I was in the process of building a new home, so no water, power, and only a construction driveway. I contacted several masonry contractors to obtain bids to add Pennsylvania Bluestone pavers to an existing concrete patio. I was working between construction milestones to ensure overall home build stayed on track and needed the project completed within a one month period to ensure additional projects (railing, trim, paint) were not delayed. I contacted Mottern Masonry and explained all of the above. They sent out an estimator, Guy, to estimate and provide a proposal. Guy reviewed the project and conditions at the construction site and submitted a bid based on those conditions. Guy's proposal was right in the middle of other contractors bids. Based on pricing and the high reviews on yelp, I decided to sign a contract with Mottern Masonry and provided a 50% deposit. Fast forward to scheduled install, Jeff (owner) at Mottern Masonry decided not to move forward with the project even though we had a signed contract and they accepted and deposited my down payment. Initially they blamed sight conditions (no water) as the issue but after offering to source water containers for their use and work through other issues, Jeff explained that his estimator underbid the project and sent me a revised bid that added 20% to the project and would not move forward unless I accepted the new terms. Needless to say, I was shocked since Mottern has stellar reviews on Yelp. Ultimately I decided not to sign the new proposal. Jeff did refund my deposit but it took over two months of emails and calls before I received a check. Overall, a bad experience that caused delays on other projects with dependencies on completion of the porch. Ultimately it delay the final completion of the house and issuance of residency permit by the county as I needed railing installed before county would issue the permit. ---the below is in response to Jeff's reply to my original review above--- As per the contract, the schedule was flexible and provided two-week period, at a time of Mottern Masonry's choosing, but they were supposed to call me 24-hours prior (as per the contract) to start of work. That did not happen, and they chose to start work on the fifth day of consistent rain showers. Had I been contacted via phone, as they were supposed to, I would have waived them off and let them know the condition of the driveway... which happens to construction driveways after constant rain. After the fact, I was notified they had attempted to start the work and got stuck, and I relayed the fact that I had order two loads of stone the prior day and expected the delivery the next day. Concerning water and electricity, it was construction site, there were no assurance provided that these utilities would be available on-site nor did the contract stipulate this requirement. Upon notification that there was a need, I called my project manager to schedule access to a generator and water container, but Jeff pushed the new proposal asking for additional funds stating there was more work than they originally anticipated. With regards to the delay in returning funds, I provided a mailing address for my place of work via email as soon as it was apparent that Jeff would not honor the original contract. It took several calls and emails over a two-month period to finally receive a refund. His claims that he called me 20+ times and the fact that I ever received the original "postmarked" check are completely false. Happy to forward emails from him to attest to his utter lie. read more

I am the owner of a duplex townhouse and we agreed with my next-door neighbor to completely replace both our ugly concrete and plain driveways and walkways as well as to re-point our old front porch brick staircases at the same time. We are both renting our places so none of us live on site. It is important to note that the entire process had to be conducted by email and over the phone with occasional exchanges of photos. Despite this handicap things could not have gone smoother and been more pleasant. Mottern came in the Spring to do their assessment very shortly after my initial phone call. They sent us a very detailed estimate by email the same day and we discussed some details over the phone. They made some very good suggestions and convinced us to modify some of our initial ideas for better more suited options. The price was very reasonable for a job of that scale but we felt a little bit "short in cash" at that time. Mottern told us that if we could wait until the Winter/off season in December they would be able to shed some money off the quote. We agreed and re-contacted them at the end of November. We signed the contract and set the construction date for mid-December. When we contacted our tenants to alert them of what was coming, we found out that one of them was pregnant and due at the end of the month. She was extremely anxious and very hostile to the idea of having such a major construction in front her house so close to her due date. We explained the situation to Mottern and they handled the situation flawlessly with a lot of tact. They personally called her, explained the entire process and reassured her. In parallel, they negotiated with another client of them to switch dates so they could start the 1st week of December on our project. They estimated that it would take about 6-7 days (weather permitting of course) and after the first day of demolition it started to pour rain for 2 straight days. Nevertheless, they kept their promise and the job was done in exactly one week. The result is beautiful (we came by the house at the end of December to check their work personally) and all of our neighbors in the street gave us compliments. During the entire construction time, and without me asking, the manager would send me photos every day to show me their progress. At the end, they had to repair more spots on our brick stairs than what they had quoted us and they did not charge us a penny more (it was worth about an extra $1,100). They also put down rolls of sod in places where the grass had been damaged in the front lawn. I have used a lot of contractors in my life, but I think I can safely say that I had never encountered a company that is as professional and reliable as Mottern Masonry Design. They get the Contractor Golden Globe from me! read more

In two words: highly satisfied Here's what we needed done: a) Fix all cracks in mortar of patio wall b) Fix stone steps that had sagged like 3 inches away from the house c) Repair entire walking surface, which had begun to sag in spots and whose mortar was half gone. The total job involved pulling up all the pavers, destroying the entire existing foundation, pouring a new foundation (including a 16" pit of concrete below the foot of the steps: "those steps will never move again" we were told), laying the pavers back down (including new ones to replace the 50% of ones that got broken when pulling them up), deconstructing the steps, reconstructing the steps, recapping the patio walls and repairing all mortar cracks in the patio walls. They ended with an "acid wash" which brought out the color in the stone as if it were brand new. We interviewed 4 different companies before hiring Mottern. While their prices were highest, the margin was small (about 5% above others), but well worth it. Highlights: - Jeff Mottern spent 2 hours with me during the estimation process, discussing what we needed done, offering solutions, and generally making me comfortable that this company knew their stuff - They wrote up a detailed contract with exact prices and services to be performed - They estimated one start date, but then when I signed the contract they tried to move it to two weeks later. When I explained that this would overlap with my time out of town they worked with me to find another start date that was within a few days of the original estimate. - The workers were phenomenal. Working in 95 degree weather from about 7 am until late afternoon. A crew of 3 was always on site. Half the job was deconstruction, the other half re-construction. When it came to re-construction, they brought in a new crew member who must've been a master mason, because his stonework was impeccable! - Because one issue was steps sagging from the house (letting rain get in and rot wood), they arranged for a carpenter to come in, mid-job, and repair the rotten wood between stair-deconstruct and stair-reconstruct. - They had to work around existing lighting and electrical cables that ran under and through the existing patio, and did so without any issues. For the sake of being genuine, if I had to find one flaw it was that, as I had concerns or questions throughout the job, it sometimes took 1-2 days before I got an answer back from Guy (their "answer guy"). Thankfully this didn't lead to any issues, but it would've made me less nervous to have immediate responses. In the end, we are thrilled with the work they did, and would recommend them for any masonry work. read more

I recommend Mottern Masonry Designs to anyone needing high quality masonry work on their home. My recommendation is based on the excellent work they recently did restoring and upgrading the brick and stone work at my home. I hired Mottern Masonry to replace and enhance the brick and stonework at the front of our home. This included a long, serpentine brick walkway, a front stoop and steps covered with flagstone, a brick patio at the front of the house and a low walled-in garden between the patio and front stoop. The goal was not only to repair and replace the original brick and stonework, which had cracked and settled in several places, but also to enhance the appearance and look of the house. Mottern's crew removed all of the old brick and stonework, the garden walls and the front steps. They removed the old concrete base and poured a new 4-inch reinforced concrete base for the serpentine walkway, patio and garden walls and poured new front steps, tying the new steps into the stoop with rebar. They recovered the stoop and steps with an attractive, thick Pennsylvania bluestone and built a matching threshold at the front door. The low garden wall was rebuilt and topped with thick Pennsylvania bluestone to match the steps and front stoop. The serpentine walkway and patio were done in traditional red brick pavers, which complemented the brick house. In addition, all vertical areas (i.e. the garden wall, step risers, and front and sides of the stoop) were faced with an attractive chocolate grey stone veneer. This extensive project was completed on schedule (it required three men for three weeks) and on budget. I was very impressed with the high quality of the material and craftsmanship. The thick flagstone that Mottern used was a vast improvement on the thinner flagstone used originally on the stoop and steps. All elements - walkway, patio, stoop - fit together well and the fine quality of materials and workmanship has enhanced the appearance and look of the house. My wife and I could not be happier with the results. I interviewed five contractors and received three bids on this project. Mottern's proposal was competitive in cost, but superior in terms of quality of materials and scope of work. I feel it was the most cost-effective proposal I received. read more

I was in the process of building a new home, so no water, power, and only a construction driveway. I contacted several masonry contractors to obtain bids to add Pennsylvania Bluestone pavers to an existing concrete patio. I was working between construction milestones to ensure overall home build stayed on track and needed the project completed within a one month period to ensure additional projects (railing, trim, paint) were not delayed. I contacted Mottern Masonry and explained all of the above. They sent out an estimator, Guy, to estimate and provide a proposal. Guy reviewed the project and conditions at the construction site and submitted a bid based on those conditions. Guy's proposal was right in the middle of other contractors bids. Based on pricing and the high reviews on yelp, I decided to sign a contract with Mottern Masonry and provided a 50% deposit. Fast forward to scheduled install, Jeff (owner) at Mottern Masonry decided not to move forward with the project even though we had a signed contract and they accepted and deposited my down payment. Initially they blamed sight conditions (no water) as the issue but after offering to source water containers for their use and work through other issues, Jeff explained that his estimator underbid the project and sent me a revised bid that added 20% to the project and would not move forward unless I accepted the new terms. Needless to say, I was shocked since Mottern has stellar reviews on Yelp. Ultimately I decided not to sign the new proposal. Jeff did refund my deposit but it took over two months of emails and calls before I received a check. Overall, a bad experience that caused delays on other projects with dependencies on completion of the porch. Ultimately it delay the final completion of the house and issuance of residency permit by the county as I needed railing installed before county would issue the permit. read more

Project: Add a Stone Patio as an extension to an existing Trex Deck I highly recommend this company. Jeff Mottern and his team did a fantastic job on my project. I live in Eastern Loudoun/Broadlands and did my research to find a contractor with solid masonry experience. Angie's List was one of the resources I used for my research. Jeff's company gets very good reviews on Angie's List...but the key for me was picking a company that made me feel confident about my choice. The estimate process was straight forward...Jeff walked the site with me, I shared my vision...Jeff made recommendations, and provided a detailed overview of the work to be completed. The quote for the job was completed at the same time and was reviewed with me before leaving. I was confident that Jeff's team would be able to complete my project. After hiring Mottern Masonry and scheduling the project, a dedicated team was assigned to support my project with a Foreman. The same team supported my project from start to finish. Working with stone is an artisan trade and it shows in the work they do and the product they use. Each stone was hand placed and cut to fit at our job site. The job included pouring a concrete slab and installation of retaining walls as well as extending a downspout drain. The overall project size is close to 500 Sq Ft. I really wanted the materials to complement the existing deck...and I am very happy with the recommended choices that Jeff made. Even though I was not under a deadline for the project...Jeff's team estimated 2 weeks and stuck by that schedule. Very competent and very professional. Overall....the end to end process with Jeff's company was straightforward. The payments made for the project matched the quotes and there were no surprises. Once again, I highly recommend Mottern Masonry and would hire Jeff's company again. read more

Jeff Mottern and his team are consummate professionals. Last summer, he and his crew transformed the aging concrete front steps and walkway of our house with bricks that held up beautifully over the winter, despite being covered with thick ice several times. Last week, they extended our existing backyard brick patio and also replaced crumbling steps leading to the back gate with brick. In addition, they replaced worn and broken railroad ties with stone. My wife and I decided that we wanted to have a raised stone wall around the area where we plant our garden to add visual interest and function - the wall could serve as a place to sit and to easily reach garden tools and grilling utensils. The wall is stunning. We assumed that it would be built from pre-cut, uniform pieces of stone. Instead, Jeff's craftsmen cut and shaped the stone pieces that make up the wall from large slabs of stone! This was true masonry. It was fascinating watching them work with hammer and chisel, create the wall from unique pieces of stone, and artfully apply mortar. Jeff and/or his team always showed up on time, worked long hours and were invariably courteous and professional. I had a few issues during the installation of the brick that replaced the steps. Jeff had these problems addressed and corrected very quickly and the result is a gorgeous backyard that my wife and I plan to show to friends and relatives with great pride. We can't wait to start planting to really show off Jeff's work. I have my own business and deal with vendors all the time. I have also hired my share of contractors for home improvement and maintenance. Jeff and his team stand above just about all of them in terms of professionalism, skills, meeting deadlines, and honesty and integrity.. read more

We contacted Jeff of Mottern Masonry in early January to begin the discussion of building a 550 sq ft. stone patio off the back of our home with steps coming out from the house and one step down in to the yard. We wanted 4 wall sections and 2 pillars. We were looking to have chocolate grey stone walls and Pennsylvania irregular shaped flagstone for the floor. Of the 3 places we contacted, Mottern was the fastest to reply (within an hour via email). Jeff and Guy came out to our house within the same week that we initially emailed and discussed in detail the patio we wanted. Before they left, they provided us with a quote. Jeff's quote was the most reasonable of the 3 places we contacted and we felt confident in Mottern based on the other reviews that we read on Angie's list and other places. Jeff gave us an estimated start date of the 2nd week of Februrary and the crew, led by George, started that Tuesday. At the end of the first day, the thick slab of concrete had been poured. The crew showed up on time each day and worked diligently. I was always in contact with Jeff if I had questions or needed updates. Jeff was always extremely responsive. The crew kept the area clean and were very professional. We had some delays due to weather which was out of everyones control, but all was finished at the end of the March. We are very please with our new patio and we can't wait to enjoy a full spring, summer and fall on the patio. I would highly recommend Mottern Masonry for a patio or any stone work. They deserve their high reputation. read more