have installers who aren't instructed appropriately nor carefully supervised, lack follow-up with customers for satisfaction (could have been given maintenance instructions for the softscape areas to avoid major plant loss). Since DD's installation, I've had to move/modify two major grass areas (1000 sq feet each) sprinklers at an additional cost due to ineffective placement (i.e. sun vs shade) by DD. Even with weekly landscaping maintenance over the last 2 years, both of the new summer sod areas DD created are severely failing. As for their crews, I had to be at home supervising every minute of every day, otherwise, they repeatedly erred i.e. installation locations, quality control, etc. I can list dozens upon dozens of mistakes on installation alone, one example was on their first day (we were traveling and were specific as to when we would return, irrespective they started early without notice) they installed a firepit incorrectly and in a considerably wrong location, all of which had to be torn down and redone. Another example - after their crew incorrectly installed 15 slabs of 2'x3' flagstone, twice, in 115F temperature I personally picked them up and strategically placed each one because they could not understand (language barrier included) design and utility placement i.e. spacing required between stepping stones along a pathway. The final and most important complaint I still need to take up with the Registrar of Contractors and BBB. I trusted that DD would not offer products or services they weren't skilled or approved to do, however, after the project was done I found out they do not have a license nor permit for creating Water Features. They not only installed water but also ran electricity without permits. The hardscape looks nice but it doesn't function as originally intended and was completed with engineering errors. To correct it would be to compromise the entire water feature and firepit area. So I chose to live with the problem. I also had to repair a different hard & softscape area after 1 year (remove and re-install 30'x3' pool planter with dirt/drippers/electric/plants) to fix a major leakage problem which DD minimized and gave bad advise. I did not trust DD even if it were under warranty so I paid handsomely for another contractor to correct. Miscellaneous -low site respect (cigarette butts, urinated behind our shed, left a ton of debris & cement remnants), plans/blueprints not matching locations for what was installed (off by 2-10 feet), excessive emails and poor communication, 3-foot sinkhole, many rock areas now showing unsightly black landscape fabric, over 20 feet of electrical wiring showing after being superficially buried, water feature malfunctions and clogs (no way to fix without tearing it down), 2 pillars visibly unlevel (more than 1-2 inches off)... etc etc etc The only redeeming quality is that one portion of hardscape looks great. But it is by far not worth the cost, aggravation and stress, and excessive time wasted with this company. More than once I attempt to bring my issues to the attention of the majority owner but I was referred back to the designer for resolution. So it surprises and dismays me that on their website they are listed as "Super Service Award 2011" on Angies List. Which was the year I contracted with them. I might have to join just to post my experience... read more

Used Desert Designer last August for our new yard. They did the hardscape and plant layout. We loved the hardscape design and installation was good. Good quality materials and workmanship. The problem we had was with the plant selection and plant placement. For the price we paid, we would have thought we would get some larger specimens. We've since done research and there are better plants out there for the price. We have neighbors who've worked with other companies and actually went to the nursery and picked out their plants. They provided no guide as to the plants we had (except the original drawings and we had since changed some plants) and help with the watering other than the first time they set it up. We've since lost some plants and now have a better watering schedule since we've called someone else in to consult. And, they "lost" our paperwork on our saguaro adoption (We're hoping no one ever asks for it!). Follow through with questions was slow. I'd use them again for the hardscaping, but I'd have way more hesitation with the plants. read more

They did our irrigation, a bit or hardscaping and planting. 1) Irrigation is ok, it's been 1.5 year since the job was completed, and we've had no issues with it. 2) Hardscaping is so-so: there are some cracks between the bricks, but I guess this is unavoidable. During the warranty period, they've been fixing the cracks regularly, but they reappeared when the warranty expired. They also added gravel, but in many places the layer was so thin that the original clay shines through the gravel. 3) The plants they suggested and planted are HORRIBLE. Initially, I was upset that they look more pitiful than the ones we could get at a nursery for the same price. But, 1.5 year after the planting, I have more major complaints. The main one is that the shrubs were planted without any regard to whether or not the sun/shade conditions will be favorable. As an example, roses, yellowbells and katie ruellias -- which need a lot of sun to grow -- were planted in FULL shade, where they get no sun at all. Trusting their plant knowledge, it did not occur to me to educate myself on these basics -- which I regretted ex post. These plants did not take off, and still look exactly as they looked at the time of planting, with very little new growth showing. Lantanas, wich spread very wide, were planted in a very tight space, and eventually we had to take them out because they had to be trimmed perpetually. Even if all the plants grew to their best shape, the design would have been "chaotic" anyway: they appear to be randomly positioned, without any regard to style, color, or size pattern. So we are taking down most of the plants and hire a better designer to help us redesign the look of our backyard. 4) They also did a small veggie garden for me, which should be completely redone. Again, very badly positioned: a part of it is in perpetual shade, and it is directly under the roof water drainage pipe, so it overflows with water every time it rains. They advised me AGAINST a raised garden bed, which, as I learned ex post, was very unprofessional: not only I had to dig through hard AZ rocky clay to replace the original soil with good gardeing medium, but without the raised walls, the garden soil spreads all around, which makes a huge mess since our garden happens to be next to the pool deck -- another negative side of its location. One would expect that "designers" would think of these basic issues. We paid for the irrigation system in this garden (done by Desert Designers), so I am a kind of stuck with it now. If I consider moving it to a new place, we need to do a separate irrigation again -- what a mess. read more

I can't say enough good things about this company. We had our backyard done in 2 stages over the past year and just had it completed about a month ago. We love the yard now!! I was worth the cost as the crew both times did good quality work. Any issues or questions we had were so quickly addressed with the company. We now have a gorgeous tile patio, built in grill, and fire pit all three were done so well. We just love the design too and Charlie is the best to work with! read more

Unfortunately we cannot recommend Desert Designer. We hired Desert Designer a year ago for a major backyard renovation project in Scottsdale - hardscape and landscape. The experience had been a truly excellent one - smart design, highly collaborative, pleasant and professional. But I made the mistake of - at the contractor's request - completing the final payment before the project was done. From that point forward, we found Desert Designer to be highly unresponsive and disappointing on every dimension. The project dragged on for months and months. Contracting errors were extremely slow to address, and often had to be addressed repeatedly. At the end, the company's owner declined to address our concerns, and at times company representatives were unpleasant and, oddly, even hostile. I have never written a negative review before (and my wife and I have owned homes in Brookline, Mass., Washington, D.C., Great Falls, Va., and Scottsdale over the past 30 years and have owned our Scottsdale home since 2005), but I felt obliged to write this as a warning to others. It is a shame since the entire experience - up until the end - was highly positive and professional. Very disappointing. read more

We hired Rob and his crew after interviewing 4 different contractors. There were several highlights to our experience: 1) they were in and out in a day and a half 2) they proposed exactly what was appropriate....didn't try to sell us fancy 'extras' that we didn't need or want and only pad the pricetag ..ours was a relatively small and simple patio re-do but they gladly accepted it and treated us as well as the bigger customers, I'm sure. 3) They offered creative ideas and suggestions to help us design a yard that would satisfy our needs and lifestyle. 4) we love our beautiful travertine pavers!..precisely the solution for us. 5) Finally, they were fast, professional and courteous. read more

Desert Designer just completed my landscaping at my new home. Charlie did an awesome job at creating a beautiful outdoor space that I will enjoy for many years. He addressed all of my questions and concerns in a timely manner, and was here everyday to ensure that everything was going as planned. Thank you Charlie for a job well done!!!!!!!! read more

The Owner of this Company (Cory Sells) was Extremely rude and inconsiderate to my needs as a client. The crew that performs the work was very messy and left many damages to my property as well as doing a less than average job. Cory encourages friends and family to write positive reviews here to counteract the high volume of negative reviews. With multitudes of landscaping companies in Arizona there is not a single good reason to utilize Desert Designer services, I would highly recommend choosing a company that actually values their clients and works with integrity. read more

Desert Landscapers just finished renovating our back yard, including a new patio area, new plants and irrigation, lighting, and walkways. Rob's design was clearly rendered and a lot of the reason we choose this company for our project was his creativity of design and the patience and clarity he showed in explaining what was proposed. The hardscaping they installed was designed in a curve, which really makes the patio seem larger. I am very happy with the landscaping, lighting, plants - all aspects of the project turned out even better than I had hoped. I would use this company again in the future and will not hesitate to recommend them to friends and family. read more

Design was good...customer service was bad. Once they were paid we didn't exist! Would not recommend..

We decided late to do a major renovation of our landscaping for a graduation party we were having at our home. We contacted several landscaping companies and obtained bids from most we had a tight timeframe but all companies that bid indicated they could make it work. However, Rob at Desert Landscaping was the only bidder that acted as if he really wanted our business, which surprised us given the size of the project. While not the low bidder, we decided to go with the person that actually seemed interested in doing our job and doing it as if it was his own home. He also worked with us to get what we needed within our budget. As mentioned, we had a very tight timeline but Rob made adjustments to the schedule to make sure it was going to be completed on time. His crews were courteous, efficient and cleaned up every evening to minimize our inconvenience. As with all projects we encountered some unexpected issues, several of which we caused. Rob and his crew made the necessary adjustment and the entire project was completed on time for our party even to the point of personally delivering a last minute item the morning of the party. All I can say is you would be making a mistake if you don't give Desert Designers serious consideration for your next landscaping project. read more

My experience with Desert Designer landscape was possibly the worst experience I have had with a company in the 14 years I have lived in Az. The Sales or Project rep Steve was a major disappointment. I had read the reviews online from previous customers and was anxious to work with Steve. Those reviews were incredibly different than my experience. Customer service is a must in my profession something that Steve seemed to be very disinterested in. His inability to inform me of project issues, project design changes that were unknown until the project was completed, etc were common throughout the process. An example of the things that you can expect from this company include deceit. I learned 3 weeks after the project was completed that they cut my water supply and instead of disclosing it they turned my water off to my irrigation system. The stack stone that they used on my project after 1 week of the project being completed was falling off the columns and planter walls. Steve never bothered to inspect or QC the project otherwise he would have noticed the stack stone that was missing in the columns and planters. I tried to contact him for a resolution and of course Steve was consistent with his lack of interest in either fixing the problems or learning what those problems were. Still waiting to hear from him 8 weeks later. Steve was going to reimburse me for some stain that I purchased for the project. Guess what I am still waiting for that check. This does not detail the numerous calls during the design, approval and project construction phase that went without a return phone call. He was there to make sure he collected the project draws other than that don't expect to see him. I am in process of finalizing plans from a reputable company to complete the second phase of my project. This company and it's associates can not be trusted to take care of my home. read more