I'm late with my review. First Impressions put in a new front walkway and front porch and steps for us last summer. Dustin was our main point of contact and was extremely responsive and helpful. We had very specific stone we wanted used and a design pattern in mind and provided First Impressions with an exact example of what we wanted to replicate from a specific house just a block away from our home. Dustin's estimate for the work was in the middle range of 3 estimates we received and was exactly what we ended up paying for the job.
There were several communication glitches along the way between our original discussion and agreement with Dustin and the apparent understanding of the crew that showed up to do the work. The initial delivery of materials contained a different stone than the one we wanted. The issue was quickly remedied by the crew foreman who returned relatively quickly the same day with a truckload of the correct stone.
Then, once the crew began to lay the walkway, they put down a pattern different from the one we had specifically designated to Dustin. Luckily, we were watching their work at regular intervals and caught the mistake before any stones had begun to set. Communicating with the crew was difficult since their English was very limited. After a period of time, we did manage to contact a foreman who came to the job and we explained to him what we wanted and had requested in our original agreement. He seemed to know nothing of our original plan, but once he understood what we wanted, he communicated that to the crew and they dutifully started over to cut and lay stone to meet our request.
So there were definite glitches in communication between Dustin and the crew. The glitches concerned issues that were central to the job and therefore were quite disconcerting. If we hadn't been home due to the pandemic and able to keep a close eye on things, the resulting problems could have been quite serious.
That said, once the issues were brought to the attention of Dustin, the foreman, and the crew, they remedied the problems immediately and without question or hesitation. Most importantly, the work they did was superb. We have a lovely walkway, front porch, and new steps that we're extremely happy with. We've gotten numerous compliments about it and inquiries on what company did the work. We gladly refer them to First Impressions. A really first-class job of hardscaping. The crew was incredibly hard working, diligent and completed the job on time. Very good clean up as well.
One other issue that arose and that I didn't notice as the job was being done. I had just assumed that in ripping up my old concrete walkway and installing the new one, the crew would ensure the new walkway would be level with my front lawn -- as the old one was. Instead, the new walkway is a few inches raised above the lawn, therefore necessitating a relatively extensive landscaping job that I still need to contract for. I can't now recall if Dustin ever raised this issue with me at the time of the estimate as a potential problem to consider. If he did, he definitely didn't emphasize it as something that I might need to remedy separately for another thousand dollars or more for the cost of raising and regrading my entire front lawn. By the time I did notice it, the walkway was done and it was too late. I didn't subsequently register this particular concern with First Impressions, but I'm doing so here.
On issues of responsiveness, quality of work, value proposition, quickly correcting errors, customer service, etc., First Impressions did a 5-star job for us. The only reason I'm downgrading to 4 stars is my concern about the breakdowns in communication we experienced on a couple of critical issues between the front office and crew that I've described above. But they were quickly remedied, without delay or argument. As for the issue of the walkway being a few inches higher than expected, perhaps I should have been a bit more aware about seeking information on it while the estimate was being done. But perhaps First Impressions can also ensure that it's an issue they systematically point out and highlight to their prospective clients at the time jobs similar to mine are being discussed. It could be a way to avoid unnecessary disappointments with a job that in just about every other respect was wonderfully done. read more
