Jay and his team just completed a landscaping project for me. It's the third house he's done for…read moreme in the last 25 years. The first was a deck and pond project in Seascape. I really didn't want a pond, but trusted him to make it work. It was so amazing that I was totally hooked on ponds. The second was the largest project at our home in Aptos. We had a blank canvas and Jay designed a Koi pond that surrounded two sides of our home, decks, covered walkways, a bridge, a tea house, a custom stone house and multiple patios and beautiful landscaping. The property landscaping was featured on multiple pond and garden tours.
The latest project was a little farmhouse in Watsonville. It was a tiny patch of land that needed TLC. I was at a loss, but again, Jay came through. He did a fence, stone patio, drainage system, sprinkler system, a custom fountain and plantings. I posted multiple before and after photos, but I'm not sure they actually got attached to this review.
At any rate...A few things to keep in mind. Creativity takes time. Be open to changes, suggestions and ideas that the professionals have. Don't be afraid to weigh in, but always listen - Jay knows what he is talking about. Be patient. Every contractor works on multiple jobs at the same time. It's the only way they can stay in business. Be aware of this going into the project. Allow plenty of time to initiate the project, and allow more time than you expect for completion. As with any construction project, there are surprises; both physical and financial. Be prepared to have a flexible timeline. That being said, Jay stuck well to our timeline. I made some changes which extended the project. There was one point when we couldn't get the materials we needed. These things create delays.
All that being said, I would recommend Jay - I've used he and his team for 25 years. They show up in their Jay Welty Landscaping t-shirts and masks, are polite, cheerful about changes, and work hard, really hard. They started between 8 and 8:30 most days, took a short lunch and left at around 3 or 3:30 after sweeping, blowing and hosing down. The property was always left clean and neat. Jay presented me with a weekly bill listing man hours worked and expenses. When it was appropriate, purchases were made where I could call in a credit card number and pay directly.
I can't say enough about Jay and his team. By the time they left the project, they felt like family. They are an amazing team and I wouldn't hesitate to do another project with them!