BLUF: Cheap material, wasn't leveled, boarders don't line up, and the yard won't live up to what is promised. Would not recommend. Biggest complaint being the unleveled pavers.
I went with Jay's landscaping because he looked like a newer, small company. I chose him to give him the chance for more business and a chance to prove himself. He was quick to respond and flexible with his help. It was nice to communicate directly with him to provide inputs and felt like I was being heard and in good hands at first. I have had multiple issues, had to call him back twice to fix things and the issues are not still fixed, but I do not want to work with him to get them fixed at this point. I would prefer to save up money and have someone else come fix the problems.
First issue: He quoted me at $3,500 after providing my wants. This included a turf area, pavers and surrounded by rocks to keep the cost low. He said he can work within my budget. He sent me some materials, and I couldn't find the pavers that I wanted. He then sent me one that I liked, but he said that would change my cost from $3,500 to $5,000 due to the increased quality. When the pavers were delivered, I saw they were from Lowes, and I looked them up. He ordered 600 of them at $.50 a paver for a total of $300. Therefore, I do not know why these pavers added $1,500 to the quote. To further the issue, I saw that he didn't line up the pavers on the edge, so they extended out unevenly. I asked him to cut them to size and he stated, "these are cheaper thin pavers, they won't cut evenly and have a high chance of breaking." So, I was confused on how they were cheap but also increased the cost as previously stated.
Second issue: He did not do any leveling with the turf or pavers. The turf has uneven rolls, and the pavers are extremely unlevel. When I mentioned the turf, he stated that "we did that on purpose to give it a realistic grass look." I wish I had known that ahead of time. When I mentioned the pavers, he came back out and only fixed one section and mentioned that they will become uneven as time goes on since they used sand to set them. I asked is there a way to fix it, he said he would have to lift all of them up and redo everything from the start and set them with concrete, but that would cost more money. Notably saying "this is what happens when you try to do things with a small budget." If I had known he wouldn't produce level and even pavers, I wouldn't have chosen him for the job. Especially since I originally requested level pavers with a slight slant to allow water to run off and not pool. Furthermore, when he originally laid the turf, it wasn't lining up with the paver border. He stated that the turf was cut unevenly and that is why it is that way. I asked him to trim it and make it even. He did but also stated "this may cost you more money depending on how hard it is." Which seems crazy to me since it should have been done right to begin with.
Third issue: I requested a firepit made out of the pavers. He said he could do it for $200 more. When it came time for the firepit to be built, I asked if the pavers were fire resistant and could withstand a fire. That wasn't even something he had thought of prior to agreeing to do it. Turns out, they are not fireproof, and I had to buy a firepit from Home Depot.
Fourth issue: I asked about weed protection. He stated that weeds wouldn't grow due to no sunlight. However, he said he could spray ahead of time, and I said I would appreciate that. He didn't spray beforehand or do any weed protection. Now I have weeds growing underneath the pavers and turf.
Fifth issue: mentioning that he would fix things but it may cost more money. When they are obvious things that should of been done right to begin with. read more