I met David by chance in late 2016 and hired him to help us map out a complete remodel of our…read morehistoric home that needed a complete overhaul. David was really patient with us as we didn't have the biggest budget and helped us with not only a well laid out floor plan for our changing needs (it was very funky before) but also helped with our project management which I found incredibly helpful. Most important, we didn't have to hire a separate designer. He suggested very thoughtful period centric elements to build in and materials, tiles, and color schemes to ensure our home had the right feel. He introduced me to some really beautiful and unique materials I'd have never found. In the end we finished everything (including the landscaping) in 2019 before the pandemic to enjoy full time home living. My last comment is that David also works fairly quickly. Our street is older had many architects remodeling our neighbors and it seemed we had the fastest process with getting our plans completed. Highly recommend David.

Attempting any new project whether a home remodel or commercial build-out is overwhelming for…read moreanyone but hiring the right architect with experience and approach can make all the difference. That's why I hired David Watkins Design, to help guide me through the process. David has a proven track record that you can see in his well organized attention to detail, while making sure he communicates through every step of the way. His good relations and many years of working with The City of Santa Barbara has made what could be a frustrating and overwhelming task for the average person, a breeze. David always makes himself available to discuss and update me on my project. I would recommend David Watkins Design to anyone who wants to get the job done right, while having a personalized experience throughout the process.

When I started searching for a landscape designer I knew it was a long shot that I'd find someone…read morewith experience in designing for my unique situation. I was hoping to find someone creative, open-minded, and kind. You see, I have a mini horse living in my backyard, and I was getting tired of us sharing a boring dirt pit. So I decided we needed a change. Enter Billy Goodnick. What I didn't expect was how much he would go above and beyond in designing my yard. He reached out to equine veterinarians, other horse owners, and more, to find plants that are both non-toxic and unappealing to a horse's taste buds. He even thought to ask questions like how different types of gravel might affect her hooves. I thought I'd get a beautiful landscape by the end, that's what designers do, right? But what I didn't see coming was Billy Goodnick getting elbow-deep in research about horses to make my project perfect. Every moment of working with him was a delight, and after the implementation is finished in my backyard, I'm planning to hire him to design my front yard too. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a landscape designer, even if they have unusual pets.

Working with Billy was nothing short of a fantastic experience. We came in contact with Billy after…read moreseeing his beautiful work for the Santa Barbara Greek Orthodox Church. We brought him on to lead the design for a garden renovation project for the SMPCW preschool. He was an awesome person to work with and had a great process/system that educated us on plant selections and tending to the plants, but was not at all overwhelming. He made the process a breeze and provided a design that was extremely satisfactory to the handful of families involved in the project. Not to mention, he executed this amongst the winter holiday season and while recovering from a surgery on his hand. He even gave insight to the execution side and provided us a list of contractors and nursery's for the job. SMPCW is very appreciative. There was no one better for the job and I look forward to working with Billy again!

I wanted to replace some lawn with pet friendly artificial turf and they were able to provide a…read morequote and perform the job within several weeks on a quick timeline. It turned out great and looks great and very natural.

We utilized EcoLawn SB's services to install artificial grass in our backyard in addition to…read moreredoing the flower beds (adding gravel and lining areas with cobblestone) and we couldn't be more happy with the result. We spoke with a few companies and ultimately went with Nick and team as he had a clear vision from the start and we felt confident that we were in the best hands. He was very accessible and communicative throughout the process. The work was done in one day and Nick followed up immediately to make sure we were happy with the work. We highly recommend Ecolawn SB for any landscaping projects you have!

The concrete deck of our entryway was cracking, and I hired System Pavers to replace it. Randy…read moreresponded right away, showed us the options we had for pavers, and brought samples of what we selected based on photos. At first I thought the bid seemed high, but once they got started and I saw what was involved -- jackhammering and removing the concrete, delivery of two flats of heavy pavers, delivery of sand for the substrate, cutting of rebar, and all the heavy lifting, I figured it was well worth the price. Jimmy led the installation team, and he and his workers were friendly and courteous. All the pavers were installed in a single day, and the joints were filled with polymeric sand the next morning. We are delighted with the result.

We hired System Pavers to replace our concrete back patio…read more First, Dave came out to take measurements, explain the process, and to look at paver designs. He was very easy going and friendly. We went back and forth on choosing our pavers and Dave was patient and brought us out 3 sample designs that we chose. After that, it only took 5 days! Harley and his team of hard-working men came and made the job look effortless. They were respectful and friendly and did amazing work! We would recommend them for any job!

Kitson Landscape has been an exceptional landscape company for the 20 years that I've known them…read more They service our HOA and many other places in town. For many of those years, I had been the liaison between my HOA and the Kitson crew. The crews I've seen over the years are always respectful and hard working. When we asked questions about what type of trees we could plant that have certain characteristics (e.g. some flowering, not heavily deciduous, not a lot of fruit droppings, not too tall to block views, etc.), the owners of the company provided a great list of suggested tree candidates for us to review. If I recall correctly, the management at Kitson has advanced degrees in horticulture, so they have a wealth of information about so many plants and trees. Coming up with a list of trees fitting the characteristics we wanted is simply not something I could have done and there is no book containing a list of trees. It's only someone who has a vast knowledge after seeing a variety of trees in their growth habitats who could formulate such a list with those specific characteristics. I once wanted to donate some of my own money to re-landscape around our HOA pool and I chose a palate of drought-tolerant plants (from the Goleta Water District's drought tolerant plant display). Sarah (at Kitson) offered to draw up a sample landscape design to lay out those plant types in various locations. She was very helpful and, in retrospect, I realized that many "landscape architects" are now charging big $$$ for simple landscape designs. She didn't even charge us for her landscape design, which wasn't a trivial thing to do. The Kitson foreman, who comes out weekly with his crew is such an amazing person. He's like family to us. So diligent and always cheerful and can solve vexing irrigation problems or breakages. He's also so very patient if fussy neighbors make demands. I'm well-connected in town, so some of my clients also use Kitson and I have heard no negative comments from these clients about Kitson. So I'm quite surprised to see a few bad reviews here. Could it be competitors trolling? This just doesn't make sense! And the one nasty review about Kitson using Round-up is quite odd. I believe Kitson doesn't use Round-up currently. They use something else that is super benign. And even when they used to use Round-up, we have fruit trees in some areas and Kitson's foreman was very accommodating: "No spray near the fruit trees." Ironically, as it turns out, all the anti-Roundup hype in the news lately may actually be way overblown. Google for the following article on-line: "EPA-science-could-torpedo-roundup-lawsuits." And perhaps the guy who posted about Kitson's blowers at his office building needs a lesson in the "corporate pecking order." Your office landscape company (in this case Kitson) probably has a contract with your management company and/or the owners of the office building. They decide what type of parking lot method is employed (blowers or labor-intensive sweeping). Blowers are the most cost effective way to "sweep" an office parking lot. If there are enough complaints about blowers to the office management company, then the owner/manager has an option to forbid the use of blowers and pay for more expensive broom cleaning of the parking lot. Surely they don't want to pay for costly broom sweeping of your parking lot, so the lowly employee/tenant in an office building like yours needs to contact your office management company with their concerns. The landscape company workers will do what the office building owner wants them to do per their contract. So, of course, the workers at the landscape company will ignore your requests because you're not on the contract. This problem would exist with any other landscape company where someone who is not their boss is telling them not to do what's in their contract.

Professional, consistent and reliable. Management is very responsive when I have any concerns or…read moreadditional needs for service. The Irrigation specialist is the best!

Pacific Outdoor completely redid our backyard, front yard landscaping, put pavers on the driveway,…read morebuilt us a pool, and we couldn't be happier!! They transformed the outside of our home, and it now looks and feels like a magazine spread! Just today, I received compliments from two separate strangers on the front yard. We constantly get compliments on the appearance of our home. Samantha was the landscape architect who created the design, and it was amazing to see her lay out the vision. She saved us space in ways I definitely couldn't have conceived of on my own. She said the remodel would be like doubling our living space, and she was right! Scott oversaw the construction from start to finish. He was very attentive and obviously cared about and was fully invested in the success of the project. He had an expertise with plants and gave great guidance to give me the colors I wanted in plants that would work for our space and the SoCal heat. I am constantly smiling at the plants Scott suggested. They are thriving, and I wouldn't change a thing. The crew was respectful, clean and did a beautiful job. It was a long project, but Pacific Outdoor kept their initial timeline. Our main reason for going with Pacific Outdoor was that they were a one-stop shop. They could do everything. They truly delivered, and it is better than we ever imagined! It was so easy to look at their choices and select what we wanted. They had a wide variety of design choices. We replaced most of the grass in the back with their pavers and used the same pavers for our driveway. They look fantastic. We have a neighbor that had Pacific Outdoor build them a firepit that they love. We received great guidance and attention from the full team all along the way. They didn't quit until the project was finished to our satisfaction. As I float in our beautiful pool and eat tangerines off of my new tree, I feel like a queen and couldn't be happier after choosing Pacific Outdoor! Our family highly recommends them!

These guys did a wonderful job on both my driveway and a patio in my backyard after I decided to…read morefill in my pool. (They had also done an excellent job on the pool deck five years earlier, before I knew I was going to fill in the pool.) I have been very pleased with the results, which have really elevated my enjoyment of my home's outdoor areas. I would also caution anyone considering going with System Pavers to steer clear of those crooks. I wasted thousands of dollars having them do a terrible job on my pool deck, and had to have Pacific rip out their work and fix it. It was an expensive mistake that I hope to save others from repeating. If I had gone with Pacific in the first place, I would have saved lots of money and hassle. Some pictures of the driveway, patio, and now-defunct pool deck are included here.

Everrett Branden repaired many issues with our irrigation systems. He is dependable and a very…read morehard worker. I recommend him without reservation.

From the owner: Branden Irrigation Repair & Design is located in beautiful Santa Barbara, Ca. We are a full…read moreservice design, install, and maintenance company. Branden Irrigation Repair & Design is locally owned and operated. We specialize in landscaping, irrigation, drainage, installation and maintenance, for all your irrigation repair and design needs.

Lane is as good as it gets in my book. He has an amazing, creative vision which he's able to…read morecommunicate effectively through renderings and images that really inspire. I've worked closely with Lane on two large private projects and give him full credit for transformation you'd have to see to believe. He's the best.

From the owner: By bridging art and engineering we synthesize utility and ecology with bold design…read more Lane Goodkind and his associates excel in an unusually broad range of disciplines. They are relentlessly compelled to be experts not only within the norms of landscape architecture but within sustainable development, 3D modeling, web-based graphics, environmental media, and stormwater quality design. Their deep knowledge of native ecosystems of the West and experience with projects in diverse natural environments allows them to communicate effectively with local agencies and consultants in order to sustain vital design strategies. Lane's aptitude for hand-drawn graphics combined with his progressive use of new digital media and web-based graphical interfaces enable he and his associates to compellingly elucidate uncommon and effective design concepts.