Vox Landscaping

We would highly recommend Vox for landscaping. We received bids from four companies and Vox's design was the best. They did not add any expensive extra items to the bid like some of the companies did. We felt that of all the bidders, Vox listened to us the best and delivered what we asked for. They helped us a lot with selecting the right plants...in facr we were really impressed by how much they know about desert plants, irrigation and how to water properly in the desert. We received a great explanation on the timer and where all the water lines had been installed. For the first time i actually feel comfortable with the irrigation timer! Most im[portantly, the yard is great and they built us a beautiful fireplace using the insert we purchased. In fact, they gave us the name of the fireplace insert supplier which allowed us to save over $500 by buing it directly. The workers were professional, very clean and overall there was little noise. Highly recommend!

I felt obligated to post this review for VOX after reading reviews on another site. I met Beth through an office referral. My boss had a great experience with VOX, so he put me in touch with her. I told her up front that my job was probably not the largest she would ever do, and I was in the far east valley which probably added to logistical headaches, but this is what impressed me the most - she actually listened. She explained my options, everything from initial layouts of the plants to the best selections of what to put where. She continuously advised me what would put me over budget, or what decisions I would have to make to keep me under, and was always willing to give her opinion on the best bang for the buck. A few battles I won, a few battles I lost (the biggest being when my wife decided we needed the extra shade on the rear exposure, changing the layout entirely) so technically, yes, we went over budget, but we knew it going in. No, VOX wasn't the cheapest, but what mattered to me most was what they accomplished: when everything was done, the yard looks infinitely better than it did, my wife is happy, and I didn't have to take out a second mortgage to cover the incidentals. The trees and plants look healthy, that's all I can ask for.

It started off right. I connected with Vox at a home show in Phoenix around June. They were the first company to respond and set up an appointment with me so soon. They were a bit on the pricey side though. But after talking to the owner Beth and Doug, I figured it would be the best bet. Initially I was quoted about $4-5K. Other suggestions were mentioned to lower the final cost, I figured at the most I'd end up paying $5K. When the day came to sign a contract...the max price had ballooned to almost $7K!! I was taken aback. This happened in July. I informed Beth there was no way I could afford that. I was getting out of the military soon and I'd be unemployed, most of my deployment savings were going towards landscaping my backyard. Beth began to strip the project of some of the things I really wanted. We got the project down to nearly $6K. Some amazing plants were taken away along with a lot of dirt. The install went quick and they were done in about two days. Before completion her contractor Doug mentioned to me a few issues he had come across. One issue was he was unable to run the hoses underneath my concrete. He stated he would run them above the concrete and cover them in PVC pipe. He mentioned the demo of my bbq grill left a hole in the ground he would fill. He also mentioned he had turned off my back yard spigot. After a few weeks I had water filling the valve box. I mentioned it to Doug a few times and he stated he would come back and take a look. One day as I came home there was literally a lake in my backyard, one of the pipes literally burst and water flowed non-stop for a few hours in the summer! My water bill was insane. Doug came out and replaced all the valves and accepted responsibility, so there was no charge. I also mentioned to Doug that a ton of grass was coming through the rock. He stated that wasn't normal. He came back and put down another layer of weed and grass barrier. At this point I had many plants that were dying. Doug stated he would take care of it because the plants were under warranty. He came out to check the plants and stated it may have been too hot for them to survive and that they would replace them in the fall. Months passed and I continued to contact Doug and each time I was assured things would be taken care of. I got fed up with the lack of response so I called the owner Beth. She said call Doug he'll take care of it. I called Doug and asked him to turn my backyard spigot on. He came out and took care of it. Then I came home one day and had a pool in my backyard. Water was literally leaking from the middle of my yard. I texted Doug and he mentioned they may have nicked a copper pipe when digging up the grass. I also mentioned grass was again growing through the barrier. He stated they would fix it. At this point we are around the month of September. No PVC pipe, no hole repair, no plant replacement and now I have a leak. Another month passed and nothing. At this point I'm officially out of the Air Force and I'm moving to California. I contact Beth and she informs me she fired Doug. She states she would come to my home to look at the problems. She misses the appt. I reschedule and she comes out and says anything Dough said to me was on his own accord and had nothing to do with her company. She stated she would not cover the hose with the PVC pipe and the grass growing from my rock again is normal. She stated she would replace the plants that died and would check the leak but if it was my problem she wouldn't touch it. I moved and still nothing. I recently sent them a certified letter which they signed for and no response. Basically all the problems I still have with my backyard she claims are the fault of her contractor that SHE hired and not her problem. I still have dead plants in my home, exposed hose, grass growing in the rock, and a leak in my backyard. I will be seeking legal counsel. I will update everyone on the judgement. Be very wary though. If she is willing to do this to a Veteran that just returned from a deployment and was on his way out of the service, she will do this to anyone. Big regret. ***Update*** I contacted my credit card company and explained the problems. I charged about 25% on my credit card and the rest was check. I disputed the charges because the work was incomplete and my credit card company ended up refunding me the money. I've already taken care of most of the issues, now I'll just have to replace some plants. I feel 25% is suffice and won't file a lawsuit.

Didn't follow up; unresponsive

I strongly caution you from using Vox Landscaping. I had thought about writing this review right after our yard was completed in June 2012, but I figured that I was overall pleased with the aesthetic look of the final product so I would just let some of my other frustrations slide. However, I have a reaffirmed distrust for this company. Vox was used by a family member for their backyard remodel; the end result was nice, so it was easy just to go with them. My family member had some communication issues along the way, but I suppose that is to be expected when dealing with any contractor. Jim Bear came to our home and drew up some plans. He was very accommodating and professional. We were spending just over 14K on this backyard. Initially, there was some confusion on the start date for the work since we were also installing a pool, but, again, this is to be expected and could have happened with anyone. We expected workers to show up on a Thursday and no one came. They were there on a Monday. The foreman that worked on the job was knowledgeable and straightforward, but communication and timing were a quite a struggle throughout the company. One day I had about 6 workers just sitting around for 4+ hours waiting for supplies to be delivered before beginning to work. I was also promised that the whole project would be done by Memorial Day, and it was not- it was done several days after. Toward the end of the project, when some of the plants were being put in, we realized that one of the trees we were planning to place would not make any sense due to the constraints of space. Personally, I feel that, as professionals, this is something that should have been caught prior to the purchase of the tree. Needless to say, I was irritated when I was told I would just have to “figure out something to do with it” with no offer of them taking the tree and using it on another job. So, I had the tree that I paid for and didn’t use planted in a family member’s yard – I wasn’t really given a choice. Next, the first time I met the owner of the company, Beth, is when she came to pick up one of the checks from me. She strolled on site, was rude, condescending, and told me I owed an amount different than what was stated on the contract; that rubbed me the wrong way, especially this was the first time she even decided to get involved in the project. Most recently, LESS THAN 90 DAYS after the completion of the job, I noticed that ALL MY PLANTS ARE DYING in both the front and back of the house (Vox only did my backyard). This had happened right after the end of the job too, and we realized that they forgot to cut the tops off of all the drip lines. I called a friend that is a landscaper to see what the problem was. Apparently the way that Vox wired into our pre-existing sprinkler system (note, this is a BRAND NEW HOUSE) was done incorrectly and caused the entire system to fail. When I called Beth on this issue, I was told that this is not their problem, plants are only guaranteed for 30 days, their workmanship is “just fine”, and no, she is not willing to send anyone out to look at the problem because she does not believe that any of the front yard is their responsibility and nothing she does will satisfy me as a customer. Fantastic. All I asked for originally was for them to replace one hibiscus plant that will not come back after not being watered. Then I just asked for someone to come check the system. Neither request was “reasonable”. Seriously? I’m pretty sure the hibiscus is a $30 plant at Home Depot. So, I understand that this site is all about opinions, but I would like to let you know that I am not just some random crazy person that is annoyed. I will pay another company to come and fix the mistakes made by Vox, but I really hope to warn others about the type of service you get from the owner, Beth, at this company. I worked in service and sales for many years, and I understand the perspective of the business owner, but I have never been so angered by a company/owner I contracted to do business with. There is no responsibility taken for a poor product, and blame is immediately passed on to the consumer, without question. The aesthetic end product is nice, but I could have gotten it at higher quality for less of a headache. Go with another company. The workers here are disgruntled and it all trickles down from the poor management and communication skills of the owner and her inability to provide fair and adequate customer service.

It was not a good experience overall. I would not use them or recommend them again. I had plants that died but I didn't even bother to get them fixed under the warranty because just getting the work completed was difficult. Again the lawn and some items turned out well but I was not made to feel the client was important.

Although we were happy with the overall workmanship, the follow-up contact was completely unsatisfactory. We will not use VOX for any further landscaping projects.

Although it was messy during the project they cleaned up very nicely before leaving. Landscaping and construction is expensive. And both times we felt they earned their payment. We would recommend this company for landscaping, pavers, fountains, walls, raised gardens, and fireplaces.

Everyone involved was very professional and courteous. The work was done quickly and within budget. The only problem we had was communicating what we wanted done to the supervisor, but that was easily solved.

Beth is the owner of VOX and Jim was her designer. I was apprehensive at first because they are a smaller company but I am so glad I chose them. They created a design and actually listened to me and worked with me (I had ideas of my own...some of them less good than others!). Anyway, the team that comes to your home is great and they clean up too! I love the design, the workmanship and the price was good. I felt like I got personalized service and Beth always took my call. They also gave me ideas on how to save money (and referred me to other sources who have also been excellent). She was exceptionally knowledgeable about construction and plants (a Master Gardener!). I wish that every contractor was as professional as Beth, Jim and Vox! Highly recommend.