I live in the Lynnwood area, and have tried at least 3 other landscape companies. I have dogs in a fenced backyard, and I work from home, so I let them out randomly. I don't often remember what days/times the lawn guys come (I'm busy working when the dogs want out), so one of my main requirements is that they knock on my door to let me know they're here. I have not been able to get any other company to do this consistently. Josh's guys (he uses 2 crews, one for regular maintenance, one for weeding, etc) ALWAYS do this - without fail, without complaint. They did accidentally leave the gate open once, but, to be fair, it can be a tricky gate. And when I called Josh about it, he was very apologetic, and they have made CERTAIN to ensure that it is properly closed every time since then.
My other main issue is weeds - I HATE weeds with a passion. I mean, really, that's one of the main reasons to hire a maintenance company - no one likes weeding, right? The other companies that I used ALWAYS missed weeds in my flower beds (I have several large flower beds, all over my front and back yards). It annoyed me to no end to come out to my yard, literally right after the crews came through, and feel like I needed to weed the flower beds still.
However, I haven't had that problem with Josh's crew. As I mentioned, Josh uses 2 crews - 1 for regular maintenance (mowing, edgeing, general clean-up, etc), and 1 for detailed maintenance (weeding flower beds, trimming trees, etc). When I first hired him, the regular crew came out first, and the lawn looked ok, but I was disappointed that the flower beds still looked bad. But, I remembered that Josh told me he used 2 crews, and decided to wait until the 2nd crew came out. The regular maintenance crew comes to my place twice a month, the detailed guys come only once (I'm sure they'd come more often if i wanted it, though). So, after waiting for the detail guys for another week (that's when I fit into their schedule)...WOW!!!! The lead guy knocked on my door, introduced himself, discussed with me exactly what I wanted done, and got to work. I emphasized (the same as I have done with ALL the companies I have used) that my main sticking point is weeds - I don't want to see any left when they have finished. Again, that's what I'm paying for. When they finished, the lead man knocked on the door again, and explained that he thought they were done, but wanted me to inspect to make sure I was happy. I looked at each flower bed, and I couldn't believe it - EVERY obvious weed was gone. There was 1 bed that still had a few 'weeds' in it - and to be fair, they were probably actually plants that most people would have wanted left in, but I didn't like them, so I call them weeds. I pointed those out, and they took them right out. There was not 1 single additional weed anywhere. And the service has remained consistently good - I've been using Josh for about a year now (give or take, I can't remember specifically).
Since starting the lawn maintenance, I've also used his company for a major lawn project - I had his crew terrace a hilly flowerbed, to provide for a more even planting surface for my new vegetable garden. Josh was AWESOME in getting this in. He worked with me through several changes of my mind, was always pleasant about it, and when I finally made my final changes, and wanted it DONE NOW...(don't we all), he got it done within a few days. His crew came out and worked in the rain, and got it done in 1 day - and it looks AMAZING!!!! I'm so tickled with the way it looks now - it could not look better. After the crew finished the initial install, I realized I wanted 1 more change (completely my fault, not theirs at all). And Josh got his crew out the next day, and got it done within about 1 hour, I think (I didn't time them or anything).
So...long story short...after many attempts to locate a good company...I have found one I'm sticking with. I love Green Slate. I have recommended Josh to all of my friends in the area, and will continue to do so. I will continue to use him for my maintenance and project needs. There is not a single thing bad to say about this company. Josh is great, he bends over backward to make you happy as a customer.
If you doubt my review, feel free to contact Josh directly to get my contact info. I've told him I'm happy to give an in-person review, and I'll even let other potential customers come to my house to see his great work - that's how much I believe in this company. No, I'm not related in any way to Green Slate. And I'm not getting paid a kick back or anything. I just know what it's like to struggle to find a great company that does what you want them to, and at a reasonable price (I consider my lawn/garden to be medium-large sized, and it's around $200/month, which I consider very reasonable for all the work they do, including maintenance, moss control, etc.). read more
