We hired Patio Dudes (Haim) to completely renovate our backyard. Unfortunately, I don't have "before" pictures, but I believe the "after" pictures speak loudly enough. The punch line here is that we are already planning to work with Haim again to repair our front porch. I think that's the clearest recommendation one can give - when you say, "I'm going to hire this person again," you know the experience went well.
I could have written pages, but Yelp limits the word count.
We met with five different contractors. Haim stood out immediately because he took time to listen to our concerns and ideas and answer all our questions. He did an excellent job of walking us through his vision for how we could transform this space within our budget and his suggestions aligned with out wants and lifestyle. In contrast, other contractors either offered ideas that were not in line with our goals or were way beyond the scope of our budget. As well, Haim was only one of two contractors that did not pressure us into a contract or request a few thousand dollars for a rendering.
We had several questions prior to starting and Haim was very responsive. Haim uses email, text, and phone appropriately - that is, if the response is straightforward, he'll email or text. If he wants to make sure that we are on the same page or if the answer is complex, he'll call to talk through it. Haim is available 24/7; we can reach out in any way and he typically responds within minutes.
The entire job took about 6 months to complete. Given that it was such a large job and a large investment for us, I was naturally anxious. Haim always took time to answer my questions and more - he wanted me to feel comfortable with the process and he had no problem pausing on work to let us think things through. I never felt rushed or pressured. Everyone on Haim's crew was nice, respectful, and worked incredibly hard. Haim was at our house at least one day each week during the demo phase (not much to oversee at this point), and nearly every day that actual rebuilding took place. There were certain tasks that he insisted he be onsite for, such as pouring concrete, setting up frames, and installing appliances - which is what you want in a contractor. I don't like it when I speak with one person, and then that person never shows up when the job is in progress. It seems like a strange and risky game of "telephone" and you wonder if the person doing the job truly understands what it is that you want. Also, we made changes along the way. At every step Haim discussed options with us, walked us through things we didn't think of or know, and was open with advice. I strongly urge you to listen to Haim's advice - he never gave advice that benefited him (i.e., more work and more money); his advice was always focused on creating the best end product and, because he listened to us along the way, kept his suggestions in line with our goals. He has a lot of experience doing this, and we have been thrilled with the outcome when we followed his advice.
Speaking of experience, Haim handled the permits with ease and grace, even when our city was giving him hassle. First there was the pool removal permit, which was a pain because the pool was never permitted when it was installed in the 1970's, but this house has been bought and sold a number of times with the pool on the appraisal papers. The city just wanted more money, but Haim was patient and got the permit that we wanted. Then there were inconsistencies across what different inspectors wanted. Haim was willing to work with their demands to a point, to show that he was listening to them and willing to compromise, but he also used his knowledge of the city regulations and was firm when the demands were far beyond what was required. I know that I'm the odd one out when I say that I want all the work permitted - I don't want to deal with any hassle should I decide to refinance or sell. It seems like a small price to pay upfront for long-term security. And Haim was also not willing to compromise his ethics and was upfront about what needed permits and done according to code.
So, to recap: communication? Check. Experience? Yep! Honest? I think the most honest contractor I have ever worked with. Gorgeous backyard that you ACTUALLY use and everybody loves, making you the entertaining king? Boom - drop the mike - done and done. Love, love, love the final product. We have used it every weekend, even when we don't have guests over. We sit outside next to the firepit on weekend mornings to drink our coffee. We cook outside every weekend. We play fun yard games. This has added 50% more living space to our house. This is what living in SoCal is all about. And this would not have been possible without Haim. I truly appreciate his craft, and I look forward to working with him again! read more