Mike Guttman Design & Construction

The job went very well. He bid the job promptly and we negotiated a final price based on one construction drawing. His crew easily worked out the details that made the job right. He also helped us get another contractor to place the gas line and was patient while my electrician got his conduits in place. The stone work and concrete finishes are excellent.

The driveway is beautiful and we can walk down the sidewalks without tripping! It took a little longer than orginally planned as much more dirt had to be removed to grade it properly. There were some issues with sprinklers that were moved and cleanup of cement splashes but they were taken care of after some back and forth.

They are good, except his call back was at 7:00 in the morning to see if we liked the work. I liked everything about him except his call back.

Mike was prompt from Day 1 and literally came over within the hour of my initial phone call. During our walk-thru of the property, I could tell that this guy knew his craft and all the options available for the complete overhaul and update that I wanted to do. Being my first experience with a contractor on a job this large, I wanted to make sure I was comfortable with not only the contractor's operational abilities, but his aesthetic tastes, as well. Mike was very opinionated (in a good way) and explained how and why certain additions, subtractions, updates, etc. needed to happen, but throughout the entire process I didn't feel pressured to do anything I wasn't comfortable with. In short - Mike, Felipe (the lead man on the project) and the other workers in his crew were very professional throughout the entire process and not only would I highly recommend them to anyone considering any of the above mentioned services.

I have used this company before with success and wanted to use them again. The work was done well. The owner is very professional. A little expensive but well worth it. I would not hesitate to use again or recommend.

My new courtyard looks beautiful. The old tile was crumbling beyond repair. Mike knew the right tile to replace it with, removed the old, built new steps, flattened out the bad slope, relaid the tile, and then as a bonus, cleaned my tile fountain - something I thought was hopeless. He said it would take about a week and that's how long it took. Mike and his crew are people wno clearly take pride in a job well done, great attention to detail, and all very pleasant to have around your home. I would absolutely use him again.

He installed the new patio over a dirt area, that had previously been landscaped. He had some excellent suggestions and I am very pleased. He was very professional, completed the project on time, and the area was very clean. He was a complete stranger to me and I had several bids for the project. I decided to go with Mike because of the Angie's List referral and I'm very satisfied. The accuracy is 100% correct.

I found them on Angie's List magazine and it worked out really good. He did a really good job. He's a good guy. I got a quote and he seemed really good on the phone. When he got here he looked like he knew what he was doing so I took a chance. He did a great job. He was very professional and did it real fast. He cleaned up his mess and the work through was good. I didn't really find anything wrong; he did a really good job. I would recommend him in a heartbeat. He's not the cheapest but you get what you pay for.

I could be wrong about the date. I didnt document when I first spoke with him. Nice phone conversation, but he was very busy on the days we asked him to come out for an estimate. It sort of fizzled out, and we found someone else to do the job.

I liked the fact that he is was very thorough in his quote preparation. He details and expenses out the time and what work is going to be done so that there is absolute clarity. The crew did a really nice job and they have great attention to detail. The kept the work area quite neat throughout the process. I would not hesitate to use him again and his crew.

I had a couple of companies out. It was a small job. He didn't really seem that interested to be there. It was a weird experience because it felt like I was bothering him by having him out to give a quote. He wasn't even really paying attention when I was talking to him. It took a while to get in contact with him. He was knowledgeable about his work.

Great. Mike and his project manager came over to look at the site, he called me with bid and scope a few days later, and started right after that. Mike and his crew created a brilliant solution for steps to connect the front with the back of my house down a steep slope with some obstacles. They also quickly designed and built two screening fences each about 30' long that look great. Mike's project manager Felipe worked incredibly hard. I thought the cost was reasonable, and I was thrilled they could start and finish so quickly. I highly recommend Mike.

Experience was very professional from start to finish. Work was completed quickly and on time. Mike was very responsive and you could tell his crew was experienced. Overall the experience was painless and done to a high quality.

While not the least expensive of the estimates I received (also wasn't the most expensive), this experience proves you do get what you pay for! I'd hire Mike and his crew in a heart beat for other projects for the following reasons: 1. The quote and time Mike took to explain in detail the project scope to ensure we were aligned. 2. The crew arrived promptly every day and were committed to the project versus leaving part way through then go do other jobs. 3. Mike would often be on site to ensure the work was progressing and issues were addressed promptly. 4. The crew showed great attention to detail in cutting and laying the stone work. (Clear pride in a job well done) 5. Every evening they left the worksite in a tidy fashion. The end product was better than I envisioned. The only issue is I wished I had remodeled sooner with Mike's help!

I called this company for an estimate around Oct. 4, 2010. No one was in the office, so I left a message on their answering machine and never heard back from them. It seems to me, if they're not interested in taking the job, they could at least pay you the courtesy of calling and saying so.

Everything went well and a good job was done.

Mike came and seemed very knowledgeable, seemed to listen well and to be bidding for the job I wanted. I had a variety of quotes- his was the highest (double the lowest quote), but I chose him because he had good reports on Angie's list and seemed to be able to communicate with clarity. I really wanted a professional job done. I don't think I made the best choice for the job I had. I came home on day 2 of the job to see my front wall heading through my front yard into a sprinkler that used to be a few feet away from the boundary. I called him and my frustration began at that point as I got a lot less listening and a lot more explanation that still didn't compensate for the fact that the wall was not in good position. By Day 3, despite my repeated communication that the wall was not on course, I returned home to find it even farther inside my property line, much loved plants dug up and flung about to make room for the wall to head into my yard. As all my neighbors called me asking me what the heck had happened and why had I built this monstrosity, I needed a few more conversations to get Mike to finally pull it down and do it right. To his credit, he did arrange to fix the glaring problem, but a few things concerned me about the experience- in the end I got a level wall, which he had initially said was impossible (the first crazy wall also had steps in it), he certainly didn't listen to me the first time I identified the problem and kept blundering on, and he was a bit of a pain to deal with, demanding money when he saw I wasn't happy rather than a 1/3 first, 2/3 upon completion as I had understood his practice at the beginning of the job, calling me at 6 AM on a Saturday. When he had completed the job, I checked my sprinklers and found that both near the construction no longer worked properly. He told me they were cheap and I was uncertain if he would fix the problem, but he did. So, overall, he did basically do what he said, but getting there wasn't any fun. I am paying another worker to caulk areas of the stucco that are sloppy before painting, and for some other small fixes.

We had 30' of our block wall that was being uprooted by a very large pine tree. Mike came over to do estimate and came back a 2nd time with one of his guys to confirm the work to be done. We agreed on a price that included all materials and hauling away the junk. His crew started right after that and completed the job very quickly. They showed up on time every day. They even dug up, moved and replanted the plants on my neighbors side of the wall. They did a great job!

First, I called another Angie's list referral, who took down my info to set up an appointment. I then contact Mike Guttman. Mike answered the call personally. After describing my problem, his advice was to address the gopher and ground squirrel intrusion, which in his experience was the culprit, not the swale. He was so honest, I put him on my favorites list, even though he directed me to hiring pest control.

It was great. In the space of about a week crews cleared out all the weeds, redid the sprinkler system in the front yard, cleaned up a paver patio they had previous built, laid fresh sod the the front yard, filled the backyard with decomposed granite and stepping stones, built two planter boxes, and poured a new concrete step. They even planted some of our extra plants down our back hill. The crew was there first thing every morning and ofter worked past dinner time. They left the place cleaner than when they found it.

Great. Mike's employees always arrived first thing in the morning and worked until the early evening to get the project done in two days. Mike made sure to come by in person at least once each day to make sure things were progressing and that I was happy with the work.

Mike was very prompt at getting us a quote, then we delayed a little bit, and when we were ready to go, he mobilized almost overnight to accommodate our need. He brought his lead man over in advance for an introduction on both sides which was awesome. The team arrived the next day right on time and really got into the work. The workers were quite skilled, friendly and very hard working. They left the site very clean each day and were reliable. The work even finished a little bit early. We would definitely recommend Mike!

Very well. Mike came promptly to give an estimate and suggested not the most expensive option (replacement) but a much cheaper repair option. His crew came within a week. They worked here for 3 days. They were consistently polite and responsive. They cleaned up each evening so that you couldn't even tell they had been there. The result is very good. It makes me especially glad he didn't try to talk me into replacing the whole thing - the repair looks just fine.

Mike returned initial call to make an appointment quickly. Very punctual, came when he said he would, Quick work, Good workmen. Stacked extra brick in another area, Did not remove extra brick, so that still has to be done. My only issue is with pricing. He offered a $500. coupon on Angies List which he did honor, but then took away some work that he initially said would be included, plus there was additional charge of $150 to chop away tree trunk that was not anticipated. It seemed like he was trying to make up for that $500 coupon discount. Complaining that he was not making enough money on the job.

I'm a skeptical and gun-shy home owner who has been burned in the past by dishonest and/or inept contractors. This time I relied on Angie's List to source a good landscape contractor, and after reading all of Mike's great reviews, I called him for a quote (along with 3 other contractors). Mike showed up promptly, along with his lead craftsman, Filippe. Mike was thoughtful and very observant, and his calm, confident approach put me at ease right away. He noticed areas where additional work might be needed, and contributed excellent design suggestions. He efficiently evaluated what needed to be done, and promised a quote by the end of the day. Sure enough, I had his (excellent) quote by 5:00PM. (The other potential contractors were disasters in comparison, suggesting inappropriate materials - which were, of course, extremely expensive as well - and either coming in with painfully high quotes, or not giving me a quote at all.) I hired Mike, and he was able to start work within a few days. Mike was on-site for awhile every day, supervising the work and making sure everything ran smoothly. Filippe was on-site at all times, and is a remarkable craftsman. His skill at masonry is amazing, and he kept the job organized and on time. The crew arrived by 8:00AM every morning, and worked hard until 6 or 7PM, stopping only for a short lunch break. They even worked all day on Saturday, which was impressive. They thoroughly cleaned up the work site at the end of each day. At all times, the crew and Mike were polite and helpful. Even my very picky husband was impressed and pleased with their work. This was by far the most pleasant experience I've had with a contractor --- thank you Mike, and thank you Angie's List!!!