After 2 years living in our Issaquah rambler, we were tired of our grubby back yard. With a very…read moresloping hillside slumping into it, the constant roll of rocks, and puddling of runoff made the space not very enjoyable. Our small deck, and a big dirt patch was also not a clean or functional space for us or our dog - so it was time for a change.
Once we set our minds to investing in a renovation, I met with 7 (yes 7!) concrete, rockery, and paver providers to discuss the projected heat their ideas, and solicit quotes.
A number of the providers were visionless, one was rude, and another was wildly expensive (twice as much as any of the others). Enter Jose and J Zamora Construction.
While my initial vision for the space was admittedly to have a concrete patio, with a paver retaining wall - after meeting with Jose, my mind changed. In the most genuine and non-pressuring tone possible, he educated me about the benefits of using pavers (repairability, less cracking risk, better drainage, etc). That, combined with both his understanding of the challenges of my property, as well as his unique lense on a design for our space - made Jose a stand out. I also greatly appreciated that when I expressed specific wishes, he did not take offense when those ideas didn't align with his initial recommendation. When some providers acted put-off when I said "I don't want to take out this tree" (etc.), Jose took it in stride and offered solutions rather than trying to convince me that my preference was unreasonable.
After viewing our property, he was prompt, kind, and fair in his quote to us. His documentation was thorough and clear. That, along with his truly aesthetically, and functionally minded vision for our space convinced me to completely pivot from "I'm doing concrete", to "let's go with pavers".
After hiring Jose, he recommended products that suited our combined vision for my yard, was transparent about potential overages, and ultimately executed a project that is beyond my dreams for our difficult space. His crew of 6 busted their behinds for 4 solid days to crack it out. They were prompt, respectful of my property and neighbors; and thorough in their daily, and end of project cleanup.
They even went above and beyond to carefully re-lay our dog's invisible fence line, which was displaced in the underground drainage portion of our project.
Ultimately, we're left with the addition of nearly 1000 square feet to our livable space. An area that started as a grubby dirt patch has become a clean and stunning use of space. It flows with the natural landscape, and looks cohesive with our very mid century home. We have had neighbors (known to us and new introductions) stop by with their jaws on the floor - one even saying "you've made this yard the showpiece of the mountain".
Once we paint the house - our sweet little rambler will be perfection - and we have Jose to thank for so much of our exterior transformation.
Other over the top service notes:
-Rock disposal recycling run
-Bark delivery after project completion
-Spreading bark over worn front yard after completion
