I don't have much of an online presence but I signed up to Yelp to add this review. The good: Theo is a very charming guy and is responsive to requests. I am happy with how the water-wise landscape looks. His crew were very pleasant and hard working guys. The bad: There were installation quality issues with the pavers. He insisted on final payment prior to correcting the issues, claiming the job was complete. We disagreed and held payment until the pavers were installed correctly. Things got tense with Theo after that. I will not go into further details except to say I was not happy with his lack of professionalism, and I will not hire him again. read more

Our experience with Pete and Theo was top notch from start to finish. I hire landscaping companies all over the country for my business, so I have knowledge in this area. They were extremely responsive, always on time, and there were never any surprises with the budget, even as I made numerous changes. The quality of their work is great, and is a tremendous value, in my opinion. We received other proposals for a smaller scope of work, for about 30% more than Elements charged us. I'm surprised to see the negative reviews. It seems that the main problems were that there were signs left in the homeowners' yards??? That's a pretty petty thing to focus on, if you ask me. read more

I've done alot of business with this company. Unfortunately, I am very displeased with how their team installed fence posts in multiple sections of my backyard. Nearly every fence post they installed are now failing to stay remotely upward. I was offered a discount to repair their faulty work. read more

Theo and his team were awesome, clean, professional and committed. He redid our entire patio removing an existing planter, put in two new planters an irrigation system and three different types of led lighting. Definitely would recommend him. Super nice guys! read more

We hired Elements to re-landscape the planting strip and front and side of our 5-unit townhouse. While they weren't cheap, the estimate was reasonable in comparison with others, and they stuck to it. The place looks 1000% better. They were on site for about a week, showed up when they said they would, and did quality work. I dealt with Theo on design and contract issues. He usually wasn't on site when the work was done, but he checked every day and went over progress with me a couple of times including at the end. We paid him when they said the work was done -- I was a little nervous as there were a couple of minor things that they missed, and a light that was no longer working, but they came out the next day and fixed all of it. I've had some good experiences and bad experiences with contractors in this area, but this definitely was a good one. read more

Yes...yet another update! I realized there were some filtered reviews (removed by Yelp but accessible to viewers if you click the link that says filtered reviews below). I am not the only one who had a difficult experience with Peter or who had a sign left (without consent) in our yard for a lengthy period of time with no response to pick it up. NO, he does not pay homeowners for this advertising as another reviewer questioned!!!! read more

We had Elements come to our house to give us an estimate. The guy talked a good game, but I guess he thought our job would be too small because he never sent us his bid as promised. Additionally, he has irritated many people in the neighborhood because he leaves his sign up in the front yard of one particular house (there are probably more) that is on a prominent corner so that he can attract business. Westchester is a nice residential neighborhood and businesses should not clutter lawns with signage, especially when they are not working there. The Kentwood Guardians asked him to remove his sign and the request was refused. Owner said he is still working there. Huh? For two years? read more

If I could give them a zero I would. The work I saw them do was sub par and not acceptable. Just the opinion of someone who saw the work. Get references and check them in person. read more

I've worked with Theo and his team for more than one year for my landscape remodeling project. He is very responsive for my requests, and provide a detailed plan before we kicked off the work. He is very accommodative to any changes during the process and willing to adjust the plan based on my need at any time. Overall I really enjoyed working with Theo. Highly recommended. read more

Pete and Theo both enlightened us with great ideas and executed those ideas in an efficient and flawless manner. The entire project completely exceeded our expectations from start to finish. Their eye for detail and quality was evident at all stages of the project. They were always available for any questions and we had periodic updates multiple times a day. Overall, we were very satisfied with the service we received with landscaping and building a deck in our backyard. We were also impressed with the quality of work and craftsmanship that they produced. They provided sound advise and reasonable solutions. We found their ideas and creativity to be very exciting and they have certainly helped us improve the layout and design of our home. We were impressed with their professionalism, trustworthiness, communication, and competence to deliver a beautiful addition to our home. The crew cleans up the area at the end of each day and they completed the project earlier than expected. They show up early and work through the day. We recommend contacting the Elements Landscape Design to anyone considering landscaping and improving your home. We absolutely love our new outdoor space. read more

Theo and his crew worked hard and diligently to produce a lovely backyard. New concrete, irrigation, lighting, gravel, pergola, raised vegetable bed, and plantings mean beautiful sightlines in every direction. With our birdfeeders and birdbath, we have a constant parade of birds and butterflies. Artichokes and vegetables too. My husband and I are very happy with their work and highly recommend Theo! read more

I just finished my backyard project with Theo and I am very happy with the outcome ! They demo'd a termite ridden deck and designed a dog friendly, low water and maintenance yard that came in for half the price of replacing the deck . Theo responded the day contacted and sent me pictures of designs as I described with a sight specific drawing of the implementation for my yard . One week later the work was begun and finished in 3 days ... Thank you Theo and crew ! read more

Elements is awesome. The owners Theo and Peter are skilled and, unlike most of this entire industry, are responsible, responsive, and honest. I hired Elements to do a fair amount of landscaping at my home. They ripped out the front lawn, graded, laid down decomposed granite, installed drip irrigation, and garden boxes that I actually supplied after I built them. I had a similar scope of work done in the backyard as well. I run a law firm with a significant focus on construction and design-build companies. I am also a forensic accountant. I know when I'm getting a fair price. There was no need for negotiation or haggling. The pricing was fair. The work went quickly. Pete or Theo was on site every day making sure their guys knew exactly what they were doing. They were available by phone and email as needed. A truly great experience. That was not what I was expecting from contractor. Perhaps I'm jaded from working in this space for so long. I really cannot say enough good things about these guys. And I got a tremendous chuckle about whining about signage -- especially some little sign that could have been moved and even thrown away if everything else were true. That reminds me of the people who complain at the Venice Neighborhood Council about picayune matters. Might as well be complaining about food trucks ruining Abbott Kinney's homeless chic atmosphere from when it was Washington Way. read more

Before adding my own review I saw that there were five reviews, two giving a 5 (maximum possible), two giving a 1 (minimum possible) and one reviewer posting a 2. The average value of these five reviews is a 2.8 rounded to a three, but this is quite misleading The ratings of five (maximum possible) are the accurate ones, and that is my rating. As Kirsten B. said: "Our experience with Pete and Theo was top notch from start to finish. They were extremely responsive, always on time, and there were never any surprises with the budget, even as I made numerous changes." Me too although I can't say we made numerous changes. However we did make several changes and in one or two cases we made some changes and then changed back, undoing earlier changes. Pete and Theo remained calm and competent despite these changes. We had bids from three other contractors and Pete's bid was in line with these other bids and in one case significantly lower in cost. We've used contractors in the past: swimming pool installation; house remodeling. A "standard problem" that we found was that these contractors were slow, not living up to their promised schedules. Elements Landscape Design was completely different: they did the work extremely rapidly, and it was finished much sooner than we expected. When my rating of 5 is added to the earlier five reviews the average rating will increase from 2.8 (which rounds to three) to 3.17 (which also rounds to three). But this average value of three is inaccurate and quite misleading. The rating for this company should be five. read more

***Update*** The attention I received in the following months has been outstanding. Theo and Peter have been by to check on things and help with general maintenance advice. Everything looks great and I couldn't be happier. Thanks Guys Disclaimer: I find Yelp to be a necessary evil for small businesses, as they depend on positive reviews to sustain a competive advantage. For this reason, I feel it is my responsibility to reward a company for job well done. The Rating: ***Upgraded from a 4.5 to a solid 5*** The Decision: When my wife and I decided to landscape our yard after remodeling the exterior of our house. I spent a good bit of time researching business on Yelp and weeding through the BS, both good and bad. One contractor was WAY to expensive, on never called us back after an initial consultation and the other never returned my first call. Both Theo and Pete were responsive, upfront about costs and very creative so we chose Elements. We asked for references and received them. Everyone we spoke with was very satisfied with the work, including my neighbor down the street. The Process: The design process was collaborative and open. I'm a very particular person and worked very closely with Theo to put together a plan my wife and I both loved. We locked down on a price within our original budget and began work. Both Pete and Theo were there everyday working with me as we went along, coming up with new ideas while staying on budget. If it weren't for my changes the work would have been done on time despite working through the holidays. Their crew were curteous and hard working. When I did have a concern about one person, they were spoken to and the problem was resolved. Final Assesment: Elements delivered the products and services as promised, on budget and on time. The end result is a beautiful garden that perfectly compliments our remodel home. I recommend Elements read more

We had a terrific experience with Elements. Not only did they renovate our front yard to make it drought tolerant, but asked them to do a major renovation of our backyard that included a BBQ island, terrace, and lighting. We have found them to be innovative and very responsive to our design requests and their follow up on fixing problems that inevitably arise during a project. Both Pete and Theo conducted themselves in a professional manner throughout the construction process and offered a product that reflected our vision and fell within our budget. We couldn't be happier. read more

The best...helped me in a bind and worked fast to get me through a deadline. Work is impeccable and Pete and Theo are real pros that delivery without issues. Would have no reservations in recommending to friends/family. read more

Well, zero stars was not an option... I live in a condo building in Brentwood. Last year we hired Elements for our long-awaited landscaping project. The results have been abysmal: - We went to the expense of hiring a landscape designer, who met with Elements in order that they carry out his -- and our -- vision. When Elements was done, he pronounced his concept virtually unrecognizable. - Not only did Elements cut costs by filling our front yard with mulch -- they found mulch that sprouts weeds! Our poor gardener has to pull those weeds on a regular basis. - Two palm trees were ordered for the pool area. They arrived -- and Elements just let them sit wrapped in paper on the deck for a prologned period. The trees looked horrible by the time Elements planted them; they told us the trees would perk up. They actually commenced looking worse; the drooping leaves on one all had to be pulled, and the other is about to suffer the same fate. Elements has not been responsive. After enduring a summer of a horrid-looking pool area, they are now leaving it to us to replace the trees at our own expense -- and our landscaping job isn't even a year old! I could go on. There is no reason on earth to hire Elements in this lifetime!!! read more

Theo has a creative eye and ability to design good work. However, we were forced by errors of the Elements crew to require rework several times and I had to do significant work on my own and with the help of other crews. If you use them I would get a penalty clause in a contract to ensure follow up on a timely basis as well as a job meeting your expectations. read more

Theo and his team were fantastic! They were very easy to work with and super accommodating. My husband and I aren't gardening or landscaping type of people so I was really hesitant and worried at first, especially because our yard was completely empty. Theo added a deck and designed our entire yard. The final result was so beautiful and completely exceeded our expectations. We had a couple hiccups along the way, which I believe is normal when working with contractors. The difference with Theo was how easy it was to get things fixed. I think what really set them apart is that they actually finished the work completely. All the last tiny fixes were made, even after we paid them in full. Highly recommend them! read more

Pete and Theo were amazing! I have a period 1957 home and didn't know what I wanted. They designed the landscape and some concrete work perfectly to fit my home! I'm so happy with their work and would recommend them! read more

I was initially skeptical about hiring Elements due to the poor reviews here. I decided to give them a try and am happy I did. I dealt primarily with Theo who had great drought tolerant concepts for my yard. He was very easy to work with and was responsive to my change requests. Their pricing was in line with other proposals I obtained and his crew worked fast and were very clean. I am very happy with the work performed by Elements. So much so, that after they completed the landscaping and irrigation installation, I had them design and install a fence around my front yard. read more

Several years ago, my review for Pete and Theo would have sounded like the ones here talking about the excellent service they received. I was satisfied with my relationship with them for quite some time. Then I left the country for 2 years and when I returned, there were problems that Pete blamed on a dog that spent less than a month on the property. But they convinced me and I spent several thousand dollars having the backyard revamped. At that time, I questioned the fact that they had installed bamboo without putting a cement barrier and they repeated what they initially told me when they started the project, "Don't worry. Our guys will take care of it." I used Pete's guys for all those years for my weekly upkeep. Basically, "taking care of it" meant that during the growth season, every week they would cut to the ground all the pesky shoots that popped up. In the week before they returned again, those shoots sometimes grow over 12 inches. In just one week. When the same area that I paid so much to revamp reverted to its barren self -- without a dog in sight to blame it on -- Pete sold our business to another landscaper. A likable young man who apparently knows nothing about bamboo either. Compounding the issue is the fact that the area was planted with grass and watered by a drip system. The roots are so well entrenched now that no grass will ever grow there again and the roots have broken down the watering system. I have a barren wasteland in my backyard that produces quite a dust storm on windy days that covers the rooms on that side of the house in a fine layer of dirt. We're retired now and don't have the thousands and thousands of dollars it would take to correct this situation. When they left us high and dry, I sent an email asking Pete if he had any intention of correcting what he created. No response. Be careful, folks. Theo has good design ideas, but when he's done, he moves on. Pete talks a good story, but doesn't perform. One final note, one of his guys decided to trim several flax plants. They don't grow back. Pete didn't do anything about that either. Barren wasteland and flax stumps. Not very inviting. read more

Our lackluster yard needed serious help so we gathered quotes from several companies, and finally found the clear choice - Elements Landscaping. Pete and Theo are a great team and truly complement each other. Pete's Project Management skills and Theo's creative and imaginative design combine to deliver amazing results. When were shown the plan concept we were blown away! Once the plants and pavers were installed we were thrilled. Other landscapers suggested plans that were way out of our budget. Pete and Theo worked with us to create the best possible landscape for the money we had to spend. We are very proud to show off our landscaping to friends and family and look forward to entertaining guests in a spectacular backyard! Thanks Elements! You did a magnificent job! read more

We love Peter and Theo. They are very professional in every aspect of their work. They provided a design (for which other firms charge $1,000) as part of their work and gave us a detailed budget for the project. Theo is very creative and had some wonderful ideas! Our backyard is an oasis now. They also provided plants and flowers for our front yard, which was not included in the contract. We are so happy with them that we have hired them to do our maintenance as well. I love that they are environmentally conscious and put an efficient water irrigation system in place and used recycled materials that look great. Looking at the other reviews I'm wondering why people didn't take the sign off themselves if it bothered them that much? We highly recommend this company and would use them again. read more