We purchased a short sell home on a hill overlooking the valley. The previous owner had done some retaining walls by himself...unengineered. Needless to say...the entire backyard was tumbling down the hill.
We had SMC construction take a look at the project. They came up with the idea to use all the old block (hundreds of blocks), and build a brand new retaining wall that was over 20 feet tall. By using some ingenuity, they beat the price of every other bid. Not only that, but the design was fully engineered with foundations, proper drainage, and earth diagnostic testing done every step of the way. SMC is really anal about engineering. In the end, with their unique design, they came in 30% less expensive than everyone else and also added 20 feet of usable yard space!
Now for the crazy part. They did such a good job that my wife and I had SMC look at the rest of the yard and see if they could hardscape it to our specifications.
We ended up with a Paradise in the backyard! A 60 foot vanishing edge pool with a 20 foot beach entry. A custom built jacuzzi with enough seats for 20 and a waterfall made with natural granite combined with a slick use of a special cement product to make it look natural and wonderful. Did I mention that they built it so we can sit in a 2 foot pool at the base of this waterfall so we could enjoy the waters tumbling on our shoulders?
He also put in a splash pad that dances pool water above the beach entry of the pool for the kids to play in even with the pool cover closed. We would like to take credit for the designs, but he actually suggested smart and efficient ways for us to combine all these elements without costing us a fortune in wasted redundant costs. He absolutely said NO to the waterslide...it wasn't that he couldn't do it, but he was right in saying that it would look way too busy.
At this point you are probably wondering if SMC is related to us somehow. I have to honestly say that by the time this project was done...we are certainly FAMILY! Just not by blood. ;)
So...when making a decision...here are some things to think about when working with SMC.
Pros -
Price for quality is fantastic.
It will be engineered, and it will be engineered right. They don't skimp on this part. They also work closely with the city with proper permits. Don't use SMC if you want to skimp on city fees and engineering. Good luck with that one.
They are honest people that have a high degree of integrity. We had a few cement issues with our pool when it was built that he was concerned about. He told us that while everbody thought he was nuts, he wanted to rip it out and repour a portion. He said he doesn't want us having a problem TEN YEARS from now.
Cons -
They don't have pretty looking equipment.
The Owner, Sam, will NOT be driving a 60K souped up monster truck with fancy logo on the side. He also will not be wearing a suit.
Sam is sometimes slow to get back on text messages. He will get back, just sometimes not as fast as we would like.
Worth your time to check SMC out, and maybe he can bring you over to see what they did at our house! read more